Chapter 57: Chapter 57

I'm not sure what happened next because Veron told me that I passed out before I even knew about what happened to Hector.

He was revived. He didn't die.

But what made me nervous again was what the doctor told them. That by the time Hector's arrest is repeated, he may not be able to handle it anymore. It's possible that his body can no longer handle it because of the excessive beating he received.

I kept looking at him from outside. Many pipes are attached to him. There are traces of his suffering inside even though he seems to be just sleeping. I don't know what would calm my heart more—that I wish he had just disappeared like how dad disappeared before so that he wouldn't be having a hard time anymore or this situation—that I'm not sure anymore whether he continues to fight or not. Or he just prefers to disappear from us because of the arrest that happened to him earlier? I don't really know what to do.

I turned my attention to my cell phone when it rang. I saw Emerald's reply to my text to my daughter Amari.

EMERALD

She wants us to take her there mam ana. She was repeatedly crying. She wants to see you as well as sir apollo

I felt a pain in my heart when I read that. The corners of my eyes began to heat up again and my tears were about to fall again. I no longer felt pain for myself—I felt triple pain for my daughter because she is so close to Hector. I don't know how to tell her about her father's situation now.

To EMERALD

,,just stay with her emerald,, don't go out of the house and just stay inside

When I sent it, I briefly glanced at Hector again before I sat in the waiting room there. I breathed heavily. I can still feel the weakness of my whole body because of what happened earlier. I feel like I'm going to pass out again.

"Ana, you're just here. How are you feeling?” Vera asked me and sat next to me.

"I'm fine..." I lied. I felt her touch my shoulder.

"Leon and the others are coming here. You should go home for a while then you can rest," she said so I immediately shook my head.

"I'm fine here, Vera. I'm not going home until Hector wakes up," I told her lazily.

"But you need to rest. Your body is weak. We will take care of this first. Let's just wait until he wakes up—”

"And what if he's not?" I immediately cut off what she was going to say and looked at her quickly. "What if he never wakes up? What if he gets attacked again and never wakes up? What if he dies while I'm gone? While I'm unconscious again? What will you do? Fuck!” I screamed in agony and immediately burst into tears.

It was as if my heart was being squeezed and crushed during those times as my chest tightened. That everything is so heavy on me that I don't know how to cry anymore. With so much weight, it seems my system can no longer handle everything. This is heavy and disturbing and I can't do anything!

“I-I want to do something! I want to help him! Why are you stopping me?! I'm fine! I'm not tired! I'm not weak! I'll stay here until he wakes up! Why were you stopping me all?!” I screamed and I was so angry that I just ran out.

I just ran until I reached the parking lot of the hospital. I sat down on one side there and screamed and screamed because I felt that my heart was dying little by little. I feel like this situation is slowly killing me and I can't even do anything.

I'm hurting for Hector. It makes me more difficult and hurt more for him because I can't even do anything to help him in the suffering he is feeling now. I can't even do anything to help him with the pain he's feeling now. And these people… these people keep on hurting him until he dies of this damn pain. They don't seem to stop until we're exhausted. They don't seem to stop until everyone gets their revenge.

When I felt that I was exhausted, I voluntarily stopped crying. I wiped my tears hard and stood up. I was about to walk back inside when I heard footsteps on my side so I quickly turned to see who it was.

My eyes widened when Ares exposed himself to me. He was wearing jeans, a black t-shirt, and a leather jacket. His hair was messy and long and like his clothes, his aura seemed to be black. I can tell just by looking at his eyes. It's different and I'm starting to be scared.

My chest started heaving because of the fear I felt but I didn't show it to him.

"W-what are you doing here?" My voice trembled. His cold stare gives me endless fears. I just felt these feelings for him now. What is he planning to do? Why is he here?

"W-why are you here?" I kept my voice calm even though I was really scared because of the way he was staring at me.

He didn't answer. Instead, he looked more deeply at me. I can feel my heart beating faster as I try to read what he is thinking or even what he is going to do.

I sighed lazily and looked away from him. I was about to turn my back on him when he suddenly grabbed my wrist so I looked at him immediately.

My lips parted when I saw the rapid change in his expression. Suddenly, his fearful look disappeared and was replaced by pain. His expression softened as I stared at him more. There I saw and read his current feelings. His soul is grieving. What right does he have?

"I... just want to ask you something." His voice is trembling so is his hand that is holding me. I violently removed his grip on me.

My heart rate slowed down as I watched him gradually weaken in front of me. His face still shows the wounds and bruises he may have suffered from the clashes the day before but the pain and sadness in his eyes are more dominant as they focus on me. I can't feel anything else now but anger. It seems that I can hurt and kill him now because of the extreme anger I feel.

I didn't speak. It took him a minute to utter a word. I can see how he is struggling with the current situation but he remains determined on whatever he wants to ask me.

"Have you ever loved me before, Anastacia?"

I was completely stunned when I heard that. He had asked me this several times before but this question was different to me now. I could feel my heartbeat slowing down while still looking at him. Suddenly, I was even more scared because of his question— afraid of what my real answer would be to him and afraid of how he would react.

Did I really love him?

Can I answer this now knowing that the person I love so much is fighting for his life because of him?

I smiled bitterly at him as my heart ached.

"And what are you going to do with me once you didn't hear the answer you wanted to hear? Are you going to kill me, too?” I asked him again.

I saw his eyes sparkle because of the tears that fell from there. It was a fake laugh.

"Can't you just answer my damn question? Did you love me? Did you love me as you do now for Apollo? Or did you just wait for the right time and strong reason for us to break up so that you would be free to truly love Apollo?”

"Y-you know that's not true," I firmly responded to what he said and I almost slapped him because of that.

Again, he laughed sarcastically as his tears rolled down his cheeks. "You just waited for the right time. That's why you didn't tell me what happened to you that night. You didn't fucking love me—”

"I loved you, Ares, and until now, my love for you is still here. That's why I'm hurting like this, eh? B-because I can't accept it! I-I can't accept that despite you repeatedly betraying me, I chose to forgive you! That despite all my tolerance, you still chose to make this mess a big deal that I don't know what else is the reason! You were fucking draining everything in me! I was willing to spend the rest of my life with you! I gave everything to you! Haven't I loved you like that yet?!”

My chest started to heave because of my gasping for breath. My heart is burning as much as my eyes. I feel like it's slowly burning.

"T-then what? Is this all you do? I told you before that I am ready to help you even if you use me but I will find out that you have been in a relationship with my sister for a long time! That during our three years, you only plan to use me for your brutality in power!"

"That's not my intention with you, you know that!"

"A-and what? You just said how much you love my sister over me… that you really love her…” I halted when I needed to catch my breath.

I held my chest because of the tightness.

"I was fucking ready to spend the rest of my life with you but you betrayed me! T-that because I loved you so much, my mind can't accept what I see in you now because I still want you to remain a good person for me... You almost raped me, Ares. I miscarried my child that night and it's all because of you! And now, my daughter's father is fighting for his life because of you! Tell me, who will you kill next, huh?!” I continued.

“You're draining me, Ares. You're killing me little by little and now you want me to answer that question of yours—”

"Because you didn't really love me and you just waited for Apollo! You're all motherfuckers!” He screamed so I was very surprised.

I blinked rapidly because of his sudden outburst. I could clearly see the anger in his eyes as he looked at me.

Later, before I could speak, he took something from his jacket pocket. My eyes widened when a gun appeared in front of me. I almost squinted because it was so close to me.

"A-Ares... what are you going to do..." I almost whispered to myself while my whole body started to tremble. I laughed to myself. This is his answer to my question about who he will kill next.