“Auntie, come on. Nathalia is still studying. Let her finish her education first,” Liam countered.
Mom shook her head. “That’s okay! They’re already married, and she’s of the right age. She could take a semester off if need be.” She even gave me a pointed look.
I couldn’t believe we were just sitting there staring at her. I silently wished the ground would open up and swallow me whole.
I let out a sigh of relief when we didn’t continue discussing that topic as we finished our meal. After paying our respects to Mr. Villafuente and the other staff, we left the restaurant. Cole was quick to greet me outside.
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness. It might be a while before I see them again.
I forced a smile when I faced them. “When will we meet again?”
Mom gently caressed my cheek. Her eyes were teary, but I knew she was holding back from letting her tears fall completely.
“When everything is alright, sweetie.”
I looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“When the right time comes, you’ll understand.” Dad held my hand tightly.
“But when will that be?” I persisted, looking at them both for answers.
Liam walked over to me and kissed the top of my head. “You’ll know soon.”
Even though I didn’t fully understand what they were saying, I nodded before saying my goodbyes.
As we were on our way home, my mind couldn’t help but wander. It seemed like Mom and Dad were holding something back from me.
Lost in thought, we were driving down the tree-lined road toward the mansion when something caught my attention outside. A woman was lying by the side of the road.
“Cole, pull over,” I commanded with authority.
He glanced at me through the rearview mirror. “But Madame—”
“There’s a woman lying by the side of the road! Didn’t you see? Let’s help her!” I said, panicking.
He was about to protest, but I just gave him a stern look. So he quickly pulled over and stopped the car.
I got out of the car swiftly and ran towards the woman. I ignored Cole’s loud calls and shouts behind me.
However, I ended up covering my mouth in shock when I saw the woman’s bloodied body. Her face was almost unrecognizable due to the severity of the beating she had endured. She had a cloth gag tied around her mouth.
As far as I knew, very few vehicles passed through this area. So, it wasn’t surprising that it had become a dumping ground for something like this.
There’s no doubt that she’s a salvage victim.
I turned to see that Cole was now behind me. “We need to call am—”
“Madame, get down!”
That’s how surprised and cold my body became when he suddenly raised the gun he was holding and aimed it in my direction. I quickly ducked and almost jumped in surprise as the rapid shots of the gun echoed.
When the surroundings fell silent, I slowly looked behind me. There, I saw two men lying on the road.
Cole quickly approached and stood me up before hiding me behind him.
“Madame, we need to get back to the car! We need to get back to the mansion quickly. This is a trap!”
Only then did I realize what he meant. Was that why he didn’t want to stop earlier?
God! I’m so stupid!
We kept a vigilant look around as we finally made it back to the car. But our disappointment deepened when we noticed that the tire was flat.
From behind the towering trees, men wearing all-black suits started to emerge one by one. They were likely mafia guards against Stephen.
“Shit!”
Cole quickly grabbed my hand. We were about to run towards the opposite wooded area when four figures reappeared from where they had helped us before. I was sure it was them, given the masks they were wearing.
I didn’t make a mistake. Because they quickly attacked and rained bullets on the pursuers behind us.
Cole took that opportunity to run with me towards the forest. He hid me behind a lush tree, where there were also tall plants.
“Just stay hidden here for now, Madame. I’m not sure if you’ll encounter any enemies if I lead you ahead. We’ll do everything to keep them from getting close.”
I nodded at him, and he quickly turned back to face the enemies.
From my position, I could only watch in a daze as each one of them fought from a distance. If only I had brought my gun.
But would I be able to do anything if the situation arose? I haven’t been in an actual fight before.
I felt around my bag and suddenly remembered the Swiss knife I was carrying. If someone happened to come this way, I wouldn’t hesitate to wield it against them.
But my eyes widened in alarm when I saw three of the enemies heading in the direction near where I was hiding. I covered my mouth with my hand and slowly sat down.
I almost held my breath as they came closer and closer to my position. They looked around, and I knew they were searching for me.
I felt my blood run cold as one of them suddenly turned in my direction. I quickly ducked and silently prayed that he hadn’t seen me.
God! No! Not again, please. Why does it have to be now when Stephen is not around?
I could hear their approaching footsteps. I braced myself for what might happen next when I was almost about to scream due to the rapid succession of gunshots.
Despite my trembling body, I still peered cautiously to see what had transpired. I saw two of the men lying on the ground. While another one was grappling with a newcomer.
My mouth hung open. He’s one of the four who helped us!
He was forcefully kicked in the stomach by the enemy, causing him to stumble back. Before he could recover, he was suddenly punched hard in the face.
I gasped. This can’t be! He might lose if things go on like this!
He lay on the ground, and the enemy quickly pinned him down. Judging by the enemy’s physique, he seemed to be quite strong. Meanwhile, the one helping us had a more slender build.
They continued to grapple with each other until the enemy managed to throw away the gun he was holding.
I didn’t know what to do. My mind and heart were in conflict about what I should do.
But he wouldn’t be in danger if not for me. Besides, my conscience couldn’t bear the fact that I was always the one being protected.
With all the strength I could muster, I pulled myself up. I looked around cautiously before smiling upon spotting a large rock. I lifted it with all my might and quietly approached behind the enemy before forcefully slamming it against the back of his neck.
However, before he could lose consciousness, he managed to remove the mask of the person who had helped us.
I held my breath. I felt like my consciousness would escape me too when I saw who it was.
“M-Mads?”