At this critical juncture, Mrs. Benita lay on the brink of death. She summoned her two sons, urging them to come to the residence without delay.
Upon their arrival, Markus rushed to her side. "Mother, what has befallen you? When we left you this morning, you were full of vitality. What has happened?"
Sabastine's voice trembled with urgency. "Mother, please speak to us. Tell us what occurred. Why are you bleeding? Who has done this to you? Mother, who shot you?"
"Mother, please say something," Markus pleaded desperately. "We are here."
Mrs. Benita struggled to find her voice. "Your father… he is a wicked man, a malevolent man. He seeks to bend you both to his will, to force you to follow in his corrupt footsteps. Because I refused to surrender you to him, because I would not reveal your whereabouts, he did this to me."
"Mother, do not despair," Markus said frantically. "I have called for an ambulance. They will arrive shortly and save your life. You will not die."
"Mother, I implore you, hold on just a little longer," Sabastine begged, tears streaming down his face. "Help is coming. Please, just hold on."
"Your father…" she gasped, her body wracked by violent coughing.
"Do not concern yourself with him now," Sabastine said softly. "Focus only on getting better. We are here."
"Yes, Mother," Markus echoed. "Please, just stay with us."
Mrs. Benita looked at them with eyes filled with fear and love. "Your father is the one who shot me. I beg you, be extremely careful. He is dangerous, and he may attempt to harm you as well."
"Mother, father is still alive," Sabastine said, confused. "Why would he wish to take your life?"
She gathered her remaining strength. "I refused to let him take you away. He is a drug dealer… Santiago… that is his true name."
With those words, she coughed once more, a deep, rattling sound, and then breathed her last. She passed away in the presence of her two beloved sons.
"Mother! Mother, please wake up!" Sabastine cried out, shaking her lifeless form. "Do not leave us now, please. Mother, everything will be alright." He wept uncontrollably, speaking to her as if she could still hear him.
Markus sobbed deeply, his heart broken. "Mother, why must you leave us now? Please, do not die."
As they grieved, the ambulance arrived and took her body away. Sabastine walked over to his twin brother and rested his head on Markus's shoulder, seeking comfort.
"Mark," he whispered, "do not worry. We still have one another. We will protect each other."
"I rely on you," Markus said, his voice hardening with resolve. "And I swear that man will pay for taking our mother away."
"Not just you, but we together," Sabastine declared firmly. "We will seek justice and ensure he is punished for his crimes."
"Sab, there is something I must ask of you, something of great importance."
"Name it, brother. I will do anything for you."
"I believe we should conceal the truth of Mother's death," Markus said thoughtfully. "If we keep it secret, that man will believe she is still alive and may make a mistake in his next move. This way, we may be able to apprehend him. You know his boss is his own father, which makes this situation even more complex and dangerous."
"If you believe this is the correct course of action, then we shall proceed accordingly," Sabastine agreed.
"Sab, one more thing. I believe I have discovered the identity of our father."
"What?" Sabastine gasped in shock.
"He is my employer," Markus revealed. "And as Mother said, he is indeed involved in the illegal drug trade."
"So you are working for a criminal?" Sabastine asked, his voice rising.
"No, I am not part of his activities," Markus explained quickly. "I work as a private investigator for him, gathering information. That is all."
"Then what will you do now?" Sabastine demanded. "Will you continue to serve a man who is our father and responsible for the death of our mother?"
"I will stop working for him immediately," Markus stated. "But first, I must get closer to him to uncover the full truth. We must update our plans, but for now, our identities must remain hidden. Are you certain about this, Sab?"
"I am certain," Sabastine replied without hesitation. "I know what must be done, and we will ensure everything is set right."
"Then it is decided," Markus said. "We will proceed with caution, and we will make him pay."
They stood in silence, united in their grief and their vow for justice, knowing that the road ahead would be long and perilous.
***********
Anita was meticulously organizing her documents in preparation for the presentation the following day when her telephone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she answered with a warm smile.
"Hello, my love. I was just about to call you. Tomorrow is the big day, and I will be returning home soon. I have missed you terribly. How are you?"
Sabastine's voice came through, heavy with emotion. "I cannot wait to have you back, my love. I have missed you even more. I trust you are fully prepared for tomorrow's presentation?"
"Yes, everything is ready," Anita assured him. Then her tone softened with concern. "But tell me, what is wrong? I can hear it in your voice."
"Why do you ask?" he tried to deflect.
"Because I know you," she said gently. "I can tell you have been crying. Please, do not treat me like a detective and give me excuses. I know you are not well. What has happened?"
Sabastine let out a long sigh, the truth finally spilling out. "You are right. My mother was shot and killed yesterday. She is gone, my love."
"Oh no, that is terrible news," Anita gasped, her heart sinking. "But something does not make sense here."
"We will uncover the truth soon enough," Sabastine said grimly. "But for now, I need you to keep her death a secret. Please, it is the only way we can catch the person responsible."
"I understand," Anita said solemnly. "I will say nothing. I have to go now, but we will speak later. Take care of yourself. I love you."
"I love you too," he replied softly.
Anita ended the call, her mind racing.
"Who was that?" Edward asked, having waited patiently.
"It was my boyfriend, Sabastine," Anita replied. "Is there a problem, sir?"
"Not at all," Edward said. "I simply waited for you to finish. I am preparing to leave now for the board meeting."
"Shall I accompany you, sir?"
"No, you should remain here and rest today," Edward instructed kindly. "Focus your energy on tomorrow's presentation. Is that understood?"
"Understood, sir. Thank you."
***
"You have killed my sister," Egirado accused, his voice shaking with rage. "Why? Why did you have to take her life? Why do you persist in making my existence a misery?"
Jago looked at him without remorse. "She refused to hand over my sons. I needed them back. There was no other choice. You should understand that."
"First you took my wife, and now you have murdered my only sister," Egirado said, his voice breaking into sobs. "Who will be the next victim? Who else must suffer at your hands?"
"Your daughter will be next," Jago threatened coldly. "That is, if you dare to interfere with my plans."
"Do not even dare to think about touching her," Egirado warned, his eyes blazing with fury. "She is all I have left. If you harm her, you will regret it."
"One more thing," Jago added casually. "Her name is Anita. She is quite beautiful, and she works for Edward Mante. Be very careful, Egirado."
He showed him a photograph of Anita. "I warn you again—I do not make empty threats. I act."
A knock sounded at the door.
Egirado strode angrily to the entrance. "Enter."
Markus stepped inside. "Good morning, sir."
"Good morning," Jago greeted him. "Do you have any updates regarding the shipping company?"
"Yes, sir," Markus reported. "The route is clear for the moment. There are no authorities monitoring the port or the vessels."
"Then we will move the merchandise today," Egirado decided.
"Three hundred kilograms," Jago specified. "Ensure the weight is exact before dispatch."
He turned and walked out of the room.
"Can we speak privately later?" Markus asked Egirado.
Egirado looked at him with surprise and suspicion. "Talk? Really? I am certain you are behind the death of my sister, and you also know the truth about my daughter."
"I do not understand," Markus said, feigning innocence. "Your sister was killed? But why?"
"Oh, do not pretend," Egirado snapped. "She was once his wife, whom he abandoned while she was pregnant., Miraculously, she gave birth to twins and struggled to raise them alone. Now she is dead, killed because she refused to expose her innocent children to his world. She died protecting them."
"I am truly sorry to hear that," Markus said, his expression grave. "But you are mistaken about me. I have only just returned to work after a period of leave."
"Is that so?" Egirado narrowed his eyes. "Then there must be someone else involved."
"When I discovered Anita's true identity," Markus continued carefully, "I realized she is the woman my brother loves deeply. That is why I made the claim I did…"
...not to reveal anything concerning her.
"But he is already aware of the truth now," Egirado stated.
"Indeed he is," Markus confirmed. "Therefore, you must exercise the utmost caution."
"You are absolutely correct," Egirado acknowledged.
"Furthermore," Markus added, "Sabastine is my brother, and he is also Anita's beloved."
"Ah, now I understand," Egirado said, realization dawning upon him. "That explains why you shielded him in the past. I implore you, extend that same protection to my daughter."
"Understood," Markus replied. Then, his expression grew serious. "Also, (does that make him my uncle?) He just wondered off, Have you received any information regarding your sister and her children?"
Egirado paused, considering the situation. "Judging by how events are unfolding, it is highly probable that she still lives. There has been no official report of her passing, nor have any funeral arrangements been made."