Ed cursed under his breath as he watched the van he was chasing nimbly turn to the left. They had the advantage of knowing the area better, unexpectedly, and clearly, whereas Ed was just blindly following.
“Otiz!” Ed shouted, and the dashboard screen lit up, indicating a call.
“Yes? Where are you?” Otiz inquired in his usual tired tone.
“Gather as many people as you can. Anyone can pay! I'll send you the location!” Ed yelled as loud as he could, hinting at the grave situation.
“Huh? Don Rosas, there’s...”
“Just do it!” Ed ended the call, his eyes narrowing as he saw the van make another turn onto a new road. It was quieter, making Ed consider ramming the back of the vehicle to stop it.
But such a reckless move would hurt Ruby and AJ. He couldn’t do anything while they were still inside the van.
Ed clicked his tongue, forced to watch and curse silently. His mind wa
"Oops! What a liar! Is this why he keeps you? You are indeed interesting. Not bad." Russel chuckled."STOP IT!" Ruby would not let AJ hear such words."Tsk; your child needs to learn to grow up. He needs to understand men's world." Russell watched as Ruby kept covering AJ's ears, protecting him.“What should we do next? Should I send a threat or maybe a finger?” The man who had kidnapped Ruby stepped forward, approaching Russell.“For now, there's no need. I want to see him confused, searching for his ‘cat’. Then, we’ll send him the ‘cat’ bit by bit. If necessary, we should start with a finger. I want him to feel despair. He broke my neck. I’ll retaliate even more cruelly.”Russell grinned, eyeing Ruby's fingers as if considering which one to send to Ed first.Ruby shuddered, unable to say anything. Even if she told them a million times that she wasn’t Ed’s mistress, Rus
"How could you..." Russell moved his wheelchair away from the muzzle of the gun in Ed's hand."Of course I could. I told you yesterday. You didn't have to deal with my sales problems here. It just so happens that the person who was willing to handle my sales issues without any conditions is also willing to assist me now."Ed had backups and could handle things without difficulty."He was happy to help me get rid of you." Ed's hand remained steady, pointing the gun at Russell while his eyes scanned the corners of the room."Where are they?" Ed asked. He hoped Ruby and AJ would be with Russell."Who? I don't know what... Mmmm!" Russell's attempt to feign ignorance failed as Ed shoved the gun's muzzle into his mouth. Russell shook his head frantically."Let's not waste time with nonsense. Just tell me where they are, and maybe I'll remember not to blow your brains out." Ed pressed the trigger while his other hand held Russell's head still.
Ed's hand moved faster than anything—faster even than his thoughts. He drew the gun from inside his jacket and pulled the trigger, aiming at the head. Ed didn't want to kill Russell, but he would no longer show mercy.Russell fell silent immediately, with a gaping wound at the back of his head.“Did you... Damn it!” Ed cursed as he turned, realizing the situation was worse than he had anticipated.“AJ!” Ruby was screaming, holding AJ’s limp body as he lay there clutching his thigh. AJ was unconscious while blood continued to flow from the wound.Without hesitation, Ed picked up AJ and carried him out through the door they had entered. Ruby stumbled along behind him.“Don Rosas... Oh...” Otiz was about to report, but upon seeing the blood and AJ’s limp form, he quickly jumped down and opened the door to Ed’s car. There was no more danger, and Ed easily exited the house.“Where&
“Get the tickets ready to go home.”Otiz was undoubtedly startled by the command. His foot, already on the gas pedal, lifted again. The car, parked at the hospital, jerked to a stop. It didn't move forward.“What?” Otiz asked, glancing at Ed through the rearview mirror.The night had grown late, and Otiz couldn't see Ed's face clearly, but judging by Ed’s slumped posture in the seat—like a coat haphazardly hung—Otiz knew something was wrong.“Get the tickets ready to go home. Immediately!” Ed almost shouted but then took a long breath, realizing Otiz didn’t deserve the anger. Otiz had worked perfectly today, doing a difficult job flawlessly.The blame lay with him. The previous incident was his fault, and Ruby had made him realize it. He had ruined Ruby and AJ's lives. It was true. They were just a normal family with a peaceful life in New York.Russell interfered because of him. Ed had gotten too close.“Aren't you waiting for a report from Mexico about Ruby Herrera? I’ve received pa
“Sorry, but is there any history of certain diseases in your family?” the doctor asked politely. The male doctor also seemed cautious.“No, Doctor... Shelby.” Ruby read the name on the card hanging from his neck. The middle-aged doctor had been kind since the beginning of AJ’s treatment and seemed very competent.“Oh, my mother had Alzheimer’s. Is that what you mean?” Ruby was still confused but tried to answer as thoroughly as possible.“I’m sorry to hear that, but that’s not what I meant.” Shelby shook his head with a smile.“What about his father? Could he possibly have a history of certain diseases?”Shelby asked a unique question that Ruby didn’t know the answer to, which only made Ruby more panicked.“Sorry, I don’t know. But why are you asking?” Ruby shook her head.“Is there any chance you could find out?”“That... would be difficult.” Ruby shook her head more vigorously. Not just difficult, but almost impossible. Last night, Ruby sent AJ's father away for good.“Oh, I see.” S
Ruby pulled back her trembling hands, covering her face to avoid screaming. The situation was too cruel."I'm sorry, but does AJ have any siblings?" Shelby asked.Ruby shook her head."Is AJ's father still alive?" Shelby asked more cautiously.Ruby nodded slowly, becoming increasingly reluctant to speak. But this was beneficial news for Shelby."In that case, you might be able to contact him. There's a likely chance that his dad will be a match for AJ. It still needs to be tested, but I think it will work. If AJ had siblings, I would recommend them, but his father could also be a suitable option." Shelby patted her own thigh to release some of her relief.The situation was vastly different for Ruby. She was once again forced to face the irony-laden reality. She had to swallow her own words, which hadn't even dried yet."What about the other donors? Is there no other way?" Ruby hoped there was, but Shelby shook her head gently.
Some people had kneeled and begged before him, but Ed usually knew why. This one was too random.“Ruby…” Ed tried to free his hand, but Ruby gripped it very tightly.“Don’t go!” Ruby wasn’t going to let him go.“Mrs. Herrera, excuse me. But not here.” Otiz, who had caught up, finally forced Ruby to stand up. Ed and Ruby were attracting too much attention, and that wasn’t good, especially with security personnel involved.“I…” Ruby resisted Otiz, but Ed leaned in and hissed in her ear.“I don’t know what you want, but don’t make a scene in public.” Ruby immediately fell silent and followed Ed as he walked out of the waiting room.Ruby didn’t know where they were going; she just followed them until they finally entered a small chapel at the airport. Naturally, the room was silent. Only one person was praying, and he departed as soon as
Ed's leg seemed to be floating, losing his footing. To steady himself, he grabbed Otiz, who was beside him, before finally being able to step forward and stand in front of Ruby. He was looking into those brown, tear-filled eyes."I'm sorry... forgive me..." Ruby whimpered, closing her eyes as she saw Ed's hand move towards her. Ruby was ready to accept anything, even if that hand were to choke her; she would remain silent and not struggle.But Ruby was startled because Ed's hand caressed her cheek. Ed's warm fingertips didn't hurt her but instead gently stroked her entire face, wiping away her tears.Ruby opened her eyes, and those green eyes were still looking at her. However, Ruby had to close her eyes again when Ed brushed her eyelids. Ed seemed to want to feel every detail of her face. The resemblance, which he had considered a miracle yesterday, seemed to conceal something deeper."Ed..." Ruby called out timidly as she slowly lowered her hand."Tea... you are that tea." Ed mutter