Chapter 5: Chance Encounter

After crying her eyes out, Marisa composed herself and she boarded a cab which drove her to the hospital where her son was admitted.

The cab got to the hospital fifteen minutes later, and Marisa rushed out of the cab after paying the driver. She didn't even wait to collect her change because her son was the only thing on her mind.

Upon receiving a call from her son's school's head teacher regarding the accident, she rushed to the hospital with a pounding heart, fervently praying for her son's safety. Worry etched across her face as she entered the hospital.

Inside the hospital, she encountered a distressing scene – dozens of women, fellow mothers of the students involved in the accident, wailed loudly. Some sat on the ground, sobbing unabashedly, while others stood with sorrowful expressions. The atmosphere was permeated with sadness as their cries filled the space.

Marisa stood rooted, overwhelmed by waves of fear coursing through her as she observed the grieving mothers. A nurse approached her, guiding her to the doctor's office. 

A nurse walked up to her and she was led to the doctor's office.

The doctor was a middle-aged man who was putting on a white coat. A pair of glasses stood at the bridge of his nose and he was busy working on some files. He dropped his pen immediately Marisa stepped in.

"Have a seat, ma'am." He said, pointing at the chair in front of Marisa.

"Wh...where is my son?, What happened to him?" Marisa threw questions at the middle-aged man who was seated behind his black polished desk.

"What's the name of your son, ma'am?" The doctor asked, calmly.

"Je...Jeffery--Jeffery Russo." She answered immediately.

The doctor picked up a file from his desk and he glanced through it before dropping it back.

Marisa's worry was evident as she anxiously inquired, "What happened to him? Is he safe? Is my son alright?"

The doctor, gesturing for her to take a seat, replied, "Please, have a seat, ma'am, so we can discuss this properly."

With hesitation, Marisa settled into a black leather chair, her expression filled with concern as she gazed at the doctor.

The doctor removed his glasses and placed them on his desk before delivering the news, "Ma'am, your son is fortunate to be one of the twenty students who survived the accident."

Relief washed over Marisa as she let out a sigh, whispering, "Thank goodness," her hands instinctively resting on her chest.

However, the doctor's next words brought a chilling reality. He paused briefly, and Marisa fixed her gaze on him, asking, "But what, doctor?"

With a heavy heart, the doctor revealed, "Your son's neck was injured during the accident, resulting in paralysis."

Marisa's face paled, and tears welled up in her eyes as she stuttered, "Y... you... you mean my son is now paralyzed?"

The doctor nodded somberly, sharing in her anguish. "Yes ma'am." 

Marisa's eyes, once bright with hope, now mirrored the depths of her concern as she heard the devastating news about her son's paralysis. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice quivered with anguish as she grappled with the grim reality.

"Isn't there any way to cure him or treat him?" She asked as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Yes, there's a way to treat him." The doctor replied.

A glimmer of hope illuminated Marisa's face instantly.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah, we can perform a surgery which will enable him to be able to walk again, but this surgery has to be done within twenty-four hours or else your son will be paralysed forever." The doctor replied. "That means the surgery has to be done before eleven o'clock tomorrow morning."

"And how much will this surgery cost?" She asked, even though she didn't have a single penny in her purse and bank account. 

"One million dollars." The doctor replied.

Marisa's eyes went wide and her mouth went agape when she heard the amount.

"One million dollars?" She asked with widened eyes.

"Yes." The doctor nodded, and Marisa started crying.

"You shouldn't be crying, ma'am." The doctor said in a soft voice and Marisa looked at him with teary eyes. "Most of the women you saw crying outside lost their children to the accident. Your son survived so you should be grateful." He added.

"But where am I gonna get one million dollars for the surgery within twenty four hours?" Marisa muttered, and more tears streamed out of her eyes.

"I believe a miracle will happen before twenty-four hours. You should head back home now. We'll do our best to keep your son's health stable "

"Thank you," she whispered, using her palms to wipe away her tears as she stood up. She then exited the office.

As Marisa walked out of the building, her mind raced with the daunting question: "Where will I get such a huge amount of money within twenty-four hours?"

Lost in thought, she inadvertently stepped into the path of an oncoming truck. Its brakes had failed, and it hurtled toward her at a dangerous speed.

Marisa's eyes widened with shock as she realized the impending danger. Paralyzed by fear and shock, she stood frozen, unable to move a muscle.

The truck blared its horn loudly, closing in rapidly. 

Marisa closed her eyes, bracing for impact. Her life had taken a devastating turn in a single day – losing her job, discovering her boyfriend's infidelity, and now her son's paralysis. In that moment, she felt like surrendering to fate.

"It's over," she muttered, tears streaming down her closed eyelids, resigned to whatever fate had in store for her.

As the truck hurtled dangerously close, on the brink of impact, a miraculous intervention occurred. A mysterious hand, seemingly from the depths of nowhere, yanked Marisa to safety just in the nick of time.

Marisa's eyelids fluttered open in gradual astonishment, and the first sight that greeted her was a flawlessly tailored black suit. 

Her senses were awakened by the subtle, pleasing aroma of the cologne that lingered in the air. 

With an almost hesitant movement, she raised her head, and her gaze locked onto a figure that appeared almost otherworldly – a man resembling a modern-day demigod, a vision of strength and poise.

The man standing before her was the most impressive male she had ever seen: slim, but powerfully-built, with his curly black swept-back hair, his long face, an eagle-like nose and dark penetrating hawk eyes.

He had three piercings on his right ear, and two on his left ear. He was putting on a black suit and he also wore a Cuban chain around his neck.

His right hand was firmly wrapped around her slim waist while both her hands were resting on his chest.

He stood a full two feet taller than her, casting an imposing presence. His narrowed eyes met hers in silence, their faces very close.

Marisa furrowed her brows as she looked at him, sensing familiarity but unable to recall where she had seen him before. The more she stared, the more he seemed like someone she should know.

"Who are you?" Marisa finally broke the awkward silence between them.

The man stared down at her without saying a word. He just kept gazing at her with a cold look on his face.

"Is he incapable of speaking?" Marisa wondered silently as she received no response from the man. 

She redirected her attention away from him and her eyes caught sight of ten black jeeps swiftly advancing along the boulevard. The vehicles came to a halt several meters away from where Marisa stood.

From the sleek black jeeps emerged a group of men adorned in dark coats and shaded glasses. They quickly moved towards the man who had been in front of Marisa, surrounding both him and her with a protective stance that seemed to emanate from all directions.

Marisa's gaze darted around in a state of bewilderment, her mind struggling to comprehend the sudden appearance of these enigmatic figures. They exuded an aura of intimidating power, emanating an air of toughness and menace unlike anything she had ever encountered before.

"Who might they be?" Marisa inquired of the reticent man who continued to fixate his gaze on her, resembling an observer captivated by a rare exhibit within the confines of a museum.

"Alejandro," Marisa heard a resonant masculine voice from behind her, causing her to turn and find another man advancing toward them. 

Strikingly similar to the man who had previously come to her rescue, this man had an uncanny resemblance. 

As he made his way down the road towards Marisa and the man who saved her, his features mirrored the other man's, except for the crimson hue of his suit, which contrasted against the black attire of the one who had saved her.

Marisa oscillated her attention between the two men, noting their undeniable likeness. Their appearance was so uncannily akin that the sole distinguishing factor seemed to be their attire—a black suit on one and a red suit on the other. The similarity between the two men was so profound that they could easily be mistaken for twins.

As the man in the red suit approached, his gaze fixed on Marisa before he turned his attention to the one who had intervened in her accident.

"Scusa per essere arrivato in ritardo. Chi è lei? (Sorry for coming late. Who is she?). The man in red suit said in Italian.

"Lei non è nessuno. Andiamo (She's nobody. Let's go)" the man in black suit replied in Italian, and he unwrapped his hand from Marisa waist, then he turned around to leave.

"Wait." Maria's voice stopped the man in black on his tracks and he turned to look at her with a cold expression on his face.

"Thanks for saving me." Marisa said with a smile.

The man said nothing in response, instead he turned around with his twin brother and they began walking towards a restaurant with dozens of men following them from behind.

She remained on her spot, staring at them till they entered inside the large restaurant.

"Who is he?" Marisa muttered as the image of the man who saved her appeared in her head.

"He looks so familiar and I'm sure I've seen his face somewhere. But where and when?" She muttered.