Mending Heart's Affliction [Phoenix Countesses: ETHEREAL MAIDENS SERIES I]

Chapter 72

Ticking Time-Bomb

Umawang ang labi ko. Para akong lalong nahilo nang marinig ko ang sinabi niya. Bigla kong naalala ang mga nangyari nitong mga nakaraang buwan: ang pagiging makakalimutin ni Arik at ang pabago-bagong mood niya.

Were those the symptoms? Why didn't he tell me? Bakit itinatago niya sa akin ito?

No. No, it can't be. I cannot accept this. Hindi ko matatanggap ito.

"Poor Celeste, but don't worry about him anymore. I'll take good care of him once you're gone," tila nababaliw na niyang sabi saka marahas akong binitiwan.

Bumaling siya sa dalawang lalaking kasama niya na tila may hinahandang kung ano.

"Hurry up! Ikabit niyo na yan sa kanya!"

I had no choice but to watch in silence. Sa sobrang daming nangyayari pati na ang nalaman ko tungkol sa kondisyon ni Arik, ni hindi na ako makagalaw pa. Soon after, my heart pounded wildly when one of the men approached, and I was quickly in his grasp.

"No, no. What's that? What are you going to do?" Desperation laced my voice.

"I thought you were smart. Hindi mo alam kung ano yan? That's a bomb, Celeste. You're going to explode here later on," Hannah said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders.

My heart plummeted when they placed the bomb on my stomach, securing it to the chains that bound me. I began to struggle frantically.

"No! No! Let me go! Huwag niyong ilagay sakin yan! No! Fucking—help me!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face.

Ngunit wala ni isang nakarinig ng sigaw ko. Nakatanaw lang sa akin si Hannah na tila nabobore pa habang naghihintay ng mga susunod na mangyayari.

I couldn't comprehend what to think or say in the midst of the terrifying situation. My mind went blank, in part due to what I saw and because the clock was ticking—no, the minute hand. It was set to 50 minutes. As it began ticking down, my shoulders slumped.

"Are you sure you won't change your mind, Celeste? Simple lang naman ang gusto kong gawin mo, e. It's not that hard. You don't want to do it? Think it over while I'm still here, because I won't be watching you until later. Ayokong makita ka kung paano ka sumabog. That's just gross," Hannah said, her gaze fixed on her cell phone.

I shook my head and chuckled. "I'm sorry I won't give you the satisfaction that you need, Hannah," I asserted, refusing to bend.

Irritation and anger flashed in her eyes once more, and she briefly turned her attention to me.

"Final answer?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes. "I can die here peacefully, pero hinding-hindi mo makukuha ang pagmamahal ni Arik. He will hate you. He will just loathe you to death," I declared, locking eyes with her.

"Fuck you," mariin kong sinabi sa kanya.

Her jaw clenched again as she glared at me. She said something to the two men, then approached me one last time before leaving the scene. When I saw what they did to the bomb, I felt completely numb.

They changed the timer from 50 minutes to 40 minutes.

"Goodbye, bitch. Enjoy your last minutes here. Alone," Hannah bid me farewell, and I promptly cursed her.

"See you in hell, crazy-ass-bitch!" I screamed.

The next thing I heard was the sound of them locking the metal door of the warehouse. With that, my last hope of escaping faded away. There was no way out of this. If I had superpowers, maybe, but I didn't. One thing was certain—I was going to die here, just as Hannah had said.