Clash Of Crowns I: Shadows Of Love And Sacrifices.

XLII || Love or Family?

Please note: This story may contain errors and grammatical mistakes. Your understanding and patience are appreciated as this is a work in progress.

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MAXINE'S POV

Nakasakay kami ngayon sa private jet na pag aari nang pamilya namin, pauwi kami sa philippines utos na rin ni dad.

I sat across from Kuya enzo and Ate Parcia, my older brother and sister, but my attention wasn't on them.

It was on Mom, lying unconscious on the medical stretcher next to us, marami paring machines ang naka kabit sa kanya. Three days had passed since she'd been shot, and she still hadn't woken up.

The tension in the jet was thick, each of us lost in our own thoughts, but I knew what we were all thinking. Who would do this? Why would anyone target our mother? Dad had already pulled every string he could, but we still hadn't gotten any solid answers.

At least, not until today.

The call had come in just before we left Luxembourg. Dad had found something evidence. It was shocking, almost impossible to believe, but there it was.

The men who shot Mom were connected to the Alvarez family....Kaya halos gulong gulo na ang isip ko dahil pamilya na ni aiesha ang sangkot sa nangyari kay mom.

I bit my lip, glancing at Kuya Enzo, alam kong galit na galit siya base sa expression ng mukha niya.

While Ate Parcia was typing furiously on her phone, probably coordinating with the team back home.

Habang ako sa sarili ko ay hindi na maka pag decide kung ano ang gagawin gusto kong i-pag higanti si mom gusto ko silang pag bayarin pero naiisip ko pa lang na masasaktan si aiesha parang dinudurog na yung puso ko...

I squeezed my eyes shut, sobrang gulo na ng isip ko, pano ko siya haharapin? Lahat na ng evidence naka turo na sa mga tauhan ng daddy niya...

The Alvarez organization had attacked my family, and yet... I loved her. After everything we'd been through, I couldn't imagine being without her.

Gusto ko na lang saktan yung sarili ko kaysa masaktan ko ang taong mahal ko at ang pamilya ko...

"We're almost there," Kuya enzo said, breaking the silence. "Once we land, we'll get her to the hospital. Dad's waiting for us."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his words. Dad was waiting, not just to make sure Mom was safe, but to lay out the next steps.

The tension between the Lazzaros and Alvarezes had reached a breaking point, and I knew Dad wouldn't let this slide.

At alam kong mag kaka gulo kami dahil....dahil hindi ko hahayaang saktan niya si aiesha.

Ate Parcia looked up from her phone, her eyes sharp. "I've already informed the hospital team. They'll be ready for her as soon as we arrive."

I gave her a quick nod, not trusting myself to speak. My emotions were all over the place, and the last thing I wanted was to let them show in front of my siblings.

They were already suspicious, both of them had noticed how quiet I'd been since the attack, but they hadn't asked. Not yet.

As the jet touched down, my phone buzzed in my pocket. For a second, I hoped it was Aiesha siya ang naging sandalan ko lagi kaming mag katawagan, at walang araw na hindi siya tumatawag para kamustahin ako at pakalmahin sa lahat ng nangyayari.

Pero iba ngayon if ever na tatawag siya hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin ko lalo pa at nalaman ko na may kinalaman ang dad niya sa nangyari kay mom.

but thank god it wasn't her. It was Dad. I ignored it. I wasn't ready to hear what he had to say, not until I had my thoughts in order.

The moment the doors opened, the medical team was there, moving Mom from the stretcher into a waiting ambulance.

I followed in a daze, the world around me blurring as we sped through the streets of Manila, headed straight for Lazzaro's Empire Hospital.

Sobrang bilis nang nangyayari pero para sakin para akong naka stuck sa isang sitwasyo na hindi ko alam kung ano ang susunod na gagawin ko.

Nang makarating kami sa hospital agad dinala si mom sa emergency room, tahimik na sumunod na lang kami at umupo na lang sa mga waiting chairs sa gilid ng emergency room.

"What now?" Kuya enzo finally asked, his voice low.

Ate Parcia glanced at me, her gaze calculating. "We wait for Dad. He'll know what to do."

I said nothing, staring at the floor. I knew exactly what Dad was going to do. He was going to want revenge.

And if the Alvarezes were involved, there would be no stopping him. The problem was... how could I stand by and watch that happen, knowing that Aiesha's father was the one responsible?

Before I could think too deeply about it, Dad arrived. His face was etched with exhaustion, but his eyes were sharp as ever.

He barely glanced at me, his focus entirely on the doctors as they updated him on Mom's condition. After what felt like an eternity, he finally turned to us.

"She's stable," he said, his voice heavy. "But she's not waking up. We're going to have to bring her back here, close to us. I want the best care for her, and I want to be sure she's safe."

Safe. The word echoed in my mind. Was anyone safe anymore? Dahil sa buhay na meron kami, hindi ba dapat kalimutan na namin ang salitang 'safe'.

"Come with me," Dad ordered, at dinala niya kami sa conference room dito sa hospital. Pag ka sara ng mga pinto ay agad itong sumeryoso.

"The men who shot your mother-" He paused, looking directly at me, "-they were from the Alvarez organization."

"Their tattoos gave them away," Dad continued, his voice like ice. "We have the footage. There's no doubt about it. This was a direct attack on our family."

"Are we going after them?" kuya enzo asked, his voice full of rage.

"Not yet," Dad replied, his tone measured. "We need to gather more information. But once we have enough, we'll strike. We can't let this stand."

I felt Ate Parcia's eyes on me, and I knew what she was thinking. She was wondering if I had anything to say, wondering why I wasn't reacting the way they were.

But how could I? How could I even begin to explain the war going on inside me? Paano ko sasabihin sa kanila na yung pamilya na gumawa nito sa mom namin ay pamilya ng taong mahal na mahal ko....

I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice steady. "Are we sure it's the Alvarez organization? Could it be someone else?"

Dad's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. "The evidence is clear, Maxine...mga tauhan nila ang nakita sa cctv na nakuha nang mga tauhan natin"

My stomach twisted in knots. I wanted to defend Aiesha's family, to say that maybe there was some kind of mistake, but I couldn't. The evidence was there. The facts didn't lie.

I was breaking. How could I choose? How could I stand by and let my family go after Aiesha's father, knowing what it would mean for us? But how could I turn my back on my mother, lying in that hospital bed, still fighting for her life?

After the meeting, I stepped out into the hallway, my phone buzzing in my pocket. It was Aiesha. I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the answer button. I didn't know what to say to her. Didn't know how to explain what was happening.

But before I could decide, I slipped the phone back into my pocket, guilt and confusion swirling inside me. I couldn't face her yet, not until I knew what to do.

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