Chapter 57: Black Widow

While standing by the window, Marcelino gazed at the faint light of the moon shining over the buildings. In his mind, a name kept echoing—Black Widow. He couldn’t stay still, as if something was troubling him. He had heard this name a long time ago, but he couldn’t quite place where. It felt like it was knocking at the deepest part of his memory, waiting to be awakened.

“Black Widow,” he whispered to himself, trying to recall where he had heard the name. In the midst of his thoughts, a memory suddenly flashed—a night where he had a deep conversation with his mother, Aira Jewel Innovation. “Mom… she mentioned this before,” Marcelino whispered as the piece of memory gradually became clearer.

He immediately grabbed his phone and called his mother. As he waited for the other line to pick up, he felt cold sweat trickling down his back. There was an inexplicable fear gnawing at him.
After a few rings, he heard his mother’s familiar voice. “Marcelino? Son, why are you calling at this hour?”

“Mom, I need to ask you something,” he began, trying to keep his voice calm. “I remembered that you mentioned the name Black Widow before. What is your connection to this person? What do you know about them?”

On the other line, Aira suddenly froze. Marcelino heard his mother’s breath catch as if something had lodged in her throat. It lasted only a few seconds, but to Marcelino, it felt like an eternity.
“Son… why are you suddenly asking about that?” Aira asked, her voice filled with hesitation. She tried to hide the fear wrapping around her heart.

“I just heard some information, and I need to know what our connection is to this,” Marcelino replied, his voice full of determination.

Aira took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to tell her son the truth. She knew there wasn’t enough time and that it wasn’t safe to discuss it over the phone. “John,” she said calmly but seriously, “it’s not safe to talk about this over the phone. Let’s meet at home, and we’ll discuss it properly.”

“But Mom, I need answers now,” Marcelino insisted, but he knew his mother had a reason for wanting to talk in person.
“Don’t worry, son. We’ll talk,” Aira repeated before hanging up.

As he prepared himself for their upcoming conversation, Marcelino couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. The name Black Widow seemed like a mystery tied to a bigger secret—a secret that could change the course of his mission.

Meanwhile, on her way back from her mission, Aira couldn’t get rid of the anxiety in her chest. Marcelino’s question brought a weight she hadn’t expected. She knew there could be great danger tied to that information, but she never imagined it would be connected to her son.

She needed to find out how Marcelino learned about Black Widow. She quickly called her trusted assistant, Rose. On the other line, Rose answered immediately, and Aira could hear the rustling of papers in the background, a sign of her assistant’s busyness.

“Rose, I need to know what the final missions father assigned were,” Aira ordered, her voice sharp and urgent.
Rose replied with a hint of nervousness, “Ma’am, the final mission was given to the three finalists. But there’s something I noticed—the final mission seems to be connected to a name you mentioned to me before... Black Widow.”

Aira was shocked by what she heard. The anxiety in her heart deepened. “Rose, make sure we have eyes on every move those finalists make. I don’t like the way things are going.”
“Yes, Ma’am. I’ll take care of everything right away,” Rose replied, her voice reflecting the seriousness of the situation.

After the call, Aira swallowed hard. She knew this was no longer just a simple mission. If Black Widow was involved in the final mission, and if Marcelino had somehow learned about it, it meant they were facing even greater danger.

She couldn’t help but think about what might happen to her son. Especially if Black Widow wasn’t just an ordinary name, but a shadow looming over their lives. As every raindrop fell on her car as she drove home, Aira felt that her meeting with Marcelino wouldn’t just be a simple conversation. She knew this was the beginning of a significant change in their fate.

When Aira arrived home, Marcelino was already waiting for her. Their eyes met, and with each breath, they felt the weight of the truths that could open their eyes to long-hidden secrets.
“Son,” Aira began, her voice filled with sadness and concern. “It’s time for you to learn everything about Black Widow. But remember, it won’t be easy. The path you’re about to take is fraught with danger and betrayal.”

Marcelino nodded; his eyes full of determination. “I’m ready, Mom. Whatever the truth is, I will face it.”
Aira sighed deeply. “Black Widow, is not just a name. It’s a code name… a persona that brought fear into the world of assassins. And I… I am the Black Widow.”

Marcelino was stunned. Time seemed to stop as he processed his mother’s words. He never imagined that his own mother, Aira Jewel Innovation, would have such a secret. “You? How? Why?”
Aira took a deep breath, gathering all the courage she had to reveal the truth she had hidden for so long. “Yes, John. I am the Black Widow. It was a time when my hands were stained with blood—the blood of those I considered my enemies. I used my abilities, not only for the family but also for my own purposes.”

Marcelino couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His mother, the woman he looked up to, was an assassin—a killer feared worldwide. “Why did you do it, Mom? What drove you to become Black Widow?”
“We all have secrets, John. And mine is filled with anger and revenge,” Aira replied. “One day, someone killed my, I mean your father—person I loved the most. I couldn’t accept that they were just taken from me, so I chose to seek revenge. And in my quest for revenge, I created Black Widow—a persona that brought fear and death to those who killed your father.”
“Did you succeed, Mom?” Marcelino asked, his voice filled with pity and fear.

“Yes, son. One by one, they fell before me. But every success has a price. The price was my soul—a soul that is still haunted by the ghosts of the past,” Aira answered, her eyes filled with sorrow.
“But why are you only telling me this now?” Marcelino asked, trying to understand why such a thing was kept from him.

“Because I wanted to protect you, son. I wanted to keep you away from the world I belong to. But I know it’s not easy. Secrets have a way of coming back, and now, you need to know the truth because you are in danger,” Aira said.