Chapter 20: The agony of loss

Angelic's phone buzzed relentlessly, each ring piercing through the tense silence that had settled between her and Marcelino. She glanced at the screen, recognizing the unknown number immediately. Her heart pounded as she answered the call, putting it on loudspeaker so Marcelino could hear.

"This is your last warning, Angelic," the familiar voice said, dripping with menace. "Cut ties with Marcelino, or your father will die today. I have people in the hospital working for me. Don’t test me."
Before Angelic could respond, the call ended abruptly. Her hands trembled as she lowered the phone, the threat echoing in her mind. Marcelino stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Angelic, don’t let him scare you," Marcelino said firmly. "He's bluffing. We need to stay strong and keep fighting."

Angelic looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination. "But what if he's not bluffing, Marcelino? What if he really has someone in the hospital?"
Marcelino pulled her into a tight embrace, his voice steady and calm. "I’m here, Angelic. We’ll figure this out together. Let’s get to the hospital and make sure your father is safe."
They hurried to the car, the drive to the hospital filled with a tense silence. Just as they were about to arrive, Angelic’s phone rang again. The same number. She answered, her heart in her throat.
"Since you didn’t follow my orders, I have no choice but to kill your father," the voice said coldly. Then the call ended.

"Fuck you!" Angelic screamed into the phone, even though the call had already disconnected. "I will kill you once I see you again!" Her face contorted with rage; a side of her Marcelino had never seen before. But he wasn’t surprised. He had expected her to reach this breaking point.

Inside the hospital, a man wearing a doctor's uniform and a mask entered Arthur’s room. The ID badge read "Dr. Castillo," but in reality, this man was an assassin, one of the mysterious man’s agents. He had killed the real Dr. Castillo and taken his place. Moving swiftly, he turned off the life support machine that was keeping Arthur alive.

Arthur, despite his weakened state, managed to open his eyes. "Please… don’t…" he whispered; his voice barely audible.
The assassin sneered, spitting on the floor beside Arthur’s bed. "Go to hell, old man. Die peacefully." He laughed coldly as the monitor's warning signs blared. The line on the screen went flat, the sound of the alarm echoing in the room. The assassin quickly slipped out, disappearing into the hospital corridors.

As Angelic and Marcelino arrived at the hospital, a sinking feeling of dread washed over them. The air was thick with tension, and the hallways buzzed with frantic activity. They rushed to Arthur's room, only to find it swarmed with nurses and doctors desperately trying to revive him.

"Clear!" shouted the head doctor, his voice echoing in the sterile room as he delivered another shock to Arthur's heart. Angelic stood frozen in the doorway, her heart pounding in her chest. Marcelino held her arm, trying to offer support, but his own fear was palpable.

"Come on, Arthur," the doctor urged, sweat dripping down his brow. "Stay with us!"
But despite their best efforts, the heart monitor displayed a relentless, flat line. The doctors exchanged grim looks, and the head doctor finally stepped back, removing his gloves with a heavy sigh.
"We've done everything we can," he said softly, his voice filled with sorrow. "I'm so sorry."

The words hit Angelic like a sledgehammer. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the floor, a wail of pure agony escaping her lips. Marcelino knelt beside her, trying to hold her, but she shoved him away, her eyes wild with grief.

"No! No, no, no!" she screamed, pounding her fists on the cold tile floor. "Dad! Please, come back! You can't leave me!"
Marcelino reached out again, his own eyes brimming with tears. "Mariam, please, let me help you."

But Angelic's pain quickly turned to rage. Her eyes fixed on Marcelino, filled with a burning fury. "This is your fault," she spat, her voice trembling with accusation. "If I had just followed that man's orders, my father might still be alive!"

"Mariam, no," Marcelino began, but she cut him off, her voice rising to a hysterical pitch.
"Leave me alone, Marcelino! Leave me! Get out of here! I don't want to see you!" She pushed him away again, harder this time, her nails raking across his arm. "Get out!"
Marcelino stood, his heart breaking as he watched Angelic unravel. "Mariam, please, don't do this. Don't push me away."

"Are you deaf or just an idiot?" she screamed, her voice echoing down the corridor. "Get out! I want to be alone! From now on, don't look for me, don't come near me! I swear, if you do, I will kill you. You're the reason my father is dead. I don't know who you are anymore, but please, stay away from me!"

Her words were like daggers, each one slicing deep into Marcelino's soul. He backed away; his hands raised in a gesture of surrender. "I'm so sorry, Mariam," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

But Angelic had already turned away, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Marcelino watched her for a moment longer, his own tears falling freely, before he turned and walked away, each step feeling like it was tearing him apart.

Once outside, Angelic felt a numbness settle over her. She didn't know where she was going; she just knew she couldn't stay here, surrounded by the reminders of her father's death. She wandered the streets aimlessly, her mind a whirlwind of grief and anger.

Eventually, she found herself at a quiet park, the setting sun casting long shadows across the grass. She sat down on a bench, pulling her knees to her chest and letting the tears flow freely. The weight of her father's death, the guilt of not being able to save him, and the rage at Marcelino for being a part of this nightmare all crashed over her in relentless waves.

As the sky darkened and the first stars appeared, Angelic's sobs subsided into quiet, aching cries. She felt utterly alone, lost in a world that had become too painful to bear. The man who had caused all this suffering was still out there, and now, more than ever, she was determined to find him and make him pay.

But for now, all she could do was mourn. Mourn for her father, for the life they had lost, and for the pieces of herself that had shattered beyond repair.