Chapter 56: Chapter 56

All the property and possessions of the Aragones disappeared like bubbles and were destroyed. The whole world was shocked and couldn't believe what happened, even me. I don't even know how I will feel and how I will react as I look at Hector who is just sitting on the sofa while hugging his sleeping daughter Amari. It seems that he simply did not care about the news even though he was an Aragon.

I stared at him for a few more minutes before he tilted his head to look at me.

“What’s wrong? You have been staring at me since earlier,” he said and frowned.

I cleared my throat and sighed. “Do you have anything to do with this?” I asked him directly.

He grinned but he did not answer me. Instead, he called Emerald and ordered Amari to be brought to her room. After that, he suddenly pulled me out and went straight to the security leader who was guarding our entire house.

“Call the second unit and surround the whole house, even the entire subdivision. Take good care of the whole house. Make sure no one can enter and if there is, call me first before you make a decision because if something happens to my family, I will charge you. Do we understand each other?" Hector said to security who seemed scared of what he said.

“Understood, sir. I will send the second unit immediately.”

After they talked, he turned to me. I just looked at him while waiting for his answer. He scratched his head and grinned. It was only by his gesture that I confirmed that so I don't know if I will be scared or amazed by what he did. How did he do that?

“I asked for help, of course. I can't do it alone, Solei, if that's what you want to know,” he said sarcastically to me and still laughed.

"What are you planning?" I asked him and ignored what he said.

But before he could answer me, his cell phone suddenly rang. He glanced at it for a moment before finally answering. A strange grin appeared on his lips so I kept my gaze on him.

“Dad, you suddenly called, huh? Is there anything wrong?” He mockingly said. My eyes widened when I knew who he was talking to.

It was Don Damien!

I couldn't hear what he was saying because the loudspeaker wasn't on so I just based it on what Hector said. He was still holding my hand while talking.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Is that really how you feel about me?” Hector said but he was still smiling.

I don’t know how I’ll feel about what he’s doing. As if he was mocking his own father but I couldn't do anything to stop him because I knew he wouldn't stop.

“Of course! Why would I blow up my own company? I'm not that stupid. I know all the hidden stench of the family I have. Do you want to know what those are?” He would challenge his father.

He laughed. But it was not a laugh of happiness, but a laugh full of anger and revenge. I could feel it, even more, the tighter his grip on my hand.

“What do I want from you? It's simple, dad. Give me back mom's remains and I'm ready to forgive you and your whole family for ruining my life. How about that? Oh — what am I talking about? Do you think I am a fool who until now doesn't even know the truth? That after you ordered Ares to kill Solei's parents, you killed them, my real mother? Do you think I will let it slide that easily?”

My heart was pounding. Hector's grin was gone and his expression seemed to harden. He also tightened his grip on his cell phone while looking into the distance. I noticed the arrival of five vehicles carrying private soldiers that Hector had summoned and ordered to guard the whole house. Perhaps he knew that his father or Ares might have come here.

I was suddenly nervous about my daughter’s life. I looked up at Hector and I could still feel his anger especially when I held his arm. I can feel his tension and rage.

“Try me, dad. I told you, you don't know what I'm capable of. I can kill whoever tries to ruin my family and I will make sure you never retaliate for what I do to your whole family. Especially with your son Ares,” he said emphatically and full of anger and turned off the call then turned to me.

“I need to go to Anton's place. Stay here and wait for me,” he said so I immediately shook my head.

“Don’t do this, Hector, please. What about Amari? I'm scared. What if they come after our daughter?”

He quickly grabbed my whole face and gave me a soft kiss. Then he dropped his grip on my hand.

“Nothing will happen because I will never let it. Now, stay here and wait for me to come back. I'm sending Vera here as well as Rusty. If you need anything, just tell me right away, okay?” He spoke softly to me so I just nodded.

Before I finally entered the house, he called me again so I quickly turned to him. His eyes began to bulge as if pleading.

"I love you…"

That was the last thing Hector said before he left. I entered the house full of frustration and fear and decided to sit on the sofa. When I saw Emerald pass by, I immediately called her.

"Yes ma'am?"

"How's Amari?"

"Still sleeping, Ma'am," she replied so I just nodded.

I immediately got up and hurried to her room. I found her there sound asleep while hugging a teddy bear. I smiled and approached her. I slowly sat down next to her and kissed her on her head.

I was afraid of what might happen and for Amari’s safety but I was more afraid of what Hector might still do to his father. I understand his pain. I understand his rage. He got rageful. He got bitter because of what his father did to him and to his mother, but I don't think killing everyone including him will help to ease his agony. Especially on my part.

I want to bring justice for both of my parents, of course. I want to give them justice but not in this way. My conscience can't bear it every time I think that I can kill someone just to get the justice I want. And I know it’s not the way dad wants it either. I’m not sure what my real mother wants but I know she’s not a bad person either. Killing people in order to bring justice for those people who were unjustly killed by them won't help. And I'm scared to know that Hector might think it that way. That he was so angry that he was the one who was hurt. That he might be so angry that he would lose us again. I can't handle that anymore.

The afternoon came but I still had no news of Hector's condition. I tried calling him several times but he hadn’t answered before. Even Sir Anton, I called him too but I got no answer.

I watched my daughter peacefully watch her favorite Cartoon Network show with Emerald before walking towards the door to get out. But I hadn’t even taken a step when Vera and Rusty suddenly arrived seemingly unconcerned.

“Where is Hector? He does not answer my calls,” I told them.

Vera frowned at me. “Didn't he say goodbye to you? We thought you knew.”

“What? What do you mean? All he said was that he was going to Sir Anton— ”

“Ana, Apollo went to face his father and Ares. And I am telling you, don't ever try to go there and be with him. You don’t know what awaits you there,” Rusty said and immediately grabbed me by my elbow.

“Wait, what are you saying? Where is he? What's happening?"

“Ana, listen, Apollo knows what he's doing and he can do it. If you're thinking of stopping him, then you're too late. Let's just wait for him to show up. Amari's safety is more important now. Now calm down,” Vera insisted.

I bit my lower lip because of the extreme tingling it felt. But I did nothing when they pulled me back into the living room.

While they seemed unconcerned, I almost wanted to go to bed first just so my mind wouldn't work but I'm sure my thoughts about Hector wouldn't put me to sleep either. It is ruining my mind big time! I feel like I'm slowly losing my mind because of what's happening and in a little while, I'll be completely mad crazy.

A few hours later, the house phone rang. I immediately ran to answer as Vera and Rusty just stared at me. My hands were shaking when I put them to my ear.

“H-Hello, this is Hector Apollo Aragon's house—”

“Hello, Mrs. Aragon, this is St. Francis Memorial Hospital. We're calling to inform you that your husband Mr. Hector Apollo Aragon was rushed here and is currently inside the operating room…”

I never finished what she was going to say. I immediately let go of it and just sat down because of extreme weakness.

"Ana!" Vera hissed.

“Ana, what happened? Who called?” Rusty asked.

I was stunned for a moment. I felt like I was slowly drowning and not knowing what to do during those hours.

"H-Hector… is in the hospital."

I could feel the enveloping cold air as if it were hugging me. It was late at night and just as I was feeling, I could feel the sadness of the night. It is so gloomy which adds to the weight of how I feel. I feel like everyone is slowly killing me. I could feel the pain I was feeling slowly choking me and I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it anytime soon.

I don't know if I will be able to know his condition now that the operation is over. I'm afraid to know whether it's good news. I was afraid that I might hope that everything would be all right.

"Ana, aren't you coming in yet?" Vera asked me and sat down next to me.

"Is he awake yet?" I asked her back.

I could feel her shake. My shoulder dropped even more because of that. He is in the ICU now and the doctor says he is comatose. Not because of a gunshot wound or whatever explosion caused. Ares waited for him just outside the main warehouse where the father and son were hiding and there they helped each other beat him. According to Sir Anton, when Hector first arrived at his house, he seemed anxious and ill. He noticed its weakness, even more, when they arrived at the warehouse, something that became an advantage for Ares. His head was bruised from repeatedly hitting by a baseball bat there. They don’t even have a backup. I don't know what they were thinking!

“Why don’t they have back-up, Vera? Why did they go there when they were just two? Do you know anything about Hector's real plan?” I bit my lower lip to suppress my emotion.

Vera swears. “Apollo just wanted Uncle Damien to show him his mother’s whereabouts. They just plan to talk about it and if something unexpected happens, more than anyone, Anton knows that he and Apollo can handle it. I don't know what happened, Ana. That's all I know.”

I felt more and more suffering in my heart and I felt like I was guilty because I didn’t even notice if he was feeling any physical pain or what. I didn’t even notice that and let him go!

“Come on, go to him and wake him up. Don't let them laugh at the situation, Ana,” Vera insisted and took my hand.

I thought a few more times. I calmed my heart a few more times before I finally let Vera in. Amari was left at home with Rusty and Emerald even the private military who were there.

When we got inside, I started to get nervous again as I crossed the hallway to the ICU where Hector was. Vera was a little ahead of me so I hurried to walk just to catch up with her. I feel like I can't walk alone.

We reached there Sir Anton who immediately hugged me so my knees weakened even more. The first thing that came out of my mouth were the words of what happened before the tears finally disappeared from my eyes. That even though I knew what had happened, it still didn’t seem to sink into my mind because it was so sudden.

“The doctor just left, Anastacia. She told me that Apollo was suffering from dizziness due to migraine before the incident happened.”

I was completely weak when I heard that. My eyes started to heat up so as my heart. I was even held to my chest because I felt it suddenly tighten and seemed so painful.

“D-did you catch them...” I tried to ask them with my broken voice.

“He's still out there, Ana, so you shouldn't have come here yet. We can do this.”

“I-I, I can't. I can't do this so let me go,” I was alert to what he said and weakly walked closer to the ICU window to see Hector up close.

He was sleeping peacefully there. He was very pale in color so I’m sure he lost a lot of blood during those times. I didn’t even feel it but I knew he was hurting and struggling inside.

Simultaneously with the division of my heart into a million pieces was the outpouring of my anger for the person who did it. I was so bitten on my lower lip that I could almost feel the blood there because of the pressure.

“W-why did you go there? Why don't you have a backup? It shouldn't be!” I screamed and burst into tears.

“F-fuck it...” I almost whispered. My chest and shoulders began to rise and fall as I was catching my breath.

I feel like I am fucking suffocating because of too much anger.

“I-I don't even know who else to blame for what's happening because it's so chaotic! Why… fuck… why didn't everything just stop? I just want everything to stop… this is so hard…” My voice finally broke.

I confronted them both. As soon as my moaning got louder, I immediately covered my whole face. I can no longer explain the pain I feel!

"A-Apollo!" I heard Vera shout all of a sudden. My whole system rumbled.

What happened next happened too fast. I was only aware of the successful entry of the doctor and nurses inside while carrying the familiar machine. Next, I heard that deafening sound. A straight line. Clean. Sounds peaceful but behind it is the scary truth.