Chapter 146 - Indescribable Pain

"You should tell me about this before. Now, Colonel Maverick is dead." General Logan Arista said to his granddaughter with a heavy sigh. When he thought about how much his granddaughter would be affected by the news, he felt a tingling pain in his heart. "You must be shocked." He said in a low voice.

"Though I felt lost now, I won't give up, Grandpa." Yelena promptly said with a determined face. "Colonel Maverick told me that if something happens to him before he could tell me the truth, I will receive an address. He also gave me a key."

"He was prepared." Major General Ethan suddenly spoke up. "Colonel Maverick had a feeling that something could go wrong, so he was prepared for that. If not, he won't give you the key." He added.

"I have that feeling when he gave me the key but I know that he won't give me the answer even if I ask him. I also... " Yelena suddenly paused when one thing crossed her mind. "No. Nolan Iselin." She muttered and her eyes grew wide.

"Father, please call Kevin and ask him if everything is fine in Silvervale. Please hurry!" She promptly uttered.

"What about Kevin?" The General instantly asked her.

"I told him to stay with Nolan Iselin in Silvervale. Nolan Iselin should be fine no matter what. Now that Colonel Maverick is gone, Nolan Iselin is the only one who knows everything." She responded and quickly turned to her father. "Please hurry."

The Major General abruptly rose from his seat and take out his phone. Then he called Kevin. After a minute, he turned his attention to Yelena again. "Everything is fine in Silvervale."

Yelena heaved a sigh of relief. "I think I should take Nolan Iselin to another place just in case. It's too risky." She muttered.

Both her father and grandfather knew that Nolan Iselin was a good friend of Marvin. They also know about how he quit the army after Marvin's death. But they don't know much aside from these.

"What is with Nolan Iselin?" Her grandfather finally asked Yelena. The father was also quite curious.

Yelena raised a brow. Both these men watched the video. Didn't they know that Nolan Iselin was also present in that video? Maybe they were too fixated on Marvin.

"He is one of the men in the video. He knows everything about what happened to Marvin. In fact, it's not just Marvin. Nolan Iselin and Eric Flavian also suffered the same." Yelena recalled the tragedies of the three friends. "After Marvin died, Eric Flavian committed suicide and Nolan Iselin went insane."

The two men could felt their jaw dropped to the floor! They had heard about the suicide of a young officer but never once did they thought it would be connected to Marvin's death! They never know that Nolan Iselin went crazy!

"I found Nolan Iselin a few months ago after searching for two years but his condition was not great. I let him receive treatments because there is a chance for his recovery. I think he will be able to tell us everything once he recovered." Yelena explained.

The more they hear, the more the two men felt ashamed of themselves. The grandfather and father had served in the Army for five and three decades yet they don't know anything about this while Yelena was able to achieve all these in two years! It's understandable because it was her only goal for two whole years!

When the hospital room became very quiet, the ringtone of Major General Ethan almost startled everyone. His phone was still in his hand and he looked at the caller ID.

"Hello."

Mr. Arista's eyes flew wide open as he abruptly rose from his seat. "What do you just say?!" He snapped. 

Putting down his phone, anxiety was more than evident in his eyes.

"Is something wrong, Father?" Yelena promptly asked when she saw her father's pale face.

Staring at the floor with his face full of horror, Major General Ethan finally spoke up. "Your mother collapsed. Her driver called an ambulance and they are on their way here."

Hearing this, the General abruptly rose from his seat. "What happened? She is fine just a while ago!"

The Major General couldn't utter anything but Yelena became impatient. She tried to get up for the second time and she finally succeeded this time. "Tell us, Father. What happened to Mom? She was fine when she left the hospital. Why would she suddenly collapsed?"

"Tell us, Ethan!" General Logan Arista snapped.

"She has a heart disease." Ethan Arista finally murmured. "She needs a heart transplant but finding a match is not easy. Besides, it's only been two weeks since the doctor tells us that she needs surgery." He glanced at Yelena apologetically. "Maybe your abduction and injuries took a toll on her."

All at once, Yelena felt numb. Was her mother's condition that severe?! But why was she not informed of this?! She might not be a good daughter but... that doesn't mean she didn't love her mother! No matter what, they were still a mother and a daughter!

After almost a minute of silence, Logan Arista finally spoke up. "How can you keep this from us? This is not a small disease and it shouldn't be taken lightly." He grunted.

Ethan Arista quietly sat still but his anxiety was still evident in his face. Will his wife be alright? She was quite fine in the hospital but why did she suddenly collapse?! He couldn't understand.

"Okay." The General let out a breath. "It's not time to be angry. When will Vanessa's ambulance arrived?" He asked his son in a much calmer voice.

Major General Ethan glanced at his phone. "She's here." Without waiting for anyone, he quickly stormed out of the room to go to his wife.

"I must see my mother too." Yelena tried to get off her bed but her grandfather stopped her.

"Stay here, Yelena. A head injury shouldn't be taken lightly. What if it gets severe? You should rest for now. I will accompany your father." The General calmly assured her and left the room.

Yelena was left alone and with her mother's severe condition, it was so tormenting to stuck in her hospital room. She was so worried about her mother but there's nothing she could do and that feeling was so suffocating.

A few minutes passed and there wasn't any news. Her room was so quiet and it was driving her crazy! Much to her exhaustion, she couldn't even lie flat on the back for long due to the stinging wounds caused by whip and cane!

Then suddenly, her room door was opened and one man made his way to her and stood beside her bed. She looked up at the man and when she saw him, her heart jumped. "Felix?" She muttered. It's already 10 in the night and he was coming only now?

She tried to get up once again and he quickly helped her. As soon as she was comfortably seated, he stood straight again, withdrawing his hands from her.

"Where have you been? I was waiting for you." She said, looking up at him.

"I'm sorry." Felix only muttered these two words and sat on the bench beside her bed. He narrowed his eyes and repeatedly rolled it left and right. Was he avoiding her gaze?

"I brought this on you." He finally murmured after long seconds of silence. He was nervously clenching his fingers and still, he avoided her gaze.

"This is not your fault." Yelena's voice was warm yet sincere. Her gaze fixated on Felix who was too ashamed to look at her. She hated this awkward and heavy atmosphere between them but she can't bring herself to force him. He was too insecure for now!

"No, it's my fault. I put you in danger. You suffered because of me. What Alonzo did to you... " He paused and hardly squeezed the bench where he was sitting. "I will never be able to forgive myself."

"You can't see his true nature because you have a kind heart, unlike him. You don't know he will have such thoughts because you never once have such an ill intention towards him. You are innocent, Felix." Yelena started to feel uneasy. She keeps on staring at him but he did the opposite! This was the first and it scared her.

Felix slowly shook his head. "I was dumb and that's why you suffered. If anything happens to you - "

"Look at me, Felix. I'm fine. I may have several injuries but they will heal soon. You came on time and save me. I'm alive, thanks to you."

There was no response from Felix and anxiety swept through her whole body. She loves him so much and she can't afford to lose him. She can't imagine a future where he was not a part of it!

"Look at me." She repeated but there was no movement from him.

"Felix, please." She pleaded. "Look at me." Her voice was desperate when she asked him for the third time. Thank god, he finally listened and looked at her.

The thick bandages that were wrapped around her head; it only made him feel more guilty! He saw her lifting her hands and reached out to him. She was about to touch his face but... he turned away!

Seeing him avoiding her touch, an indescribable pain was formed in her heart.....