Mister Villain

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR

Rio always prepared for the worst.

Years of experience as the wife of one of the leading businessmen in the country and as a mother had taught her that everything that could go wrong, CAN and WILL go wrong when given impetus.

The moment she heard that Maine had been involved in a car accident with a truck, all her senses went into overdrive and she commandeered her family into action.

Her newest daughter was not going to die – NOT when they all just found her.

Her husband only told her to look after everyone before they parted ways and she knew it was a testament to how much he trusted her – look after Maine, look after our son, look after everyone.

He will ensure that everything will be at her disposal and all she needed to worry about was making sure Maine lived and RJ came home to her... to them.

However, when she learned that Enzo and Louise could possibly be involved, she worried for Enzo as well.

After meeting Patring, she worried for everyone else.

But she believed herself ready to ensure that the fallout would not be wholly irreparable.

Still... as she followed her daughter, running towards the ICU entrance, and as she heard the ice in her son's voice, Rio knew no amount of preparation would be enough to make sure that hearts and even faces could be kept intact.

The anger simmering in that corridor could scald anyone.

"BAKIT MO PA SIYA TATANUNGIN WHEN IT'S OBVIOUS?!?" the ominous voice of a volcanic eruption came out of Pat, Maine's bestfriend.

Rio liked the woman as soon as she saw her hugging Maine's mother after rushing from the airport to the hospital. She and her husband cut their honeymoon short to go to their best friend. If that isn't loyalty, she doesn't know what is.

But she recognized that such loyalty can breed this much anger – especially as she watched Pat's demeanor change when she learned of Enzo and how he could possibly be involved.

Some things inside Pat's mind seemed to have fallen together and before anyone could react, she had bolted for the ICU, followed by her husband and then Kris and Ruru, who realized that Pat must be on her way to confront Enzo and RJ would surely then see him.

For his end, Enzo just looked terrible. His face seemed so much more battered from the inflammation of the punches he received earlier in the day, his whole posture looking like he had been dragged from heaven and on towards hell.

Rio is yet to know what they are all doing in front of the ICU entrance for when she pushed her son to go to Maine awhile ago, she knew he might spend more time INSIDE there.

But there he was, caged by Ruru and Kris.

"Blame me for... whatever it is you need to... blame me for and... I will take all of it..." Enzo answered haltingly, probably a product of his broken jaw, his swollen eyes tearing up as he looked at the ICU's doors "... please... please... I just have to... my wife... pwede siyang mamatay..."

Rio and the rest looked up at the ICU and sure enough, a flurry of activity around the bed Louise occupied was happening.

DEAR GOD.

"If she dies then it would have been your fault you bastard!" Pat's furious declaration felt like a kick to a dying animal "GUSTO MO KAMING MAAWA SA'YO?!?! HINDI KO KAYANG MAAWA SA'YO DAHIL MAS NAAAAWA AKO SA BESTFRIEND KO AT ASAWA MO NA WALANG KINALAMAN DITO PERO PAREHONG NAG-AAGAW BUHAY DAHIL TANGA KA AT PURO KA PRIDE!"