Chapter 54: Chapter 54

When this unknown war started, I don't know how to cope thinking that it was my fault for choosing Hector over Ares. That maybe it’s really my fault so this tire has grown a long time ago. That I might really be the root and end of it.

But when Hector told me about what really happened that day that Papa was shot — which I was also touched — it was so stupid of me to think of that. Hell no this is my fault. It would never be my fault because, in the beginning, everyone had plans for each other. And coincidentally they were preceded by the Aragonese in action. Something that until now I was not sure would still happen — would we die together and at the same time here?

“What should we do next? Most of our men were down. I don't know how it happened but it seems that Ares has more people than before. ” I heard Sir Anton say to Hector so I looked at them.

Hector's sweating big time. His sweat was dripping as he sat in a large tree next to Sir Anton and Rusty. As Vera and I stood and waited for what we would do next.

“Others are not here yet. According to Hari, there are those who are holding back their Ares staff until now. They were delaying their time and their weapons, ”Rusty stated.

I glanced at Hector. It just looks serious in the distance. After he gave me first aid earlier because of a bullet wound to my chest we went to a hidden cave far from the woods. I don’t know where this part of the Lazarus property is. My body was so numb that I could no longer feel the wounds I had received earlier from the fight and the explosion.

Hector heaved a deep sigh and looked up at me. He looked down at me and grinned. He's thinking something about me instead of worrying about the current situation. This weird man…

"You looked so hot carrying that rifle…" He whispered to me so I quickly shot him.

“Seriously, Apollo? Can't that wait any longer? We are in the middle of a war! ” Vera yelled at him. Lintik Hector just laughed.

"Do you think Ares will continue to attack even though he doesn't know if he's being attacked yet?" He asked everyone.

Sir Anton didn't say a word as if he was thinking as well as I was.

“And what do you mean by that? That we will just hide here until he stops? ” Vera answered.

Hector chuckled again. "Okay, if you're a coward," he said sarcastically to his cousin then stood up. I heard Vera's crisp murmur at him.

“What’s your plan, Apollo? Care to share it with us? ” Sir Anton said to him and simply glanced at me.

He did not answer the latter and finally came out of the cave so we all immediately followed. The whole area is quiet. We seemed to be confused as we had been before — quietly and suddenly with an attacker.

“We’re going to retreat for now. We need to return to Manila immediately because that is where Ares' real purpose is. He was just trying to stop us here so that nothing could stop him from doing all over Alcaraz, ”Hector declared so I immediately looked at him.

"What?"

"You mean he doesn't really want to kill you and Ana?" Rusty asked. Hector shook his head.

"He plans to catch the two of us," he declared and approached me. “Can you walk still? Doesn't your wound hurt? Can you still do it?" He asked me a worried question.

"I can't feel it though," I said as I told him before — because that's really the truth. Even the supposed anger I felt in my heart about Ares ’real plan I couldn’t feel.

I feel empty and drained.

"Are you sure?" He was still making sure so I nodded.

"Not really—"

He could not continue what he was going to say when I suddenly pulled my rifle and fired it straight at his side. A man fell. They turned around at once, shocked at what I had done.

"What the hell," Rusty said and quickly went to the fallen man. Vera turned to me as well as Hector.

"You saw that?" Vera asked. I simply nodded.

“I can see the scarf on his head because it is red. Who is a fool to wear such a color in the middle of a war, ”I said and shrugged.

“That's also what I noticed in the other Ares staff earlier. So maybe many of them were immediately knocked down by them because of the scarves they were wearing. How stupid they can be, ”Sir Anton said and laughed. Hector was still staring at me so I laughed.

"Don't be so surprised."

“Well, I’m not surprised. I'm scared actually. ”

We laughed at the same time. We stayed there for a few more minutes until we started to move. Hector says there is a vehicle waiting for us at the end of this barn. That was the shortcut from the creek out of the entire property of the Lazarus. When Hector and Rusty made sure no one was waiting for us there we moved on.

Surprisingly, no one ambushed us out of the barn. Suddenly, the shooters coming from inside the woods disappeared and there was complete silence. We walked for a few more minutes until we saw the black van waiting for us so we ran there and left immediately. I'm not sure if we're going to do land travel but I don't think it's because Ares can easily hear our actions when we do land travel.

And I was right in my suspicion. This van just took us to the airport and Hector immediately guided us on a private plane. That's what he used when he followed it.

Once we landed in Manila we all went straight to a private hospital. I even wondered why the staff of this hospital didn’t seem surprised when they saw the look and the guns we were carrying so I asked Vera. Hector had been talking on his cell phone before.

“This is Hector's property. He's the owner of this hospital. Why do not you know?" He asked me in surprise so I was amazed.

“How rich is he? Is it true that he is the only one who produces his businesses even the company he manages now? I'm embarrassed to ask him, ”I told him hesitantly.

His eyes rolled in the air and for a moment he glanced at the nurse who was treating his wounds while I was already lying down and just waiting for the time of the operation.

“Uncle Damien gave him half of Aragon Estate. Everything Uncle gave him was only half compared to Ares who was always whole. But Apollo managed to make the value of it more than the whole company. He's that good at business management. He is even better than Uncle, which Ares can't accept and will never be because his own father has high expectations of him. Actually, they were good before. They agreed not until Uncle Damien announced Apollo's real identity and gave him his last name. Since then, Ares has considered Apollo an opponent, ”Vera explained to me.

I looked away from him and was stunned at the ceiling. That was different from what Ares told me before. He said that Hector had taken everything from him. And I believed him. It's funny that I easily believed him during those times just because I loved him so much.

“Well, at first, as far as I know, Apollo really wanted to take everything away from Ares, the whole Aragon family. He was seeking justice and he wants to avenge his mother's life that was taken by Uncle Damien. ”

When Vera said that I quickly turned to her.

“What do you mean? Isn't Donya Valeria his mom? ”

Vera laughed sarcastically. “That's what they told everyone so as not to tarnish Uncle Damien's name and turn the embarrassment on his wife's name. Apollo is Uncle Damien's son with another woman, one of their maids back then. When Aunt Carmella threatened Uncle that she would tell him about their affair, she was found in their house the next day, dead. ”

My heart sank. My mouth fell open but no words came out of it. The right words seemed to escape my mind. It seemed like I suddenly couldn’t think straight because of what I found out.

I thought that was the real situation of their family — Hector's mother is Donya Valeria and Don Damien was not her real father. Perhaps that was also Ares' biggest reason why he was so angry with Hector. Perhaps that is also the biggest reason why the rift between their siblings has widened.

“And you know what’s the worst thing that happened the day Tita Carmella died? Until now, they haven't found her body. After he was taken to the morgue, his body suddenly disappeared. We all suspected that Uncle Damien hid him because he didn’t want everyone to know the apparent cause of his death. It's been 15 years since she died… ”

That was the last thing Vera told me before the doctor came and took me to the operating room. I didn't even catch up with Hector. Before I had surgery until I woke up that was still the stuff of my mind. I’m not even sure if that left my brain.

And I’m not sure if that will ever leave my brain.

Night came, and I woke up when I still couldn’t see Hector. I can already feel the intense pain in my chest that was hit by the bullet as well as the pain of my whole body. But Hector isn't here yet. Where is he?

I stared at the ceiling for a few more minutes until the door opened. I immediately looked at it and was exposed to me by my Grandmother and Grandfather who approached me directly. Excessive concern was evident in their expressions.

I slowly sat down and faced them. Exactly right. I have a lot to ask them.

"Grandpa, Grandma…" I said and hugged them.

“We started gathering the other Black Guerrilla who was found wounded at the scene of the attack. You don’t have to worry anymore, hija, ”Lolo Leoncio said to me as they sat down in front of me.

I just nodded sparingly. Wondering how I’m going to start telling them what was on my mind, whereas just the other day I just wanted to ask all the questions in my mind.

“I’m so sorry, Anastacia. Your mommy told us but we didn't protect you as she wanted… ”Introduction by Lola Andrada.

“It's not your fault, 'La. Hector and I wanted to stay away and we protected what needed to be protected. You don't have to worry, ”I said and held his hand tightly.

"I just want to ask something, Lola, Lola… I hope you tell me everything I need to know," I said and looked at them.

They didn’t answer and just kept staring at me. Maybe they already have an idea of what I want to ask or what I want them to say to me.

I cleared my throat. I sighed violently.“What really happened to mommy? What did he die of? Please, don't tell me that she died accidentally. Someone tortured her. That's what his autopsy report said. Why did you hide that from everyone? Why did you lie and dismiss his death as an accident? Does it have anything to do with dad? ”

I caught my breath when I finished saying that. Their expression did not change. That's still the way they look at me like before. As I said, they’re already looking forward to it. They knew I would ask this so it hurt me even more — because they waited for me to ask them about it rather than telling me everything on their own. It's funny.

“Damien Aragon tortured your mom before she died before her body gave up. It started when your mom and your dad had a relationship that was strictly forbidden in their organization, especially since your dad was a former employee of the Aragon Estate. Your father was a former spy from Aragon Estate and Damien wanted him to pay the price… and he treated your mom as compensation. ”

I sighed. I don’t know how I would react to what Lola Andrada said. I don’t know if it’s anger I feel or pain. That in so much pain my heart seemed to be burning little by little.

“Since then, the whole Black Guerrilla has targeted your dad but they can't do anything because Ariza is very protective of your dad. But right after your mom died, they followed dad. We didn’t release the real cause of Ariza’s death because we needed to protect you. They didn't tell everyone about you because your parents were sure they would kill you next. That's why they choose to hide you from everyone who knows them, even us, ”said Lola Andrada.

“Sure, Ariza was a genius back then, but Damien Aragon is much smarter than her when it comes to the war of their hearts. And he bequeathed it to his son Ares, ”added Grandpa.

I bit my lower lip to prevent my emotions from swallowing me up completely. I repeatedly calmed myself down because I didn’t know how to act in front of them. I feel like I’m going to explode in extreme anger and pain. I do not know what to do.

A few minutes of silence enveloped the entire room until the door suddenly opened and it spat out Hector along with Vera and Sir Anton. I saw him glance at the two old men in front of me.

I just stared at them all. When Hector and I met eyes I suddenly remembered what Vera had told me recently. There, I saw the pain in his eyes that he kept hiding from me.

I can now see war in his eyes that I previously did not notice. I can see loneliness in his eyes previously I didn’t know what the strange twinkle in his eyes meant. I can now see his torn heart that I then thought, he was whole.

He slowly walked towards me and immediately kissed me on the top of my head.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?"

I was stunned when I heard that. I rolled my eyes and there I realized that I was crying while staring at him.

“I’m fine. It doesn't matter. ”

"Why are you crying, Solei?" He asked me emphatically and threateningly again.

I bit my lower lip. I sighed violently and clung to his arm.

“Fine. Let's go face your father. Let's go face the war of your heart. Stop hiding your sorrow from me, please… I'm sorry… ”