Chapter 187 Take a Deep Breath

Chapter 187 Take a Deep Breath
Serena's POV

Her voice sharpened, slightly urgent now as she pressed the ring into my palm.

“This,” she breathed out, her chest rising heavily, “is the authority of the Ramirez family.”

My heart dropped.

“You’re their head now,” she added and I stared at the ring, my vision blurring completely now.

“No… no, I can’t—”

“You can,” she cut in. “And you will.”

Her hand curled weakly around mine that held the ring.

“Do what you want with it… lead them… protect them… destroy them if you have to,” she muttered and spread out a faint, tired smile. “They’re yours now.”

“Aunt Maria, stop—”

“Listen.”

Her voice softened again.

“Tell your mother,” her voice faltered, “that I’m going home.”

A sob ripped through me.

“Don’t say that,” I cried. “Don’t—don’t say goodbye like this—”

“I don’t want to die like this,” she said suddenly and I froze.

“What?”

Her eyes hardened slightly. “I won’t let them take me.”

Gunfire roared around us again, louder, closer.

“They don’t get to kill me,” she continued with her voice gaining a strange strength. “Not like this. Not on the ground… not bleeding out while they watch.”

My heart started pounding harder. “Aunt Maria…”

“I want to go out in glory,” she added and the words sent a chill down my spine.

“No,” I said immediately, shaking my head. “No, we’re not doing this. We’re not even thinking about this—”

“Serena.”

Her gaze locked onto mine.

“Give me all the bombs we've got,” she whispered and everything in me went cold.

“No.”

“Give them to me.”

“No!” I snapped, gripping her tighter. “Are you insane? You’re not dying—you’re not doing this—you’re coming with me—”

“Serena!” smShe snapped back with.her voice breaking through the chaos.

And I went still for a second. And in that second, I saw it.

Nothing I said was going to change her mind. Nothing.

My hands trembled violently. “I can’t,” I whispered honestly.

“You can,” she replied as her voice softened again. “Let me choose how I go.”

Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head over and over again.

“I can’t lose you like this—”

“You’re not losing me,” she whispered. “You’re letting me go the way I want.”

That hurt more.

Much more.

“Please,” she added, barely audible.

My chest caved in, and slowly, with shaking hands, I reached her bag.

“Nico!” I yelled with everything in me. “Nico!!”

At this point, I was fully sobbing out as my heart cracked open.

He appeared at our side looking down at us.

“Get me all the bombs and explosives around, anything that'll blow,” she muttered to him.

He hesitated and I could feel his eyes on me, but I looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

“Now!” She pressed on harder.

And Nico nodded, rushing off quickly.

Then she turned her eyes to me with her eyes heavy and a smile across her lips.

“You are really beautiful,” she muttered and I kept my eyes away.

“Don't know where you got it from, but certainly not your mother,” she added and a chuckle broke through my lips despite my pain.

I shook my head immediately. “I don't like this.”

“I don't like it any more than you do,” she replied.

“So why?” I asked, turning to her.

“Cause I'm tired of pretending I'm fine. I'm tired of making jokes to hide my pain, I want to be free for once,” she added weakly.

I couldn't say anything, I just kept my eyes on her with tears building.

“My only regret is that I didn't have enough time with you,” she added weakly. “Take care of yourself, Serena. And her too,” she smiled down at my tummy.

That's when I remembered the baby and I shook my head with a laugh. “How do you know it's a girl?”

She smiled just as Nico arrived. “Cause girls rule in this family,” she whispered.

“Here's all I could find,” Nico said, cutting in even as I couldn't stop smiling through the tears.

“Good, now help me to a car,” she whispered and Nico leaned over to pick her.

He couldn't, so he called over some men to help him.

“All the food you've been eating and you can't lift an old woman?” She joked and I chuckled again even as the tears fell freely.

Then they came over and dragged her to the car, dropping her in the driver's seat with the bag of bombs beside her.

I watched on, then refused to accept defeat so easily. “No, no—wait—wait—” I stumbled after her, grabbing onto her arm from the glass. “We can still change this—we can still—”

“Serena,” she cut me off and cupped my face weakly with one hand. “Don’t follow me, okay?”

My vision shattered completely. “I’m begging you—”

“Be strong,” she whispered.

“I don’t want to be strong!” I cried. “I want you to stay!”

Her smile broke just a little. Then—

She turned, and got the car started.

“No—!”

Hands grabbed me from behind, pulling me away.

“Serena, we have to go!” Nico shouted, dragging me back as the gunfire intensified.

“I’m not leaving her!” I screamed, struggling against him. “Let me go! Let me—”

“Serena!”

I fought him, kicked, pulled and cried out, but he didn’t let go. He couldn’t.

And all I could do… was watch.

Aunt Maria’s POV

The moment the glass went up and Serena was dragged away, there was silence for the first time since the war started.

My hands shook violently on the steering wheel as my chest heaved heavily.

And then, I broke.

A sob tore out of me as tears flooded my eyes, blurring everything.

“God…” my voice cracked. “God…”

I lowered my head with my body trembling uncontrollably.

For a moment, just a moment… I didn’t feel strong again, I didn’t feel brave.

I felt scared. So scared.

Then I looked up through the cracked glass behind and saw her.

Serena, she was still fighting, crying, reaching for me as she was dragged away.

My lips trembled. “Don’t look back,” I whispered to myself.

But I did anyway, one last time before turning away fully

“I’m coming, Carlos.”

My fingers tightened around the wheel.

Then I floored the gas and sped directly at them even as blasts of bullets erupted around me.

They slammed into the car, shattering whatever glass remained, tearing into the metal.

One pierced through and hit me straight in my chest.

I gasped and threw my hand over the spot as pain exploded in my side. But I didn’t stop. I didn’t slow down, didn’t hesitate.

I pressed the gas down harder as men came into view.

Thousands of them and I closed in on them as they had their guns raised at me and firing.

I reached for the first bomb beside me as I broke into their midst.

My hands steadied strangely as a small smile touched my lips.

“Finally,” I muttered as I drove straight into their middle even as they gave way while shooting.

I pulled the pin and took a sharp breath, closing my eyes before everything blew up…