Chapter 290 - Home In Molave 36

"What do you say?"

"You heard it right, Jane. I said, marry me." 

"Dr. Charles, crush and love are two different things."

"I know, but everything can be learned if you open your heart to it. We can work on it."

"It's not as easy as you think. I don't want to bind myself into a loveless marriage."

Dr. Charles chuckled, his eyes fixed on Jane, challenging her. " Just think about it, Jane. If you agree to marry me, your best friend will be free. Though it's indeed risky, but I know a way that would make Markus release him."

"Fine, Dr. Charles. I'm going to marry you in one condition also." Jane looked straight into the eyes with an equally challenging look he threw at her a while ago.

Dr. Charles chuckled. "It's not fair, Jane. I'm the one giving you the condition."

"Believe me, and you won't regret it."

Since Jane was a lady and "ladies first " must always apply. It would be a shame on his part if he wouldn't give in, or at least listen. He had just proposed to her and, therefore, must impress her with his soft side. "Okay, tell me what is it."

"I'll marry you if you won't change your mind," she said, waiting for his reaction, but when he nodded, she continued, "but I'll make this clear; if you change your mind and we are not getting married, you still have to rescue Hayri."

Dr. Charles lifted his brows in a questioning look, staring at her for a couple of seconds, marveling what made her confident. He knew that marriage was never her option, but it seemed she had a sure escape to it.

"Now, what will be the next step?"

"Meet me at exactly nine in the morning," Jane instructed him further to meet her at a particular five-star hotel for breakfast. It was still eight, and an hour would be enough for a hurried preparation. 

Charles left as agreed. He then activated an app that would connect to Hayri's location. What Markus didn't know that if a member submits himself for the electronic sealing, the Velvet Fighters had an app to locate him wherever they went. He then sent a warning through the guard assigned to him.

"Never lift a finger against Mr. Louise Hayri Dioko, or you and your family will suffer a hard consequence. Mr. Dioko underwent electronic sealing, and therefore, all of us can see him from wherever we are. The Velvet Fighters."

Charles no longer withhold their secrets. Anyway, their days were already numbered. The bombs were already in its targeted location. The date of the clan party, which would spare the attendees from the doom, would already be the day after tomorrow. Half the population of the Madani Islands belonged to his line, so the other half that belonged to Markus would disappear from the face of the earth. Markus then had no way to escape. If he would save him from getting dissolved underneath the ocean, the court was there waiting for him to answer for the crimes his organization had committed.

As the guard relayed the warning message to Markus, he broke into a rage. He realized that no matter what he did,  it didn't stop his enemy from growing in number and in power. And this is all because, he thought,  the business tycoons of the country like the Diokos, were supporting them.

Bolting into the door where Hayri was, he kicked at every object he saw and sent them flying into the air. He punched the walls, shouted his curses and threats against the organizers of the Velvet Fighters until his drained energy left him crouching at the corner, crying his frustrations out. He swore to crush Mr. Blacksmith, the leader of this organization, if ever he got the chance.

Hayri, on a corner, watched him cautiously. Only after his outburst, did Markus remember him.

"What now? Are you happy to see me like this? You are so lucky, man. I just received the order not to touch you because if I do, they will activate all the bombs which are secretly planted in the premises. Well, I don't want to die yet. My mission to crush these Velvet Fighters has not started yet."

"I'm never happy to see you living a life like this. Why not choose a peaceful life?"

Markus stared at him and burst out into derisive laughter. "You're dreaming. Perhaps, I will do the impossible if I will see my son and my woman again. They could not rise from the grave, Louise. When that piece of fetal cell analysis was given to me, I was hoping that Riza's baby lived and was just hidden from me. Do you see it? I looked from him and stalked on Charles, but what did I found out? Charles adopted a baby to relieve the burden of the orphanage. I was such a fool!"

"You mean, Riza was still pregnant when she died? You have not mentioned this." 

Hayri got lost in his thoughts. If the baby lived, it might mean two things. Either Riza did not die right away, and the baby was delivered, or she was still alive and hidden from both of them.

"If they are still alive, will you surrender to the government?"

Hayri giggled contemptuously. "That's like dreaming of reaching the moon, but yes, I will. I swear on that."

Markus continued giggling as he exited from the room, drops of tears falling from his eyes.

________

Charles walked into a five-star Jane instructed him. The surroundings were unusually quiet, and only the elegant interior of the lobby greeted him. He went to the receptionist, and a beautiful lady handed him a card for the suite room Jane had reserved.  He smiled at himself as he wondered what kind of drama Jane was pulling in. Why does it have to be a room, he thought.

As soon as he opened the door, his eyes fell on a lady who was looking down at the glass wall across the door. Her shapely back, wrapped with a figure-hugging mini dress enhanced by her silky, flowing hair, was facing him. He thought he got the wrong room. This elegant-looking lady must have heard the sound of the door opening. What would she think of him? And why didn't she turn right away to look at him? Was she also expecting someone?

He cleared her throat to announce his presence before he spoke up. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I think I get into the wrong room."

Dr. Charles turned around to leave, but the voice of the woman froze him on the spot.

"Charles."

With eyes wide as a full moon, and heartbeats fast as a rocket, he exclaimed. "Rona?"