Chapter 3 New Troubles

“Isn't there some other place you can go? Why go to that stupid man's apartment?”

“Look at your phone and see how many times I try to call you! You were busy with your work, and now you are mad at me?”

"You know I'm always busy with work. Then why are you protesting now?”

"Protest? Why would I be protesting a stubborn man like you? There's no point. You're just going to give me a lot of reasons and then make it look like I'm the guilty one, like I'm the selfish woman who never gets your damn busy work! I know that -"

"Enough, Veronica!" Mateo cut Veronica's sentence in a loud voice, "Right now, you're wrong, so don't try to change the subject so you can blame me for being busy."

Cheryl rolled her eyes in annoyance. She was sick of listening to Mateo and Veronica's endless fight.

For a moment, Cheryl recalled one incident after another that made her trapped in the helicopter with Mateo and Veronica.

The first is Mateo's stupidity who immediately beats Rafael without listen to Veronica's explanation. Mateo was only willing to let Rafael go after he saw Cheryl trying to pull him away from Rafael who had been sprawled on the floor. At first, Cheryl was worried about Rafael because his nose bled out. But instead, Rafael stood up casually and laughed at Mateo's crazy behavior.

Furthermore, after Mateo's ridiculous drama, he makes a fuss for a second time by bringing Veronica and Cheryl to come home with him. Mateo came by helicopter which parked on the helipad on the roof of the apartment building. Veronica kept nagging all the way because she was annoyed with Mateo's behavior. Veronica also tells the chronology of the incident that made them both end up at Rafael's apartment.

Cheryl is quite annoyed that Veronica tells Mateo about the attack they got, but she knows that Veronica has no choice but to explain the incident to avoid misunderstanding Mateo. And after knowing the true story, Mateo is angry not only with Veronica but also with Cheryl.

Then the last one, like it or not, Cheryl had to be trapped in the same helicopter as Veronica and Mateo. His older brother didn't let Cheryl use the car because he feared something bad would happen. Mateo, who has always tended to be possessive, gets even worse when he finds out that Cheryl and Veronica have just received a terrible terror.

“Tell me clearly about the chronology of the attack! I will ask—”

“Don't keep me cooped up with your stupid bodyguards! I don't like it!" Veronica shouted in annoyance.

“You have no other choice. After this, neither you nor Cheryl will be allowed out later than 10 pm. Bodyguards will always follow you, and your cell phone will be connected to—”

"Hey! What do you mean? Why do I have to obey all your strange orders?” Cheryl joined in protesting, “stay out of my business, Mateo. You can't limit my curfew. Who do you think you are?”

“Yeah, you can't limit my curfew either. I'm not going to be a 12-year-old girl who can't go out later than 10 pm. And I would never like it if you insisted on locking me up with the guards!” Veronica pointed her index finger at Mateo.

"Don't argue with me!" Mateo didn't want to lose, “this isn't an order, but an attempt I made to protect the two of you. You think, if something bad happened to you guys, who would be in trouble?”

Cheryl snorted softly. She knows that since childhood, Mateo has been possessive and excessively worried about people he considers weaker than him. Mateo is a possessive brother, but Cheryl knows that Mateo is doing everything for her own good. But, Cheryl can't stand it if this time Mateo goes overboard again by locking her up and limiting her activities for no apparent reason.

"Don't overdo it, Mateo. Cheryl and I are fine. Rafael came on time, and he helped us. Cheryl fainted for a while, but I think she fainted because the effects of the adrenaline rushing after she drove the car at high speed.”

Cheryl closed her eyes in frustration. Veronica's explanation just made things worse.

"You fainted?" Mateo turned quickly to look at Cheryl who was sitting in the front seat, right next to the helicopter driver who had been looking relaxed since he was driving  without being distracted by Veronica and Mateo's bickering.

“I told you if she fainted—”

"I've decided," Mateo cut Veronica's sentence in a serious voice, "you won't be allowed to drive your own car and bodyguards will always follow you. There is no refusal, nor do I accept any protests from you.” Mateo said.

Cheryl snorted again in annoyance. If Mateo had already decided, then Cheryl could never argue. Even if she tries to resist, Mateo will do everything he can to make Cheryl obey orders, including involving her parents.

"Don't overdo it, Mateo. We are doing well, and Rafael has helped us." Veronica keeps trying to fight back.

“After helping you, he took you to his apartment. Are you sure the apartment has reliable security? What if you got—”

Mateo's sentence was cut short when the helicopter's engine warning blared. Some screens display a red light indicating a fault in the helicopter system. Then a few seconds later, there was a terrible shock.

"What happened?!" Mateo shouted frantically, he immediately hugged Veronica who was now hiding her face in his chest. Not only Veronica but Mateo also reached out to touch the shoulder of Cheryl who was sitting across from him, as if he wanted to ensure Cheryl's safety.

Cheryl also turned her head toward the helicopter driver who was still trying to find the problem with the helicopter. He pressed a few buttons, and then went through the helicopter's system, which kept flashing warning signs.

"Someone's trying to get into the helicopter system, sir. Looks like a tracking device, or maybe an explosive." The driver gave a brief explanation.

Explosive?!

"Damn it! What happened to your helicopter?! Why bring junk to pick me up?!” Cheryl turned her head and shouted angrily at Mateo.

First, she had a mysterious attack from three people in a black car, she almost had an accident while trying to avoid their pursuit, then they almost bore a bullet in her head, and now she is trapped in a wrecked helicopter her brother brought to pick her up.

“Get out of the way!” Mateo jumped forward and forced Cheryl to sit in the back along with Veronica.

Cheryl obeys Mateo's orders because she knows if her brother is trying to control the helicopter that starts to shake. The helicopter's main driver is constantly trying to find the source of the problem and make repairs as quickly as possible while Mateo takes over his driving duty. In the back seat, Cheryl and Veronica waited frantically.

"Why does your helicopter have such low security?" Cheryl grumbled in annoyance.

"Shut up, Cheryl! I don't need your scolding!" Mateo seemed to be focused on controlling the helicopter even though Cheryl could still see the man occasionally glancing at the back seat as if trying to ensure Cheryl and Veronica were seated safely.

"Helicopter crash won't get you killed. Why are you panicking so much?" Cheryl asked while crossing her arms over her chest.

In the past, maybe two or three years ago, Cheryl had dropped a Mateo helicopter into a lake near their house. At that time, Cheryl got seriously injured, but she did not die. But, Mateo's helicopter was shattered out of shape.

“If you just fall, maybe you won't die. But if this helicopter explodes, you'll surely die, Cheryl!” Mateo answered impatiently.

Cheryl rolled her eyes. Mateo put her in danger, but he got mad at her instead.

“Alejandro has no other heir besides the two of us. Make sure you land this helicopter safely or Daddy and Mommy will make your death uneasy!”

"Are you crazy?!" Mateo glanced in annoyance “we almost died, Cheryl!”

"Why not just land? We'll only get hurt—"

Cheryl's sentence was cut short again when the helicopter's warning sound grew louder.

Cheryl bit her lower lip, starting to panic when she saw the highway filled with vehicles. There was no helicopter pad, so they couldn't land. The highway was filled with cars, unlike when Rafael made an emergency landing in the middle of the highway. At that time, an accident caused traffic to stop, so Rafael could land easily. But now… where can they land?

“This helicopter has been hacked, sir. If we land, it will most likely endanger you and Miss Cheryl. We'd better get back to Mr Rafael's helipad so that Alejandro's bodyguards can prepare to make guard there." The helicopter driver explained.

Cheryl rolled her eyes. Was Mateo's helicopter security system hacked?

No one knew who was hacking and following them or who was waiting for them at the emergency landing site. If the security system has been hacked, chances are that someone is stalking and following them. Making an emergency landing in any place will only make their situation worse.

"Is there no other choice?" Mateo asked in an annoyed voice.

"For now, I will try to control and try to take over the helicopter system, but maybe we only have five minutes."

Cheryl widened her eyes. Damn! Will they be able to reach the helipad of Rafael's apartment in just five minutes?

However, before Cheryl could express her doubts, the helicopter alarm is back ringing loudly. This time it not only made a sound but also made the helicopter's blades move unstable. The helicopter control screen suddenly became unusable. The screen locked and displayed a black color, indicating that they could no longer attempt to recover the hacked helicopter system.

"How long will it take us to get to Rafael's apartment?" Mateo asked at last.

"Probably about 10 minutes considering we can't get the helicopter up to max speed, sir."

Cheryl growled in annoyance. They took 10 minutes, but they only had five minutes.

“Raise to max speed!” Mateo said.

"We might lose control if the helicopter's engines run into trouble, sir."

"No problem, we only have five minutes. You must increase the helicopter's speed to maximum speed!" Mateo started pressing a few buttons on the helicopter that was still controllable.

However, a few seconds later, the helicopter warning screen came back on. At first, Cheryl thought they had managed to get hold of the helicopter system that had just been hacked, but she was wrong. Because instead of showing the state of the helicopter system, the screen actually displays a mysterious red text that the hacker intentionally sent.

'Land! Or I'll blow you up.'