Aftermath (1)

Her breath hitched. This wasn't true, right? Her little Skyler wasn't dead. She refused to believe that her son passed away. Ririna sat on the floor with Skyler's body in her arms. Her body shuddered at the thought of losing him.

"Darling, Mommy is here. Please wake up. Don't scare, Mommy, please," Ririna gently shook her son, hoping he'll open his eyes to look at her.

Skyler didn't make any response to her words. His body not showing any sign of movement.

Ririna could already hear the loud beating of her heart against her chest as she waited for Skyler to move.

"Sky, please… Mommy's here now." she begged again.

When Eli arrived at the scene, his heart clenched as he saw his wife looking dejected as she held their son. What had happened? Were they too late to save him?

"Calm down, Ririna. Don't let your feelings get the best of you. Skyler needs our help now." he said in an attempt to bring Ririna in her senses. She was clearly affected and afraid of the possibility of losing her only child.

Eli knelt beside her and took Skyler from her. He knew that she was somehow in trance. Skyler could not be dead. He was the only one who had managed to fix the ruins of their relationship. No. He refused to believe that they have failed to save their child.

Skyler's forehead was matted with sweat. His little hands were so cold that it made his father wonder for how long he suffered from his abductor's hand. Seeing his son like this made his cold heart feel troubled.

Eli held up Skyler's hand, his fingers trying to find the pulse on his wrist. The little boy didn't deserve to suffer like this. This little angel that both he and Ririna created. They haven't had enough time with each other. He would not give up on him now.

Skyler's pulse was barely noticeable when he found it. He was still alive and must be treated as soon as possible. Looking at his wife, Eli nudged her arm; breaking her thoughts and pulling her back to reality. He took her right hand and placed it above Skyler's chest

"Focus and try to feel his heartbeat, Ririna." he told her.

Ririna's eyes widened. She lifted herself from the ground and pressed her ear on her child's chest. She could hear his slow heartbeat. Just what kind of drug did they use on her child? She looked up at Eli and asked for a clean handkerchief.

"Give me a moment. Let me see if there's a residue left in his mouth."

Taking it from his hand, she gently nudged Skyler's mouth to open it. Ririna tried to track the scent of residue from his mouth before gently swiping the handkerchief on his tongue and cheeks, hoping that she could identify what drug was used on her child. Her nose took a quick sniff from the sample she gathered.

"He is alive," Ririna finally said, "although we need to flush out the drug from his system as soon as possible. This kind of drug is almost identical to beta blockers* but isn't really. It looks like a synthetic drug that can only be used to paralyze and weaken one's system."

Eli nodded before taking back Skyler from Ririna. He stood up and helped her get back on her feet. His gray eyes turned to the dead man on the ground. The stupid guy deserved his death. Eli was a bit surprised by how Ririna managed to kill the guy. So cruel and vindictive just as he expected from his woman.

Ririna took the phone the assailant left on the bed, and she then turned to the dead body and checked for other pieces of evidence and leads. On his coat, she managed to fish out a blue envelope. She read the contents before following Eli outside the room.

They were to meet up with his team, Jerry, and Erica. Jerry has Jiro in his arms, his little head resting on Jerry's shoulder. It looks like Skyler wasn't the only one drugged.

"Is he okay?" Ririna asked.

"We aren't sure. We found Jiro abandoned in a room alone," Erica replied.

"Let's go. Prolonging the drug in their systems may cause further problems if we waste another minute in here," Eli said with a domineering voice, holding his son closer to his chest before walking down the staircase to reach the third floor where everyone was waiting.

When they arrived in the bride's room, Aya hurriedly ran towards them when she saw her son. Her eyes are bloodshot from crying. She took Jiro from Jerry and cried once again. Her worry and sadness instantly replaced by relief and happiness.

Ginny, who was still in her wedding dress, approached them and checked both children. Her eyes were full of worry for them. They were her godchildren; she has treated them like her own child.

"They need urgent medical assistance. You can go now. I don't think we can continue this wedding with this kind of emergency," Ginny said before dialing on her phone to call someone.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. This shouldn't have happened if we were careful," Ririna apologized.

Evan waved a hand, dismissing her claim. No one had anticipated that someone would infiltrate the occasion. When they found out that Skyler and Jiro were missing, he knew then that the wedding would be canceled for another day. His nephew and Jiro were more important. Seeing that Erica was also injured, it's a good thing they already called an ambulance earlier.

"You'll be alright," Louie told Erica. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself than assuring her. His wife chuckled lowly. He must be trying hard to calm himself down.

Louie was also worried about his wife. They were supposed to celebrate the union between their long-time best friends, not see his wife badly injured. They escorted both Erica and the children into the ambulance and drove towards the nearest hospital.