Chapter 141: Episode 140 || Decoded
Mishka was conflicted about whether to stand or rush to the terrace. “Dad, please don’t do anything wrong!” She shouted, but instead heard a loud laugh from him.
“You don’t know? I always do everything wrong, mess up everything,” Luke replied, his voice slurry.
“Everything will be fine, I promise you. Just wait there, I am coming. We can talk,” Mishka shouted.
“Nothing is going to be fine. Stop giving me false hopes. I have destroyed everything.” He said, sadness engulfed his voice. “Vera and Chris will never forgive me for my sins.”
Mishka gulped in fear, but the next moment, another figure appeared beside Luke and pulled him down from the railing. Mishka sighed in relief, taking supports of the car and covered her face.
“What the fuck, Luke?” Rony growled as he pulled him down from the railing.
“Leave me alone. Go away!” Luke pushed him back.
“Luke, control yourself. We need to go to the hospital. Come on.” Rony said and tried to make him stand on his feet, but he pushed him again.
“I don’t want to witness her dying. Go away.” Luke said and attempts to sit on the railing again but Rony held his hand and in return got slapped by him.
“This all happened because of you.” Luke hollered, but Rony didn’t retreat. “You shouldn’t have asked her to keep secrets, especially from her husband. I repeatedly tried my best to save our marriage, but your lies ended up destroying it.”
“I am sorry. Never even in my dreams, I can imagine that something like this would happen,” Rony said, but the next moment, Luke gripped his throat.
“I so wish to kill you right now,” Luke growled.
“Then kill me,” Rony said in a choked voice, and Luke pushed him back, removing his hand.
“Go away!” He said and turned his face in the other direction. Mishka reached there panting and saw them.
“Dad!” She said, but Luke didn’t even try to look at her. Mishka sauntered towards him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Dad, you need to see mom right now.” She said, but Luke didn’t respond. Tears were continuously flowing from his eyes.
“Why don’t you all leave me alone?” He screeched, but Mishka didn’t flinch. “I don’t have any strength left in me to see her. I destroyed her whole life.”
“Even if it’s mom’s last wish to see you and your son together?” Mishka asked, and Luke looked at her.
“You are lying.” He dismissed her plea.
“Since the day I have entered this house, all I am asking to everyone is to show a little trust in me. Can you not trust me for once? I’ll fix everything, I promise.” She said, hoping he wouldn’t turn down her request this time.
***
Christian opened the door of Vera’s ward and saw her lifeless body on the bed, with various wires attached to her hand, mouth, and nose. Christian slowly took steps in her direction and stood beside her bed, looking at her pale face and dried lips.
His lips trembled, and fresh tears blurred his image. He quietly clutched her hand in his and sat on the stool beside her. “I am sorry, mom.” He apologised as his tears fell on the back of Vera’s hand.
“I am so sorry, you suffered…” Christian’s voice choked. “You suffered so much because of me. I am so sorry, mama.” He continuously apologised and kissed her hand.
“You wrote in your letter that dad was my hero, indeed he was, but you were my entire world. You never realised that?” He said. “Why didn’t you ask me for once if I wanted to stay with you or dad? I had chosen you in a heartbeat.”
“Why you behaved so cruelly? Why did you push me away? Knight’s empire doesn’t mean anything to me if I have you.” He said, tears blurred his vision.
***
“Leave me,” Lia shouted while repeatedly trying to get away from his grip, but the man was in no mood to leave her.
“Why so soon, baby girl? Let’s have some fun.” The man said and tried to remove her t-shirt, but she continuously wiggled.
“Leave me or I’ll call the cops.” She growled, but the man intensified his actions.
“You really think you can get away from me with this sexy body of yours? I need to taste you, baby.” The man said. Lia’s hand searched for something and she found a vase on the kitchen counter. Without giving a single thought, she slammed the vase on the back of his head.
The man flinched and stepped back, holding his bleeding head. “You bloody bitch!! What the fuck you did?” He growled and the loud music came to halt as everyone turned their face in his direction.
“I told you to get off me,” Lia hollered and threw the vase away, and started dragging her suitcase.
“You will pay, bitch. Just wait.” The man shouted from behind, but Lia showed her middle finger while walking out of her apartment.
***
The lift of the VIP floor opened, and Mishka stepped out with Luke and Rony. “Honey, what happened? Where were you?” Rose asked as she strode towards Rony. “I called you so many times.” She said, but Rony said nothing and appeared remorseful.
“What’s wrong?” Rose asked, looking back and forth at Luke and Rony.
“Where is Chris?” Mishka asked Leo.
“Inside,” Leo pointed at the ward and Mishka smiled.
“Why are you smiling?” Leo questioned, knitting his bushy eyebrows in confusion.
“You will know soon,” Mishka said, and looked at Dr Ken. “Can I go inside?” She asked.
“Sure! But only for five minutes and try not making any noise.” Dr Ken permitted.
“Mom, I’ll do everything as you say. Please, mom, don’t leave me. I love you so much.” Christian cried, holding Vera’s limp body when Mishka opened the door of the ward.
“You know Mishka tried to give me hints so many times, but I always stopped her as soon as she mentioned your name. It’s all my fault. I am sorry. Please forgive one last time.” He said in a choked voice while Mishka put her palm on his shoulder.
Christian looked at Mishka briefly with his red eyes and hugged her waist. “She isn’t waking up, Mishka. I am trying to convince her, but she isn’t ready to forgive me,” He cried while Mishka rubbed his back.
“She’ll be fine soon. Trust me.” Mishka tried to calm him.
“Why don’t you talk to her? She always responds when you talk to her. Tell her I am very sorry. I want my her back.” He said, his voice choking with overwhelming emotions.
“Quiet, everything will be fine. You trust God, right? He will fix everything back in its place. Stop crying like a baby.” She said, removing his tears.
They were talking to each other when they heard the sound of a machine beeping. Christian quickly looked back at Vera. Her chest was heaving up and down and it appeared that she was having difficulty in breathing. A look of horror crossed Christian’s face while Mishka’s face lost all the colours, leaving her immobile for a moment.
Christian pressed the switch near the bed while Mishka held her hand quickly, “Christian knows about everything and he has forgiven dad as well, he isn’t holding any grudges against anyone. Dad and Chris are eagerly waiting for you. Please try to come back one last time. The whole family is waiting for you eagerly. This is your chance mom, you have to come back!” Mishka said. The team of doctors and nurses appeared, and they pushed Mishka and Christian out.
“We need to check on her, sir. Please wait outside.”
“Please come back, mama. Don’t punish me like this again. Please don’t go like this. I promise I’ll be a good son this time.” The last thing Christian shouted before the door of the ward closed.
“Why did you mention dad?” Christian snapped at Mishka.
“Because that’s what she wanted to hear,” Mishka said, but Christian shook his head.
“Bullshit!!!” He screeched. “I will never forgive him. He ruined my mom!” Chris shouted while Luke just looked at him, wordlessly.
“You spent seventeen years hating your mom. Now you want to spend the rest of your life hating dad? Is that what you want?” Mishka shouted. She, too, now was losing her calm.
“Dad suffered too, Christian, and is still suffering.” Mishka said and paused, taking a look at Luke, who appeared weak and helpless. “I agree he did a big-time blunder, not confronting her once before divorcing her. He should’ve asked why she lied and cheated on him. Maybe today we wouldn’t have been standing here. But he didn’t mean to harm her.”
“Yeah! What about his actions?” Christian asked.
“What about intentions?” Mishka countered.
“You didn’t come to see me even for once when I was in a coma, but I never questioned you because I know you did not intend to abandon me.” Mishka said. “You just couldn’t see me in that state. The same goes for dad. He never meant to harm you or mom, things just slipped from his hand.” She completed her sentence and held Christian’s hand in her.
“Don’t repeat the same mistake again Chris or else again you’ll suffer in the end. Just forgive him. That’s what exactly your mother wants you to do. I have decoded all her actions and reaction. She reacts only to those things that are related to you or dad. I don’t know what she exactly wants, but one thing is clear, she wants to see both of you together.”
Christian calmed. “Give me some time. Leave me alone.” He removed his hand from her grip and left the hospital.
***
Next Morning,
Jake and the other prisoner were taking their breakfast when the running news caught everyone’s attention.
“Vera Knight is admitted to the hospital last night. She is on a life support system, her condition is very critical and survival chances are low.”
Suddenly everyone heard a loud clapping. “Bravo, Vera. Finally, you are going away from our lives,” Jennifer sneered while clapping and Jake took furious steps in her direction.
“Are you even human?” Jake asked in a high pitch, and Jennifer furrowed her eyebrows, turning to him. “Someone battling for their life and you are laughing? Is any humanity left in you?”
“Of course, I have humanity in me, but I lose it when it comes to Vera.” Jennifer laughed and her eyes travelled back to the television. “It will be so much fun watching them getting ruined.” She rubbed her palms, smirking evilly.
“I won’t let you destroy them!” Jake said, and Jennifer laughed again.
“My dear Jake, I don’t even have to move a finger to destroy them. They are just enough to destroy themselves!” Jennifer mocked. “This time it’s Vera. Next time it’ll be Mishka. God, I am so excited.”
“Mishka?? What do you mean?” Jake asked, and gripped her forearm.
“Behave yourself, Jake.” Jennifer jerked his hand away and then smiled.
“Your darling brother didn’t tell you about the contract marriage?” Jennifer asked, and Jake was stunned for a moment. “He didn’t tell you he is going to leave his gorgeous wife… umm.. in about a month, maybe, and then he will be back with Lia?”
Jake gulped the knot formed in his throat. “You are lying. That’s not possible.” Jake said. “Christian will not do any such thing.”
“We’ll see that in the coming month… ooops… I forgot, I will see and you’ll hear on the news because I am going out tomorrow.” Jennifer stretched her arms. “They are releasing me.”
“Goodbye, Jake. I had a lovely time with you here.” She said and left while Jake stood there with perplexed expressions, rubbing his stubble.
“You are lying, Jennifer. Christian will never leave Mishka. He loves her.” He shouted behind her back, but he wasn’t sure himself now.