Chapter 88
Serene stared slack-jawed at the television. A breaking news interrupted her daily dose of morning show. She could not believe what she heard. Crystal jumped off from the rooftop of her apartment and plunged to her death. Her fingers gripped the remote.
She had been in constant communication with Crystal for the past two weeks. She knew the feeling of being alone amid a storm. It’s a dark, scary and lonely place to be. She did not wish for anybody she knew to find themselves in such a situation.
Serene touched her left wrist subconsciously. Four years ago, when she gave birth to the twins, she suffered from postpartum depression. All the sadness, loneliness, and stress she felt magnified. She never felt so helpless and lonely in her life. The darkness in her ate the spark of life her children brought. That place felt so depressing, she wanted to end her life to escape from it. Thankfully, Al paid her a visit and saw her in a pool of blood. His timing was perfect, and the paramedics saved her.
So, when Crystal’s scandal broke out, her first instinct was to reach out and pull her out of that black hole. She talked to her whenever she could and engaged with her as much as possible. But then, she did not know how huge the wave Crystal battled every day. She sighed and gave her a silent prayer.
Her suicide toppled over her scandal. It’s funny how when the media who days ago painted her as the dirtiest person in the world now mourn for her. They say the industry lost a shining star on the rise. The same people who threw rocks at her now lay roses for her. How flippant people could get.
The days following Crystal’s death had been quiet. Mary had flown to Paris with Pierre Ingram to become his apprentice. Dylan followed her shortly after. As for Justin, she had heard nothing from him.
But she could not let her guard down. She and the twins continued to stay in the hotel. She did business for Ellis Inc remotely. Al and her father attended to those that required physical attendance. As for her galleries, Viv was more than capable of handling them. She only reported to her the financials and any pressing concerns.
The twins, meanwhile, enjoyed the hotel’s facilities to the max. They swam in the pool in the morning and played in the indoor amusement park on weekends. Everything ran smoothly like it did before.
She had just put the brush down when her twins’ nannies ran up to her, looking like they were at their wits’ ends.
“Ms. Shen…” Lyn called, her face devoid of blood.
“What’s going on, Lyn?” she asked, confused.
“The twins, they’re gone!” she screamed.
Serene’s heart kicked in her chest upon hearing what the older lady said, but she tried to remain calm. “Aunt Lee, what did you mean, gone?”
“Ms. Shen, we were in the garden playing hide and seek. But we have been searching for them for a long time and we could not find them,” Aunt Lee explained when Lyn looked like she could no longer talk.
Shen’s brows furrowed. Her twins could be playful. Perhaps they found a good spot to hide.
“Take me to that garden,” she ordered.
The two nannies led her to the hotel’s garden. It’s spacious, with lots of shrubs and decorative bushes. She looked at all the places her kids could fit into—under a bench, a large potted plant, topiaries, decorative rock boulders, and the fountain. They have toppled over the area but did not find the twins.
Cold sweat ran down her back as she waited in the security room for them to check on the surveillance camera.
She felt an invisible hand grip her heart as she watched the footage. The twins hid from one of the rock bounders. They sniggered as they watched the two older ladies look for them among the plants and bushes. Then from behind them came two men who looked like security personnel. They wore black button-down shirts and slacks. They had no masks but wore dark sunglasses.
Her hands covered her mouth to suppress her scream. The two burly men covered each of her children’s faces with a handkerchief. She saw how their bodies limped and lost consciousness. The two men carried each one of her twins on their shoulders. Then they walked away calmly. Then they disappeared into a blind spot.
She played and replayed the video and each time she watched it, her heart kicked her ribs. In the 10th replay, she noticed that at the corner of the men’s collar was a tiny logo. Zooming into it, her pale face went livid. The knuckles on her which held the mouse turned white as her grip tightened. The security team gave her a copy of the video when she said that she would not inflict harm on the hotel.
Serene couldn’t be angrier about being stuck in traffic. She pummeled the horn to urge the cars in front of her to move. The angry stares and the middle fingers they gave her did not bother her at all. As soon as she parked her car in front of Rain International, she stormed right in. She did not bother with the calls of the people behind her. She punched in the code to Justin’s exclusive elevator and used it to the onlooker’s surprise. Thankfully, the codes had not changed at all.
The surprise written on his receptionist’s face was for the books when she saw her come out of Justin’s private elevator. Serene did not bother so much as nod to her as a greeting, nor knock at his door. She stormed right in. She slammed the door behind her.
It only took her a few steps to be in front of him. She craned her neck to look at him. “You bastard, give me back my children!” she screamed at him and did not bother how she looked at all.
“Excuse me?” he asked, browsed furrowed with confusion. She looked like she’s ready to murder somebody. Her nose flared, her flushed cheeks puffed, and her chest heaved with her every breath.
“Don’t you fucking excuse me, Justin Rain!” she spat at him. “I know you took my children.”
“What the heck are you talking about?” he sounded irritated. He did not like her tone at all.
“You still have the nerve to act innocent.” She threw the thumb drive to Justin, hitting him in the nose. He looked at the device for a second before he switched on his computer to see what’s eating her.
Only when Justin cast the video on the TV screen did Serene notice the other people in the room. Nick, Elaina, Chester, and Bryan looked at the TV screen with curiosity. She saw the horror in their faces as the video progressed.
When the video finished, her eyes challenged Justin. “Now, tell me those were not your people.”
Justin’s jaws clenched. He understood how she arrived at the conclusion he had something to do with the twins’ disappearance. The abductors had a tiny Rain International insignia on the corner of their collars. It’s easy to miss, but she spotted it.