Chapter 1537 A Memento of Love Passed Down
Donny said nothing, simply putting the doll away carefully. He checked Efrain's breathing—there was nothing. Only then did he accept the reality that Efrain was truly gone.
"Efrain..."
When Efrain had been taken, Donny initially suspected Manuel's involvement. Manuel had been their student once, learning alongside Octavia under their tutelage years ago.
But Octavia had always been the more gifted one—whether in hypnosis or the arts, she was a prodigy beyond compare. Before her eighteenth birthday, she had already been chosen as BK's saint.
Efrain and Donny had never married, never had children of their own. They had raised Octavia as their daughter in every way that mattered. Since her disappearance, they had searched relentlessly, but leads had always run cold.
With no other choice, Donny instructed his people to begin funeral arrangements for Efrain.
When Manuel learned of Efrain's death, he felt a familiar satisfaction. Apart from Octavia, Manuel had been Efrain's only other student, and according to BK's traditions, students could inherit their master's position within the organization.
Though Manuel rarely participated in decision-making, he commanded considerable respect. As Efrain's mantle fell to him, his lips curved into a subtle smile.
This wasn't an unexpected windfall—it had been orchestrated from the beginning. When Donny's time came, Manuel would inherit his position as well.
Efrain and Donny had been too trusting over the years, still seeing Manuel as the gentle student he had once appeared to be. They had no idea that Octavia's disappearance was connected to him.
Manuel's phone rang. It was K calling.
With Efrain dead and Manuel now in his position, only Donny's death remained before the entire organization would fall under their complete control.
K's tone was characteristically flat. "Congratulations."
Manuel chuckled softly, his eyes still fixed on the surveillance monitors. "You could say Efrain and Donny got the short end of the stick. A lifetime of work, all falling into my hands."
K hadn't initially suspected Manuel's involvement in Octavia's disappearance. Manuel's demeanor within the organization had always been so mild-mannered, and as Octavia's senior, he had been one of her most trusted confidants.
When Octavia first vanished, Manuel had been the one leading the search efforts with apparent urgency. This had convinced K that Manuel was on the opposite side.
The only reason they hadn't come to blows was K's suspicion that Manuel was somehow connected to the research facility, so they had maintained an uneasy truce over the years.
Now that it was clear Manuel had never truly cared about Octavia, things would be much simpler.
Previously, K had been reluctant to move against Efrain and Donny. Now, he struck without hesitation.
"When does Mr. Barnett plan to arrange Donny's demise?"
"Making him die will be simple enough." Manuel poured himself a glass of water. "I just need to send Donny that video, and he'll be in critical condition by tonight."
K couldn't imagine what the video contained, but he chuckled nonetheless. "Congratulations in advance, Mr. Barnett."
While Donny was still arranging Efrain's funeral, one of his subordinates entered with urgent news. "Donny, someone sent a video concerning Ms. Hope."
Donny's eyes trembled instantly. He shot up from his seat, snatched the USB drive, and rushed to his private quarters.
It was indeed a video of Octavia—but it showed her pinned down on a bed by a group of men. This was something Manuel had orchestrated during his attempts to break her spirit, designed to make her fear human touch.
Though the men hadn't succeeded in their assault, the video only showed the beginning. Donny had no way of knowing what happened afterward.
Seeing the woman about to be violated was Octavia—his precious student—his entire body shook violently. Blood spurted from his mouth as he collapsed unconscious.
No one had ever known why Octavia left. Both Efrain and Donny had assumed that given her nature, she must have encountered serious trouble.
Even so, she should have contacted them by now after all these years. Her silence could only mean something terrible had happened, though they couldn't fathom what.
Now, with this video in hand, how could he not see the truth? Octavia hadn't just been imprisoned—she had been subjected to unspeakable suffering. She'd been missing for years. Had this nightmare been her reality all along?
During his emergency treatment, Donny coughed up more blood. Just one day after Efrain's death, he had promised his old friend that he would take care of himself, that he would wait for Octavia's return.
But after a night of hemorrhaging, he could see his own end approaching.
Before dying, he struggled to speak. "Give this to Octavia." He raised his hand, clutching a small wooden carving. Unlike the doll Efrain had crafted, this was a wooden toy that would spring open to reveal a carved insect when activated. These were Donny's specialty—he had often used them to make Octavia laugh in the old days.
What they didn't know was that Octavia had made both items for Selena—the doll and the wooden toy—a tender tradition passed down through love.
But Efrain and Donny remained unaware of Selena's existence, uncertain even now whether Octavia was still alive.
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