𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 ✶ Jaime Reyes

𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢. 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮

chapter seventeen
just a friend to you

         IF ONLY the outcome could have been completely different. Life is unpredictable and the harsh reality of losing a loved one is one of the most difficult challenges a family can face.

        When Indira Taylor arrived at the scene of chaos, she was gripped by a profound sense of disbelief and horror. In just thirty minutes, the Reyes home had been consumed by flames and Alberto Reyes had tragically lost his life. Indira's heart ached as she observed the devastation, unable to comprehend the sheer magnitude of the catastrophe. The nightmarish sequence of events left her stunned, her mind struggling to process the overwhelming sorrow and destruction that had so abruptly shattered the lives of those she cared about. Death is a cruel reality that tests the strength of any family, and the shock of Alberto's untimely demise brought an unimaginable level of pain and heartache. Indira could only stand there, her mind swirling with grief, wishing that everything could somehow be undone. The once warm and lively home was now a scene of unspeakable tragedy, a stark reminder of how quickly life can change in the blink of an eye. It was not too long ago when they had their conversation. Now, he was gone.

        Despite Rudy's desperate attempts to navigate through the city at a high speed, weaving through traffic, they still didn't make it in time. They even attracted the attention of law enforcement. This caused a further delay. Indira intervened, leveraging her family's influence to ensure Rudy received only a warning. The sinking feeling of disappointment settled in as they arrived just moments too late, the sense of urgency fading into a disheartening realization that their efforts had fallen short.

         At the center of the disaster stood none other than Victoria Kord. The older woman felt a sense of satisfaction, having achieved exactly what she wanted. Now, she was headed to enact the next part of her plan. When her eyes landed on the bodies of her niece and Indira, she couldn't help herself. A cocky grin spread across her face, and she even gave them a little wave. Without saying a word, her message was clear: she had won, and they had lost. Oh, how the pieces were falling into place. The smirk on her face was a stark contrast to the mayhem around her, a chilling reminder of her ruthless determination and the lengths she would go to achieve her goals. Her helicopter flew higher into the sky and eventually disappeared out of sight. Kord Industries had won once again.

         The remainder of the night felt like a surreal blur of disbelief and despair. At the Reyes household, the family, alongside Indira and Jenny, anxiously awaited confirmation of what they already knew in their hearts at the unfortunate scene. The paramedics tried their hardest but failed to succeed. Alberto's sudden passing weighed heavily on their minds, compounded by the grim reality of their newfound homelessness. The thought was gut-wrenching, reflecting the cruel turn of events that seemed to conspire against them. Their lives had been abruptly and irrevocably upended in just a few short days. From Jaime unwittingly becoming a host for the scarab, to Victoria relentlessly hunting him down, and now facing the tragic loss of Alberto—Victoria's ruthless triumph cast a shadow over everything. It was a devastating culmination of occurrences that left them reeling, struggling to comprehend the depth of their losses and the bleak uncertainty of their future.