Victor turned and regarded Carol with a look of disbelief. "Is this true? Did you give the coordinates to Monolith?"
The young woman pursed her lips and averted his gaze. She couldn't even meet his eyes as guilt overwhelmed her. Carol crossed her arms, lowered her head, and nodded. Victor's expressions showed sorrow and disappointment for a moment as if something precious was taken from him.
NWO had strived for years not to unearth Thanatos. The element was his bane and kept all enemies at bay. Now, hell was about to break loose. All because of Carol's betrayal.
A shadow seemed to wash over Victor. His eyes became cold and seemingly distant. He turned sharply towards the crowd of soldiers.
"Now that the Puppetmaster has a weapon to counter me, he will immediately invade the city. We need to be ready for war at the break of dawn! General Baker!"
"Yes, sir!" Lance stepped forward and addressed him.
"How many troops can you spare for Springfield's protection?"
"Including the present company, I have mobilized ten platoons. More troops can arrive, but it will take at least a week."
Victor nodded. "We will work with what we have. Post the mobilized platoons on the borders of Springfield, including the coast. At the slightest hint of an invasion, inform me immediately! Move out!"
Lance and his soldiers saluted Victor and left in a military Chinook helicopter.
"Mav and Val!"
"Yes, sir!" Maverick and Valerie responded in unison.
"Gather all our agents from one-star to four-star, including freelancers. Fly them to Springfield by tonight! Arm them with our latest advanced weaponry. The enemy will bring anti-matter guns with its infantry. Therefore, our agents must wear Kevlar, which will work against both conventional and anti-matter bullets. Move out!"
"Yes, sir!" The two five-star generals turned about and left.
"Drew!"
"Yes, sir!" Drew Archibald said with a salute.
"Your task is of utmost significance. Tell me… What is Starfall's current location?"
Drew gulped anxiously. Was the danger from the Puppetmaster so severe that Victor needed Starfall? The last time he used the weapon was during the Pacific World War. "Currently, it is hidden on a remote island in the Caribbean Sea."
Victor nodded. "I need Starfall delivered to me in Springfield by dawn tomorrow. Make it happen! Go!"
"Yes, sir!" Drew turned and left, making urgent calls on the way.
Within minutes, the wilderness where the cottage was located was empty again. Victor looked into the distance long after the soldiers left. Carol stood behind him silently. Perhaps half an hour passed, and neither of them spoke anything.
As the sun set, an icy gust of air rushed down the valley. The beauty shivered, not from the chilly breeze but from Victor's cold demeanor towards her.
"Vic-" she began, but the man turned and walked towards the cottage as soon as he heard her voice.
Carol followed him inside. Once they were in the bedroom, he began switching off the lights.
"Victor…" the young woman murmured with a shaky voice. He did not respond.
"Victor… Please talk to me!"
"Yes? What is it?" he asked in an unwelcoming tone. Carol felt sadness tug at his heart. She had never heard the man speak to her that way before.
"I'm sorry," she murmured.
Victor finally looked her way. "What are you apologizing for? Endangering my life? Handing over a weapon of mass destruction to a maniacal terrorist?"
Carol's lips quivered, and she wanted to run away, but she replied nonetheless. "Courtney threatened to kill my family. Her minions blackmailed me with blades against their throats. Dad, Mom, and Josh would be lying dead if I hadn't given them the coordinates. I had no other choice."
Victor scoffed. "Stop deluding yourself, Carol. You had two obvious choices. On the one hand, was the rotten Atelier family. They are family only for the namesake. They would've sold you off to James Colbert, the Blackwells, Elias Crane, or Sebastian! You've been nothing other than a market product to them! No, much worse. Your family, including your adorable brother, are your pimps!"
Tears rolled down Carol's eyes. The truth was bitter, and for a moment, Victor saw how much he was hurting her. He wanted to stop, but something in him had clearly broken.
"On the other hand, was I. Victor Damone. Your ex-husband. The only person in the world who has truly ever cared about you. I saved you from being raped by James Colbert. I rescued you from the Blackwells. Without my interference, Elias would've made you a sex slave. You would have been violated in Talmuth Bank if it weren't for me. I saved you from Damien's sex party. And in the end, when the Ateliers kicked you to the curb and abandoned you, left you to die… Victor Damone, your ex-husband, who always received second-class treatment, saved your life."
"You made your choice, Carol. You chose them and not me. And you'd do it all over again. You have a serious problem, and I no longer want you in my life."
Carol broke down into tears, gasping and shaking in mental agony. The temperature had dropped, and she trembled, wishing Victor would hug her in his warm embrace. But he didn't care anymore.
"Does crying solve and fix everything? I am not afraid to die, Carol," he went on. "I've been through tribulations worse than death. But your selfish decision has endangered the fate of the world! If I fall at Monolith's hands tomorrow, humanity's last hope falls with me. Were the lives of your petty family more valuable than the rest of the world?"
"I'm sorry…" she whimpered, unable to come up with anything else.
"No, I'm sorry, but that no longer cuts it. You were the most important thing to me in the universe. But you failed to see that. Right now, I can't even stand to look at you. You can lead the life you want with the people you prefer. However, I am done with you."
As if by cue, the sound of rotors reached them. Victor peered out the bedroom window.
"A private chopper has landed outside. It will take you to my villa, Regal Rock, where you'll be safe during the war. You can even take the rotten Ateliers with you."
Victor stepped forward and looked into Carol's eyes, which were already red from incessant weeping.
"But I want to be very clear. You and I no longer have and will never have a relationship. Be it business, romance, friendship, or any form of acquaintance. We are done. Goodbye, Carol. I'll take the scenic route."
Victor walked outside the cottage, and the young woman followed him, struggling to find words that could change his mind.
Victor didn't even bother to turn back. He crouched down and leaped over the valley. Carol watched his robust figure soaring into the sky. Her heart sank as the realization hit her that she had lost Victor forever.