There was a peculiar atmosphere in the air, a mixture of tension and anticipation.
Despite the gathering of grandwar masters, murmured conversations were everywhere. Diana caught snippets of the chatter as she approached the central field having heard the signal alarm as well.
There was a plump man, the top grandwar master standing on the podium and addressing all military officers standing attentively before the podium. He was gesticulating angrily as he spoke, but no one seemed to be paying any attention or maybe, they were paying half attention as they were also focused on the how Mark and Flora reunited passionately.
The next moment, Mark cleared his throat when caught sight of Diana. He swept his gaze around and he made a startled face and then spoke to his mum standing close him in a low voice, excusing himself.
"Get my mum in and make sure she is well!" He ordered one of the medical officers standing by as he excused himself.
He went over to where Diana stood..
He was standing very close to her, close enough that she could feel the warmth of him, smell the faint scent of newly applied Gucci cologne.
Diana stared at him. He didn't move, though the wind blew his hair into his eyes; he blinked, and just as she was about to speak, Diana flew at him and hugged him.
They were locked together in a passionate embrace, it gave Diana a golden opportunity to feed her urges. She wanted to be close to Mark now more than ever before.
It shocked everyone.... And they started to assume already. Mark is ruthless and cold but not for once has he showed his coldness towards her. What relationship really Subsist between them? Could be she is his new found lover after Hannah betrayed him....
Then Mark's phone chirped with a calling-like tone. Diana quickly freed him as he dug his hands into his pocket and unearthed the phone. The caller ID was one of the officers he posted around the government house. The place Diana's Triplets were kept until their father comes for them.
He answered the call immediately and the voice at the other end rang in, "He has taken the kids away!"
"What? How?" Mark was an inches taken aback as he vehemently inquired.
"What's it?" Diana asked when she noticed his emotions changed all of a sudden. He looked like he got a bad news!
"Sir, we've sent countless messages and dropped calls but you didn't reply any of them... That was when he newly came to the government house!" The voice at the other end reported.
"Shit!" Mark fiercely ended the call and looked at Diana whose facial expressions were exuding anticipation, she was hoping it's nothing serious....
She glanced back at his phone and saw 69 missed calls and over 20 messages.....
"Mark has taken the kids!" He said bluntly when he turned back to face Diana. There were no need sugarcoating the truth to make her feel better, sooner or later she was going to face it, infact she was already facing it...
"No wonder he let Flora go. He knew I posted men around and it was same moment of me reuniting with my mum that he went to take the kids. He knew I'd be distracted with my mum's arrival!
Shit!" Mark thought, envelope in some unfathomable emotions.
"Jake has once again taken his kids away from him!"
"And this is not the right time to tell Diana she is my betrothed and not Hannah..... that I'm the father of her triplets..."
Diana thought she might have passed out for a minute or two. Certainly there was a period of blackness during which what Mark just told her faded and she seemed to hang in space, pinned between the earth and the sky, feeling a sense of detachment that was somehow … unsettling and peacefully combined.
It was over too soon. Suddenly she was slammed back into her body and she passed out. Mark was able to catch her before she could slump to the floor.
It was too much for her to take in. She can't let Jake take her kids away but it already happened. She is utterly weak and with no idea on how to fight back....
Mark himself wouldn't even let this slide.
"Medical teams!" He called out and a few army medical came out and started attempting to revive her....
***
Richarlison was yet to report back about Danny's family well being..... thus, he was absent.
And Danny was strictly protected that he wasn't be left alone....
*****
After the Atmosphere faded away, everyone retired to their separate units and as night crept in, defensive officers on duty reported to their post....
Diana was resting at Mark's bedroom while Mark was restlessly pacing back and forth in the bedroom hoping and praying Diana wakes up soon. He was so worried that he forgot his mum had actually came back home few hours ago.
Then a knock came on the door. Mark ignored it. The knock came again and he strode across the room and threw the door open. He blinked in surprise. "Mum?"
Flora stood on the threshold. For the first time Mark has seen her wearing something other than her army medical uniforms. She was wearing a white night gown which made her looked very young. There were hammered gold bracelets on each of her wrists, and he wore a ring. That was quite unusual for her dressing sense. They were given to him by Jake to never pull them off least he kills Otani. Jake could use it to monitor, track and overhear all of her conversations.
"Can I come in?" She requested.
"Yea sure!"
Mark let her in and by left she could see Diana resting on his bed. That was new about the president general she has heard about.
"Seem you care about her... Alot!" Flora said, with the intent of initiating a conversation as she scrutinized the bedroom.
"Her first assignment given to him by Jake was to find and bring to him the silver ring!"