Ava's POVMy brow creased with shock as I stared at the disgusting man before me.What had he done? What had he done to my little angel? This monster.Tears brimmed in my eyes as his words echoed in my head.Miguel was going to die in twenty-one days, and my daughter was a host for a biohazard.I didn't want to believe it, but it didn't sound like he was lying. Fernando was too proud about this news, and from the way he was boasting about it, I could tell it was real. He had really injected my daughter with the vial. What a bastard! I wanted to squeeze the life out of him.“You monster!” I shouted, “How could you do that to her! How could you? Did you really have to involve my daughter in your cruel plans? Leave my daughter out of your plan!” I yelled, tears streaming down my face."You’re a monster!" I screamed over and over as tears flowed out of me in buckets.Fernando laughed maniacally.“Am I?” He stooped before me and cocked his head, wearing a smile, “Fair enough. Maybe I am,
Ava's POVI shook my head, lowering my gaze to the antidote Fernando had broken before returning my gaze to him.No. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. That couldn't have been the only antidote he had. It couldn't be. I refused to believe it.I couldn't let myself believe that the only antidote that could save my child's life was gone. No way. Believing would mean abandoning hope and giving up on my chance to save my daughter and the man I loved.There was no way I could give up on that. If I did, then all this would be for nothing. All my suffering and choice to come here would be for nothing, and that didn't sit well with me.What did I do this for? Why did I give myself up? It would all be useless and meaningless, and I couldn't accept that or even believe it.Fernando was lying. He had to be. There had to be other antidotes.I scrambled to my knees and grabbed him by the knee, holding onto him like my life depended on it. It did, in a way, because if anything were to happen to
Miguel's POVRila worked around the clock to figure out whose DNA the compound was made from, and after what felt like forever, she finally finished her research and came to me, extending the file in her hands to me.“That's everything I found out about the compound,” she said, and I took the report from her, glancing through it for about a few minutes before lowering it to the table.—Just like the test results, I couldn't make much of it either.“I'm going to need you to explain this to me. I can't understand it.”“I doubt that's an effect of the biohazard,” she teased with a smile, taking the report from the table.It was the first time I had seen her joke in the hours we had been together. If it was another moment, I would have played along, but I couldn't afford to joke right now —plus it was the exhaustion that prevented me from picking offence in the damned joke.Things were too serious, and finding the cure was everything. I sighed, feeling tense about my own situation.“I'll
Miguel's POV“Here,” I handed her a glass of water to relax, and Ava emptied the glass in one long gulp.She had spent the last few minutes since she woke up crying repeatedly. She was an emotional wreck, impossible to comfort, and seeing her like this was killing me slowly.I couldn't handle it.“Do you want more water?” I asked, sitting beside her, and she shook her head.“I'm alright,” she said but her voice betrayed those words.They sounded weak, and fragile just like she looked right now. Nando had broken her spirit, he had defiled her, and staring at her broke my heart but I didn't want her to know that I knew what she had gone through.I also didn't want her to tell me because I wasn't sure I could take it. I brushed my hand through her hair instead and whispered, “Hungry?” She shook her head, “No,” she paused, “How’s our baby?” I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if she knew about it, and I didn't know what to say, “She’s—”“I know about the biohazard,” she cut in, sensing my hesita
Miguel's POVWe rushed out of the hideout, following the new lead Mason had found which was an address not too far from the last place.It was just a few blocks away. My heart raced as we drove over and a few minutes later we arrived at the address.I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as the car stopped. I was energized and ready to end Nando once and for all. His death would be a service to everyone now that I thought about it.“We are here!” Mason declared and we alighted from the car, heading toward the abandoned building.The building was an abandoned warehouse, and I would have to admit it might take a while to find anyone inside but it wasn't impossible, not when you're as determined as I was. The building reminded me of haunted houses or how they were portrayed in movies at least.We barged into the building and the minute we entered Nando’s men immediately attacked us, shooting at us to keep us from making it past the entrance.“Take cover!” I yelled, taking
Miguel’s POVI walked out of the underground cell, making my way up to the ground floor. Perez spun around the second I entered the room, “I was just coming to see you,” he said as he slid his phone in his pocket.“I spoke with the doctor, he will be here shortly,” He reported, and I regarded him with a nod. “How’s he holding up?”“He’s still a long way from hell but I'll make sure he gets there,” I replied. Perez smiled, “He's more than earned it,” he remarked, “Care for a drink?” he gestured, raising the bottle for a second before going on to pour himself a glass.“Sure. I haven't had one in a while,” I motioned towards him, taking notice of the room. “Where's Mason?” I asked after a minute of not spotting him anywhere around the room. “I’m not sure but he should be outside,” he said, and offered me a glass of scotch. I gulped it all at once and lowered the glass to the table.“Any lead for the antidote yet?” He asked.I shook my head, “Not yet,” I paused, “But I was thinking, per
Ava’s POVIt was midday, and Gracie helped me with a napkin to wipe the breast milk that spilled down Mary Grace’s clothes while I was breastfeeding her. I wiped it, cleaned her face too, before lowering my shirt.I pulled her to my chest and cradled my precious baby in my arms as I began to hum a gentle lullaby. Miguel’s favourite one and I hoped it would one day be her favourite one too.The melody flowed from my lips like a soothing river, wrapping us in its tender embrace like a blanket and its effect was tremendous on my baby. Mary Grace fell straight to sleep with her palm clutched tightly around my finger. I noticed she loved to do that, and I loved the feel of her palm around my finger. It was warm, and it made me feel a tremendous amount of peace. I rocked her back and forth, with the rhythm of the lullaby, and Gracie grinned beside me, wrapping one hand around my arm while caressing Mary Grace with the other, although she let her be the minute she was asleep so she wouldn't
Miguel's POVLino was alive? That couldn't be.I had set the place on fire. I had watched it burn. It had to be a lie. Nando was definitely lying. I glanced at him, “You're lying,” I said.“I'm not!” He yelled with desperation in his voice and words, “I swear it. Mason is involved. I can prove it. Where is he?” I hesitated and turned to one of my men, “Where is Mason?” I asked, right in front of Nando.The man shook his head, “I haven't seen him all day. None of us have,” he responded.The words echoed in my head, and Nando's voice echoed beside me, “He knows... he knows you're onto him, and he's made a run for it.”Nando’s words made sense, and my mind was starting to churn with all sorts of thoughts. There had been something off about Mason since we caught Nando— maybe even since Lino.He hadn't come down to the cell for once, and I had barely seen him. It was almost like he had been hiding away all this time, and I just never really noticed.Everything was starting to align in my