Chapter 293 - Home In Molave 39

All of them sank in disbelief. They thought Markus would already concede. Before anyone could voice out their thoughts as they watched him getting farther and farther, Markus stopped. He turned around and called out.

"Please, don't let anybody know about the true identity of Kyle. My son won't be proud of me."

He smiled at them again while they all stared at him. Some were not able to hold back their sadness and they started crying out loud, evoking the emotions of those who acted stronger. Soon, the roaring sound of another chopper landed, muffling the sounds of their emotional outrage.

As soon as the engine stopped, everyone got into the chopper. Dr. Nelson Madani also gave his last reminder to Charles. They only had ten minutes left before the timer stops. Charles sent Rona and Kyle back to the chopper while he ran back to Markus to make his last appeal. 

"Markus, hurry up before it's too late. We no longer have enough time."

"No, Charles. I'm already into this, and it's already too late to give up. I'll die with these obsessions in my heart. I must die a victor, not a loser."

"Markus, for the sake of your son."

"I'm sorry."

Soon, all the people in the choppers looked down from the windows, shouting their appeals for Markus to concede. Some were already angry, cursing him for his defiance. And some were crying, hoping to melt his heart. Soon, a loud whistling sound of an alarm echoed from the ground, followed by an electronic voice.

"300...299...298..." The counter indicated they only had five minutes left.

The people's shouts got louder, and soon a live streaming of what was happening in the Madani Island appeared in the big screens surrounding the place that hosted the Madani clan party. Charles prepared it all. His people should see how the islands would convulse and explode, shattering their greed for wealth, power, and fame away. They should know how those bombs underneath the seafloor send its mountains of fiery blazes upward and crumble down their beloved, beautiful islands.

"297...296...295..."

"Markus!" shouted the people who were all in their party gowns, blending with the cries of his family on the choppers.

"294...293...292..."

"Markus, this is my last appeal. Please come with me," urged Charles, pulling him by his arm to run with him.

Instead of allowing Charles to pull him, he pushed Charles forward and urged him to go. Charles finally made up his decision--he must leave Markus behind. He had given him enough time, but he chose to cling to his pride. Nelson set up the timer, and he couldn't undo it anytime they want. The distance of the bombs underneath the seafloor was too far for a remote control.

"291...290...289..."

In the eyes of everyone, Markus pulled out his pistol from its holster and pointed it at himself. Everyone gasped, holding their breaths for a second, too shocked to move.

"288...287...286..." Everybody was already screaming frantically. The rotors of the choppers started to move.

Markus then moved his fingers, slowly curving his finger towards the trigger. Before his point finger hugged the trigger, a scream from the shore pierced into his ears. He looked up and saw a woman running towards him, her hair flying vigorously behind.

"285...284...283..."

"Markus!" Her voice grew faint as she began to lose her breath. She was still very far away for Markus to recognize her.

Wanting to confirm his suspicion, he ran to meet her, throwing his gun away. His heartbeats began to accelerate faster than his legs could carry him.

"30...29...28..."

Finally, Markus could now see her. He was right; that beautiful face in his dreams was the one calling him.

"Riza?"

"Markus, it's me."

"10...9...8..."

Markus looked around and inclined his ear to the counter. He knew he was already too late. Yet, he was glad he resisted. He pulled Riza close to himself and hugged her tight, dropping themselves the next moment to the ground. What kind of fate did he have? He may have finally met her again, but only to die together. However, it was still better than dying without seeing each other again.

Both the online viewers and the ones on the chopper already got crazy, closing their eyes and covering their ears with their hands for the final, frantic scream.

"&...6...5..."

"Markus, look up!" Charles' voice through a speaker jolted him back to his senses. He glanced up and saw the rescue ladder descending towards them.

Markus stood up abruptly, circling one arm around Riza's waist while his other hand grabbed for the handle. Before the timer stopped and the ground began to shake, the ladder propelled Markus and Riza to safety.

The moment the choppers landed on their destined place, they gathered around on a ground, impatient to know how Riza survived. Riza waited until everyone had descended from the aircraft, saving herself from having to repeat her storytelling. Charles asked someone to take Kyle away for a moment, afraid to hurt his tender feelings. Riza's reappearance might include setups that only a.d.u.l.ts should hear.

"Everyone got angry at me, and no one dared to take a glimpse of my sinful, dying body." Riza's voice started to crack. "Mama brought me to the hospital, pretended that the doctors were only able to save the baby. She then let me go and set me free, asking me to go to a faraway country and forget everyone. To make sure I'll live a good life, she sent me some of the velvet diamonds that Charles gave as dowry. If I showed up, I would still die; you all know the laws of our land."

"I guess I am almost late to know about everything through a cousin. I came here by yacht," Riza let out a deep sigh and smiled, running her eyes to each one of them.

Everyone kept silent, feeling the awkwardness Charles, Rona, and Markus must have suffered at the moment. Out of nowhere, beyond everyone's expectation, Riza's mother raised her voice into a bitter cry.