Chapter 283

Elena ‘8 missed calls from Rona ‘From Elena To: Rona I’m alright, don’t worry about me. I’ll call you back later!”

Confused, I looked down at the key in my hands as I blocked off the sound of the waiting area. I didn’t even know what I was doing here or why I even felt the need to come-but it had somehow turned out this way.

Anya…

I squeezed the key in my hands as I thought about her request. The key was meant for Marvin and only him. Would he survive?

“Elena!”

No, not again.

I jumped up from the bench and stepped back in fear as I looked at my dad, who was trying to force his way into the waiting room. “No, sir-this is only meant for close relatives!” Two nurses held him back.

“But she isn’t a relative, she’s-

“Sir, that’s his wife.”

“No, that’s my daughter-and as far as I’m concerned, she does not have a husband!”

“Elena!” My dad called out once again. My brother, Alex, who had quickly noticed that it wasn’t going anywhere, held him back and pulled him away. “Dad, let’s go.”

“Elena, come here right now!” My dad yelled out as Alex dragged him away. I looked from my shaking arms to the key in my hands.I can’t leave. I can’t do that.

Not after Anya’s wish, and not after Marvin is fighting for his life because of me.

Two hours ago My body froze as bullets flew across the room. Was this real life? In what kind of movie did I find myself in?

Marvin wrapped his arms around my body and turned me around to shield me while I held my hand in front of my ears with only one thought running through my mind. I am going to die, these are my final moments, and I’m going to die.

I closed my eyes and prepared myself to take my last breath, but before that could happen, everything had suddenly stopped. Was I dead? Was I in heaven? Was I in hell?

“A-Anya?” Tiago broke the silence. It was enough for me to turn my head, and I could not believe my eyes. Anya’s body was covered in blood.

I ran over to Anya’s side and turned to look at the same man who had been all up in my business and interrupted me earlier in the hallway.

“Stay here. I’ll call 911!”

Anya opened her mouth to speak, but no words could leave her lips. With tears streaming down his face, Tiago placed his hand behind her head. Unable to say anything. Anya fought through her pain to smile at him.

“Tiago-”

“No, don’t!” Tiago cried. “Don’t say anything, don’t!”

Tiago was losing it and seemed close to fainting any second. I was unsure of what to do and held her hand for support. She was still alive, so she would be alright. She had to be. “W-where is he?”

Tiago looked at me. “Where is Victor?”

“Don’t worry. He’s getting help-

I could barely finish my sentence before Tiago left Anya’s side. “It’s taking too long!” He called out before he ran out of the room and was entirely out of sight.

“Tiago,” Anya whispered. I squeezed her hand. “He’ll be back soon, don’t worry.”

Anya groaned in pain as she turned her head to rest on my shoulder. With big eyes, she stared at the deceased man on the floor. “H-him,” She whispered. My heart nearly beat out of my chest as I leaned closer to hear her words. “M- Marvin,” Anya choked on her words.

She used all her strength to grab my wrist as I tried to get to the bottom of her words. “Marvin, Victor?” Anya shook her head.

“Hey, you need to calm down!” I caressed my hand through her hair. Only seconds had passed, but it felt like hours, and there was still no one in sight. “T-take… “Anya moved my hand to the key around her neck. “Do you want me to take i-

Anya nodded her head, forcing me to free her from the necklace. I figured it might’ve been hard for her to breathe with that thing around her neck, so I freed her from her pain.

“Marvin……Victor…Tiago.” Anya struggled with her words. Her eyelids dropped, and she slid into a state of unconsciousness. She was probably just tired. That was it. Anya would survive. She had to survive.

Startled, I blinked at the key in my eyes as I was still trying to process all that happened.

“Key?” I whispered. Maybe it was meant for Marvin? That must’ve been it. She wanted me to give it to Marvin, otherwise Victor and at last Tiago.

My heart dropped as I concluded that I had yet to hear Marvin’s voice, and I slowly turned around. I was in a state of shock, seeing Marvin on the floor in a pool of blood and tried to keep it together.

I hurried from the floor and rushed to Marvin’s side. “M-Marvin?” I fell to the floor. He was unconscious, and his warm skin tone had changed into a pale shade. With shaking hands, I moved my finger to his neck in the hopes of feeling a pulse.

“Thank god.”

He was alive.

Flashbacks appeared in my head, and I reminded myself of how he used his body to protect me from the flying bullets. This was all my fault. He would’ve never been shot if I hadn’t followed him.

Everything which had happened after that had all become a blur, and all I could remember was how I rushed down the stairs as the paramedics transported Marvin to the ambulance.

All I could focus on was Marvin, to the point I had even ignored the cries of the guests and his family or the fact that Anya was also injured. “Ma’am, this is as far as you can go.” The paramedic stuck out his arm to stop me.

“No, please-I have to go!” I begged as the tears streamed down my eyes, I didn’t even know why I cried or if it was even necessary, but I did. “I’m his…wife!”

“Wife?” The paramedic whispered. “You know what, get in!”

“Thank you!”

I rushed over to Marvin’s side, and right before the door could close, I turned around with wide eyes, recognizing a familiar face. It was my dad and Alex.

They stopped in their steps and stared at me, shocked. Shit, this wasn’t supposed to happen.

I had just announced myself to be Marvin’s wife, and everyone had heard me.

“E-Elena?” My dad spoke in a whisper. “Elena!”

I stepped back in fear while the door closed and watched how my dad and Alex ran to the van-only for it to close right in their faces.

“Ma’am.”

1 flinched at the voice of the man in front of me and scanned his uniform with my eyes. It was a cop.

Was there more news about Marvin? Marvin and Anya were both in surgery, and I was slowly getting anxious.

“Ma’am!”

“Yes, sorry!” I blinked. The cop chuckled and stuck out his hand while I looked down at my own, which had been covered with blood not so long ago. “Officer Nunes.”

I accepted his hand. “E-Elena Torres.”

“Hmm.” He hummed, forcing a card into my hands. “I said we would like to see you tomorrow, for your statement?”

“Statement?”

“Your witness statement?”

The intimidating look in the man’s eyes told me it would be for the best to cooperate. “Right, I’ll be there…

tomorrow.”

“Great.” He smirked. “So, how is your husband?”

“Husband?”

The words had already left my mouth before I realized I had technically announced myself to the entire universe as Marvin’s wife. “Right, husband!” I recovered myself. “I don’t know yet.”

Officer Blake shook his head in disbelief and let a sigh escape from between his lips, not buying any of my words. “You can drop the act. I know you’re not his wife.”

“I-L Shocked by his words, I stepped back until I hit the back of the wall. Who was he?

Officer Nunes stepped forward. “Are you his hostage?”

Hostage?

“Is everything okay here?”

Relieved, I took a breath as I locked my eyes with Panther. Not in a lifetime, I could’ve imagined the day that the sight of Panther would’ve calmed my nerves, and my eyes were begging him for help.

“We’re perfectly fine.” Officer Nunes turned around.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He spoke in a demanding tone as he brushed past me and walked off. I had to be there tomorrow, and there was no other way. This officer wasn’t a joke.

“Your statement?” Panther asked. “We all have to do it. You’ll get through it.”

The look in his eyes said otherwise. I didn’t know whether I was reading it right, but I could only sense one thing. One wrong word and I would be done for “Hey, are you okay?” Panther stepped closer. I tripped over my own legs, but before I could reach the floor, Panther grabbed me by my shoulders and helped me find back my balance. “Y-yes, I’m fine.” I released a breath. “How is Marvin?”

Panther’s expression turned even colder than it already had been, and my stomach was doing turns. “What is it?” I asked, expecting the worse. Panther took a deep breath.

“Marvin is fine. The surgery went well, but he’s placed in a medically-induced coma.” Panther shared. “No worries, though. Other than that, he’ll survive and should wake up soon.”

He was alive. Marvin was alive.

“Thank god,” I whispered. “And Anya?”

“A-Anya?” Panther muttered nervously. Right at that moment, we heard a loud scream as the doors had opened. Tiago was being dragged away by Linda and Mario Castillo, who was trying to calm him down. He fought to get his way through while everyone held him back. “Anya!” He yelled out the same words as if he was possessed.

“Tiago, calm down!” Linda begged him with tears in her eyes, but Tiago wouldn’t listen. Mario Castillo balled his fist to hit his son, but before he could-Linda stood between the both of them.

“Come on, not here.” I read her lips.

I felt chills throughout my body as Mario Castillo turned his head to look at me and nodded at Panther.What was the nod?

It had only taken a second before others interfered as well, as they all succeeded in dragging Tiago away.

“What’s happening? What’s wrong?” I wondered, confused by everything which had been going on in those few seconds. “Where’s Anya?”

Panther looked into my eyes. “She didn’t make it.” He spoke clearly. I stumbled as I tried to find my balance, unable to process the news. “W-what?”

She didn’t make it?

Panther wrapped his cold hand around my wrist. “Come on. You don’t have to see all of this. I’ll take you home.” He offered. “You’ve seen enough for today. Let’s go.”

All of his words went in one ear and out the other as I could only think of one thing.

Anya’s key.