Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Han residence.

Jin Ehuang's secret guards have finally found the location of Theresa and her team so do the assassins hired by Han Chunhua.

On getting the news, Jin Ehuang retracts her secret guards and leaves the task of teaching the culprits some good 'lessons' to the assassins.

~~~~~~~~~

Imperial palace of Luo Ye kingdom.

Han Chunhua also received news from the assassins and gave an order.

"Go wipe out those disgusting people. I no longer want to see their faces." Han Chuhua said to the leader of the hired assassin team who is covered in black veil.

"Yes madam," the black clothed man said with a nod and vanished.

"Han Ling, my dear little sister, I'm taking revenge for you. Those bastards who hurt you; they will be gone soon. They will meet Yama and 'enjoy'." Han Chunhua thought with an evil smile.

*******

Earth

Delhi, India.

There was a long line of cars in many streets. Today was the day that an icon would go to meet her ancestors. Today was Theresa's mother and Clark William's wife, Aarti Sharma-Williams burial.

The president of Germany even had to attend. Lots of reporters gathered around the area in hopes of getting some sizzling hot news.

The widower, Clark Williams sat in a room at his in-laws' home, crying profusely. There were seven of his friends and the evil Thomas trying to comfort him.

"Why? Josh, tell me why she had to leave me. She didn't even tell me goodbye. I want her back even if I would become a peasant. I don't care. I want Aarti back!" Clark cried.

Aarti's parents came inside the room and also tried to comfort him but he wouldn't take it. He suddenly got up and ran out of the room to the living room where Aarti was laid on a beautifully adorned red mat.

She is dressed in wedding clothes and bedecked in jewelry from head to toe. Wreaths were on her head and around her neck. Seeing her lying there, she looked more alive than dead. He slowly walked to her and knelt beside her.

"Aarti... my love...why? Why? How could you break your promise? You said... we would grow old together and embrace our grandchildren, even our great-grandchildren.

Why are you not talking? Why do you lie here? Come on, wake up. Tell me it's a hoax. Tell me its all a dream... that you're still alive. Tell me you love me. Just open your beautiful eyes and kiss me.

Do you know Aarti, how much I long for your passionate kiss, your warm breath on my heart that makes it bubble with excitement, your smile and to hear your gentle, calming voice? Aarti, wake up. Wake up okay? I'll take you places, I can even be your slave.

Please open your eyes and mock me at least. Come on, baby. Don't leave me haging like this. Aarti...please wake up." Clark said in between tears that flowed down his cheeks.

The 9 people that Clark left behind in the room were now behind him.

Yuvraj Sharma, Theresa's maternal grandfather, patted Clark's shoulders.

Outside the house, lots of reporters stood along with many others who even flew from other countries just to attend the burial but they weren't allowed to enter because Clark said that they would disturb his wife rest so only a few were able to get in.

Aarti is not going to be buried according to the traditional custom nor will she be cremated. She will be put into an ice casket and then placed into a much bigger and transparent casket upstairs.

Some of the traditional rites were performed and then Aarti was covered with a thin transparent pink cloth and then carried by Clark as gently as he could upstairs, to the room set apart as Aarti's tomb.

There, he gently placed her into the first ice casket and sealed its lid. Then with the help of three more men, Clark had her placed into the second ice casket and sealed its lid with his fingerprint. He caressed the casket's lid and kissed it.

"Aarti... I am thankful that you came into my life. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I will always love you until I breathe my last. I will come visit you every week to keep you company. I will find our daughter and bring her here to see you...whether dead or alive. Aarti, my dear.." Clark could not whisper anymore as hot tears began to flow again and he began crying.

"My son... it's ok!" Theresa's grandpa assured him and gave him a hug. Theresa's grandma forced a smile and patted Clark's back.

"Father, Mother... I want Aarti back at any cost. How do I get her?" Clark whispered.

"My son... she will always be with you in your heart." Yuvraj whispered back.

Outside, a bodyguard declared that the burial was over and that everyone was free to go back home. Of course many, especially the reporters were sad because they couldn't get vital news.

The president of Germany had stood outside under the not so good shade provided by the umbrella due to the hot sun's blaze dressed in a black suit and a hat for a long time now.

"Let's go back," he muttered to his PA.

"Yes sir" said the young PA.

~~~~~~~~~

Clark William had fainted and was rushed to a top hospital that was 30 minutes' drive away from the Sharma family home.

According to the doctor, he would wake up in 2 hrs. His father and mother in-laws sat on the waiting couch outside the room.

"Yuvraj..." Theresa's grandma named Rosa Sharma, called her husband in a faint voice.

"Wife..." Yuvraj replied.

"I regret that... we... disowned her that year. We did not give her our blessings. Maybe... maybe that's why..." she couldn't finish her words as she fell asleep on her husband's shoulders.

"Aarti..." Yuvraj muttered as he stared at the ceiling.

~~~~~~~

3 hrs later.

Clark's in-laws had just left due to an emergency and Clark sighed as he stared at a picture of his late wife.

"Aarti... I love you." he muttered.

Suddenly, the door was flung open and a red-haired guy entered slowly. He then closed the door and turned to face Clark with misty eyes. He walked to Clark and knelt down.

"Sir, I have returned to accept my punishment. This one couldn't do his job properly and let the priceless heiress slip out of his hands." the man said while bowing his head.

"Paul, where is my Theresa?" Clark asked eagerly, hoping that she could really be alive even though the chance was 1%.

Paul, however, refused to answer.

"Paul is she...?" Clark couldn't get to finish his words because, Paul suddenly collapsed to the ground and fainted.

~~~~~~~~~~

2 hours later.

Paul Reyes opened his eyes slowly and the person he could see was his boss, Clark Williams. He was watching one of the blockbuster movies that Aarti had acted in before he married her. He kept smiling even though, in his heart, there was great pain which could be seen in his misty eyes.

"My Aarti. What's the use of being stupidly wealthy when I can't even save you from the hands of death? Why me? Why me, Earth?" Paul could hear his boss whisper.

"B..Boss?" Paul called out.

Clark raised his head and stared at Paul with misty eyes. Paul had never seen his boss so weak.

"Paul... you are awake. Tell me, where is my heiress? Is she okay?" Clark asked immediately.

"Boss... I... I can't... I'm in no position to tell her exact location or condition." Paul stammered.

"You... tell me what happened," Clark ordered.

"Boss... I did board the plane with her. The flight to South Korea was going smoothly but then there was an alarm along with the captain's warning. Then there was... I think something hit the plane.

Before I lost consciousness, I saw a vortex suck the heiress in and she dropped this necklace." Paul brought out the necklace he had given Theresa in the plane before it crashed.

"She dropped this necklace and I picked it. I saw it light up and I could feel light cover my whole being. Then I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I was in an island in France and I had lost my memory. I recovered it 2 days ago and the family that saved and took care of me since then, helped me with funds. I came here because I knew you would be very worried but who knew... Boss, I'm sorry that I didn't arrive earlier. Please forgive me. It's all my fault. It's all my fault" Paul cried.

"If it were someone else who said these words, I would have considered them insane but then... you are my trusted fellow. You... tell me. Does that mean that my Theresa is still alive?" Clark asked.

"I did some research and what I can say is that she was summoned by someone. I do not know their purpose but I'm sure that heiress might still be alive!" Paul explained.

"How... what is your proof?" Clark asked.

"That necklace... it got me out of the plane. I'm sure that it is not an ordinary necklace. We need to do research on it. I'm sure it could give us some clues." said Paul.

Clark sighed.

"Fine then. I'll make a declaration worldwide. Anyone who can find and bring me my heiress dead or alive, will be rewarded with one billion dollars." Clark declared.

"And you, Paul will have to do serious research on that necklace for me. Got it?" he added.

"Yes boss!" Paul replied with a nod.

******

Luo Ye kingdom.

Theresa's home.

Long Ren felt so angry but he dared not let it show on his face. His mistress told him that the belly dance must be done with a smiling face. The intent of the dance would be lost if one didn't smile.

Lu Wei happily danced and shook her hips adding additional moves to the belly dance. Theresa kept shaking her head when she looked at Long Ren trying hard to shake his hips all to no avail.

She really wanted to laugh but decided to put on a serious expression when looking at both of them. Long Ren felt disheartened but seeing Lu Wei dancing so naturally, he got angry and decided to add some moves too only that it resulted in the twisting of his ankle.

He fell to the floor miserably again and hissed in pain.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

"The winner is Lu Wei." Theresa declared and got up from her wooden bed to applaud Lu Wei.

"Thank you Jiejie," Lu Wei said happily as she hugged Theresa. Long Ren's eyes became dark red due to his jealousy.

"Long Ren, you did your best but it wasn't good enough. Next time you might not win. Alright now... I want to sing a song for you guys but it's in a language you don't understand." said Theresa said after rewarding Lu Wei with a hug and light peck on both cheeks.

"Just sing Jiejie, I want to hear your singing voice," said Lu Wei as she sat on the wooden bed.

"Long Ren, go sit with Lu Wei." Theresa ordered him telepathically.

Long Ren didn't want to obey but he had to. The real side of mistress needs to return now. This new side of his mistress is too cruel. Too scary. If his real mistress side could come back, he'd treat her well and not make her cry again.

Long Ren dragged himself to the wooden bed and wanted to sit on the bed but Theresa told him to sit on the floor and then told Lu Wei to put her legs on Long Ren's shoulders.

Hearing this, Lu Wei was a bit scared but somehow, without waiting for Theresa to persuade her, she obeyed Theresa's order.

"This is so great. Who'd believe that one day, a low cultivator like me would have this honor? Even if I lose my head, I'll be satisfied." Lu Wei thought excitedly.

"Ahem..." when Theresa saw that all was set, she began to sing a song she had written as a gift to her mum at age 12.

♫ The struggle of life's not easy. On our journey we meet so many obstacles... ♫

Lu Wei's eyes shone upon hearing Theresa's singing voice.

"Jiejie, you're the best" she muttered but only Long Ren could hear it.

♫It's like a milestone were tied to our neck♫

♫ And we're pitched into the sea of troubles. ♫

♫ Life never easy but don't give up. ♫

♫ Just keep trying your best in life. ♫

~~~~~~

Long Ren really couldn't take it anymore. This humiliation is the worst.

A mere human dared take his precious shoulders as a footstool and his mistress ordered it. He prayed hard that mistress true side returns back quickly.

When Theresa was done singing the 3rd song, Lu Wei put her feet down and stood up from the wooden bed.

Unknown to her, she had stepped on Long Ren's right fingers making him hiss in pain. To make things worse, Lu Wei decided to show a military salute stamping her right leg on Ren's poor fingers. He immediately yelled due to pain and anger.

"I can't take it anymore. It's too much." he shouted as he flung Lu Wei to a corner of the room with his left hand.

Theresa's eyes turned quickly to red color which stunned Long Ren.

"What's going on?" he thought in puzzlement.

Theresa slowly walked to him, her hair and clothes fluttered even though there was no wind blowing. Ren hid his wounded fingers from her view and bowed his head.

"How dare you?" she barked, sending several chills down Long Ren's spine.

"Mistress... she stepped on my fingers." explained Ren.

"Good! Well done! You dared fling my Meimei like a piece of trash. Very good." Theresa said in a low voice.

"Mistress... I really didn't mean to do that. I was just..." Ren stammered in the process of trying to explain further to his mistress but he was cut off by her.

"Kneel!" she ordered.

Long Ren though unwilling to obey, went into the kneeling position.

"Look at Lu Wei." Theresa ordered.

Ren looked at her and saw that she was trying hard not to faint or cry from the pain she was feeling all over her body.

"You are so merciless," Theresa spat.

"Mistress..." Long Ren couldn't complete his sentence because he was cut off by a slap from Theresa on his right cheek.

"Mistress... mistress?" Long Ren brought his right hand to his cheek and turned teary-eyed.

"Mistress... why... why did you... slap me? Why?" he asked in a whisper. A tear slid down his red cheek and dropped to the floor forming a pearl.

"Mistress, I know that I've been rude to you. I wasn't willing to accept you as my mistress completely. It's because of me that you're in this state. I'm sorry." Ren cried as he hugged Theresa's left leg.

"Mistress, please come back. I promise that I'd treat you well." Ren whispered weakly.

Theresa heartlessly freed her leg from his grasp and kicked him in the gut. He immediately vomited blood and had a nosebleed.

"Hurry up and treat yourself. I'll give you a breather for now." said Theresa as she walked to the spot where Lu Wei was lying unconscious.

Theresa picked her up bridal style and took one last look at Long Ren before leaving the secluded room. The moment Long Ren saw that they were gone, he wiped off the blood that stained his mouth and chin.

"Finally, some time to rest," he thought with a sigh.

He rose up from the floor and white light covered him from head to toe.

After 9 seconds passed, the light dimmed to reveal Long Ren now dressed in a prostitute's clothes.

He took out a luxurious bed from his spatial ring and a tray containing apples.

"Time for enjoyment!" he exclaimed after sealing the secluded room to make sure his mistress doesn't catch him red-handed.

"Because of that Lu Wei, I was utterly disgraced. Lu Wei, mark my words, if I don't crush you to powder, then I'm not Long Ren." he swore while eating an apple.

"As for you mistress, just you wait. When you eventually come back, I will skin you alive for all the suffering and humiliation I had to go through in your hands."