Chapter 16

"Hush now baby, everything's gonna be fine. We will find Michael soon." Rafael comforted her.

Rafael hugged her as he stroked her back and tried to calm her down but no matter what he said, she could not calm down until she's sure that her brother is safe.

After arriving at their unit and finding that the nurse is dead and Michael was taken away, she could not think anymore. If Rafael hadn't called her, she would probably be still staring at the dead body of the nurse.

Rafael has called her tons of times before she was able to answer him and when she did, all she did was just cry. Rafael tried to ask her what happened but she only cried even more. And in just a few minutes, Rafael has already come to her rescue, and just like her reaction, he was also shocked to see how messy the condo unit is and the bloody body of the private nurse Michael.

He immediately hugged her while calling the police. And here they are now, the policemen were searching for Siarra because the woman is their only suspect.

She told everything that Siarra had told her and Rafael did the same thing. He told the policemen his last conversation with Siarra which ended in an argument.

"Hush now, angel. The policemen were doing everything they could to track down Siarra. We can get Michael any moment now." Rafael said, trying to console her.

But no matter what it says to her, her worries and fears will not diminish. Her brother's life is at stake and she can't do anything. She could do nothing but cry and wait.

It's been twenty-four hours since his brother disappeared but the police still could not find a lead on where Siarra and her brother were.

"Rafael," Ronan calls Rafael, who is still trying to calm her down. "I need to talk to you..." Ronan glanced at her. "In private." He said in a serious voice.

Rafael hesitated to let go of her when she herself got away with him. She pushed him lightly and wiped away her tears. "Go ahead." She said in a hoarse voice. She tried to smile at Rafael but she failed.

"We can just talk late---"

"It's all right. It looks like Ronan has something important to tell you. I'll be fine here." She said, not even letting him finish what he wanted to say.

Rafael sighed and then kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry too much okay? We will do everything to find Michael. I'll do everything in my power to bring him back. I promise."

She just nodded at him.

Rafael first kissed her on the lips before joining Ronan who was just watching them. She just followed the gaze of the two as they exited.

When they were out of her sight, she picked up her cellphone on the table and hoped that she would receive at least a message from the woman but she was disappointed again when she saw that she did not receive even a single message from the woman.

She burst into tears again.

She tried to contact Lara but her cell phone was turned off. She had not been able to contact the woman for a few days now. At first, she just let her be because she thought she was just busy studying and working but after what happened to Michael, she also started to worry about Lara.

She got up and went to her brother's room. She took the picture frame where a photo of her and Michael is placed is broken, even the picture frame where their whole family is together is also broken. Her chest tightened as she caressed those pictures.

She let herself cry again. She cried over and over again while holding the photos.

She stayed in Michael's room for hours, just crying she had fallen asleep while hugging the pillow that Michael always used.

When she woke up, she immediately looked at her wristwatch to know the time and she was shocked to know that she has slept for almost two hours.

She went out of the room and she was surprised to see that all the police were busy. Everyone was wearing a bulletproof suit and everyone was carrying guns. She had already guessed what was happening so her eyes immediately searched for Rafael but she did not find him, she only saw Rafael's best friend, Ronan and even he is wearing a bulletproof suit and carrying a gun.

She immediately approached Ronan.

When Ronan saw her, anxiety registered on his face.

"Where is Rafael? Where is he?" She asked him.

Suddenly, Ronan's eyes went in another direction, trying not to meet her eyes.

"Uhm..." Nervousness can be heard in his voice.

"Ronan, where is Rafael? You called him earlier, didn't you? Where is he?" She asked again but Ronan did not seem to be able to form a word and still could not look at her.

Ronan's silence is making her lose her patience.

With gritted teeth and clenched fist, she asked him again. "I repeat Ronan, where is Rafael?"

"Ahm, well, you see...Rafael is…well, why don't you just take a rest for a moment---"

"Just tell me, Ronan. WHERE. IS. RAFAEL!" She said every word emphatically, urging him to speak.

Ronan licked his lips which suddenly dried up and then violently exhaled. "I promised Rafael not to tell you but...fuck!" Her forehead furrowed. "Okay, I'll tell you everything but promise me that you won't do anything stupid, okay? Promise me that no matter what happens, you will listen to me and the police." He pleaded.

Ronan did not get an answer from her. She remained staring at him while waiting for him to answer her question.

Ronan blew a loud breath before speaking. "Siarra called him." He started that made her heart beat faster but she chose not to speak. "She told him that in exchange for your brother's life, he needs to come and see her. Siarra promises that she will not do anything to your brother as long as Rafael shows up but we won't take risks. Siarra is out of her mind, she is out of control and she is capable of killing someone." Ronan wiped his face with his palm. "This is because of your boyfriend's stubbornness! I already told him that we need to think of a good plan first so that no one will be harmed but there he is, rushing all by himself!"

Frustration and concern mingled in Ronan's face while she seemed to be nailed to where she stood.

She can't move nor speak.

Damn! What the hell was he thinking? Why does he have to go there alone?

"We will follow him. So stay here and---"

"I'm going with you." She said with finality.

"No!" Ronan said, almost yelling. "You'll be safe here, Michelle. And one more thing, Rafael wouldn't like it if you come with us."

"And what do you want me to do? Just stay here and wait while two of the most important persons in my life are out there and in danger? No! And one more thing, I am not asking for your permission so whether you agree or not, I will go with you." She boldly said and went out of the condo unit, not even listening to Ronan who kept on calling her name.

If he thinks she will listen to him, then he is mistaken. She could not bear to do anything while Rafael is risking his own life for her brother. And one more thing, it's her that Siarra is angry with so she thinks it's just right for her to be there and face her. She will deal with her anger to end it all.

She's still walking when Ronan grabbed her arm. She looked at him angrily. "What now? Don't even try to stop me because whatever you say, my decision remains the same. I will go with all of you!" She said in conviction.

Ronan heaved a deep sigh. "Fine! But you will be staying in the car. You won't get out unless we have made sure that everything is fine, am I clear?" He said in a tone like he's giving up already.

She did not respond to what he said and it seems to understand that she has no plan of answering him. He sighed again and was about to speak again when the policemen came out of her condo.

The police officers told her not to go but as she did with Ronan, she did not listen to them, and eventually they just let her be.

She got into Ronan's car. The car was moving very fast but her attention was not there. All she wanted was to get to the destination right away and see Michael and Rafael.

Her heart started to beat rapidly when they finally reached their destination. They are in a hidden house that looks abandoned.

They parked a few meters away from the house who's giving her a chill. She was about to get out of the car when Ronan stopped her. She gave her a questioning look.

"You stay here and wait for us. Rushing there won't help us. Siarra's anger will only intensify once she sees you and she could harm Rafa and your brother. So please, stay inside the car and do not do anything reckless. We'll do everything that we can to save them. I promise you that." Ronan said before he stormed out of the car.

She saw how the police officers were stationed outside the house while the others, including Ronan, started entering the house. They were making soft and quiet moves so as not to notice their onslaught. As time went on, she became increasingly restless. She knew Ronan was right but the longer she stayed at the car, doing nothing, the more her nervousness and fear intensified. She did not know how many times she had prayed that her brother and Rafael would be safe. Not once did she turn around, she did not look away from the house. She didn't even know if she's still blinking.

She was getting impatient as she waited for them.

She counted to twenty and when she finished counting and the police officers still did not come out and he still didn't see Ronan getting out with Rafael and Michael, she could no longer control herself.

She immediately got out of the car and hurried but with caution, she walked closer to the house. She did not carry anything to protect herself but her own safety was the last thing on her mind.

She passed quietly on the side so that the police officers wouldn't notice her because if they do, she's sure that they would take her back inside the car or worse, take her home.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the back door of the house without anyone noticing her. Fortunately, they were focused on the door of the house while waiting for their colleagues.

She slowly turned the door lock and it wasn't locked. She was very cautious in entering and the first thing that came out of her sight was the dirty kitchen. She also secretly thanked that the light was not turned off so she would not have a hard time hiding just in case.

She took off her shoes so she could not make noise then she slowly and carefully walked inside the living room. She roamed her eyes around the room and again, it gave her chills. Her body hair stood on end as she looked around the household. There were no policemen around the living room which means that they were on the second floor. Again, she slowly climbed to the second floor of the house and her suspicion was correct. Almost all the police were there and their guns were pointed inside the room and she suspected that what she was looking for was there.

Due to the mixture of nervousness, fear, and anger, she almost ran to the room but even before she could enter the room, someone overtook her and hid her behind him. It's Ronan.

"Why are you so stubborn? I already told you to stay in the car!" He said in a seemingly angry voice but his gun and attention remained focused inside the room. "Don't fucking move, Michelle, and stay behind me!" He commanded but she could not stop peeking in front of him and her nervousness intensified when he saw Siarra holding a gun and it was pointed at Rafael while her brother was bloody and unconscious in Rafael's arms. She felt her knees got weak and her tears flowed spontaneously when she saw that Michael seemed lifeless. She felt as if her whole world just crashed, her heart was slowly beating especially when Siarra fired a gun and it hit Rafael's left thigh.

She felt like she would stumble at any moment because her knees and legs were slowly losing strength. Her body is shaking as well as her tears keep on streaming down her face.

"I have loved you for so many years, Rafael and up to this day, I still love you even though you keep hurting me over and over again. Why? Why can't you see me? Why can't you see my love for you?" Siarra said while crying and her gun was still pointed at Rafael who was still hugging her brother. Siarra fired the gun again and it hit Rafael's other thigh. Rafael groaned in pain. "All these years, I am the one who is here for you. I supported you in everything you want to achieve. I gave you everything! My heart, my body, my soul, and my dignity! I have nothing left for myself because I thought you would learn to love me someday but what happened? What did I get in return for everything I did for you? Nothing! You hurt me and you chose that girl over me!"

Siarra's face was filled with tears. She fired again and this time, the bullet hit Rafael in the right arm.

Michelle wants to shout. She wants to beg Siarra and tell her to stop, she wants to approach them and save Rafael, if she has to use her body as a shield, she will, she will do everything she can to save her boyfriend.

She looked at Michael again who's still in Rafael's arms and she couldn't stop crying.

She knew it already. She knew that her brother was dead. Her sweet and caring brother is gone.

The police officers and Ronan said something to Siarra but she couldn't hear it anymore. Her attention was focused on the two most important people in her life.

"If you won't be mine, then, no one will own you! I will take you with me to the pit of hell!" Siarra shouted then laughed.

She saw one policeman move at Siarra's back and his gun is aiming at the woman's back. She saw the policeman's colleague giving a signal. She won't know what their plan is but she's praying so damn hard that it would get worse.

But her eyes widened when Siarra aimed the gun at Rafael again and her breathing seemed to stop when she heard a gunshot. But she was not able to follow the events anymore when she slowly lost her consciousness. But before she could close her eyes, she felt something liquid and sticky flowing down her thighs.