Windows of The Heart

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE DISTRESSING AND INEVITABLE CIRCUMSTANCE

The black van escaped from the bank without much effort; unbeknownst to them, Hyun-Ki and Junie were inconspicuously on their trail. The black van entered a dusty, rough, and secluded hidden place and, as far as it may seem, looked like an abandoned mill. Junie parked the car far from the curve, and they padded through the grasses to remain unnoticed.

Back to the armed robbers, they forcibly pulled Rielle from her seat and Hwan Chul from the van floor, who incidentally pretended to have knocked him down completely, so when they pulled him out, Hwan Chul got the advantage to give them a quick sidekick and a Mawashi Geri which made the two robbers fell and defenseless. But the sad part was that Hwan Chul was opposed quickly by the third robber by hitting him by the head again, falling to the ground helplessly, and making Rielle scream louder, calling Hwan Chul's name.

Hyun-Ki and Junie were helplessly observing, thinking of a way to defeat and unarm these criminals. Still, then Hyun-Ki thought of using his cell phone and called Wilson for police assistance since Wilson was a field reporter and knew how to get the police's help quickly. Hyun-Ki gave the direction and requested that the police must come quietly without the necessary sirens so as not to alarm these robbers, for it might end up killing their hostages for their escape.

Inside the mill, the robbers pushed Hwan Chul, tied on his arms and feet, into a corner while they placed Rielle on a chair, her hands tied in front of her with a cloth in her mouth to keep her from screaming. The wicked armed robber who had previously made a scene at the bank was also the leader, kept molesting her – kissing her neck, touching her thighs, and forcibly unbuttoning her blouse to see her breasts while Rielle was screaming and sobbing helplessly and disgustingly cursing at him while trying to steer her body and face away from the robber. The other men were devilishly laughing while watching the shamelessness done to Rielle. Hwan Chul was back to consciousness and loathed what they were doing with Rielle, so he shouted and implored them to stop molesting Rielle.

"Please stop! I implore you!" Hwan Chul was crying out of pity for Rielle's tragic and distressing situation. "Please stop it. You need money. I'll give you what you want; I am a very wealthy businessman and own many properties and wealth; I would give it to you. Just stop what you are doing to her. Pity her, please!" Hwan was whimpering and begging.

One of the robbers approached him and said, "Whom do you say you are, huh? You're wealthy? Prove it!" the man took Hwan Chul's wallet and ransacked every side of his wallet, throwing out every single thing in it until he came across a business card, stating: Han Hwan Chul, VP for Marketing, KOR H&H Industrial Manufacturing Corporation. The men grouped and looked at his business card, unbelieving at first; then their leader spoke: "Yes, I am familiar with this company, and you are a filthy wealthy Korean, huh? Well, tell me then, what can you give us now, at this instance, huh, at this very moment, so I will stop molesting your girlfriend and run away as fast as we could from this darn situation and perhaps leave you alive, too, tell me, now!" While these robbers were focusing on Hwan Chul, the police force with Wilson, other news reporters, and camera people arrived by the curve. They put off the lights from their vehicles and started to pad, with Hyun-KI and Junie following behind as instructed by the Police Chief.

Back at the mill, Hwan Chul was telling them that with just one call, he could instruct his lawyer to talk to the bank and transfer the money they needed to his bank account. The leader became bitter and sadder, shook his head almost to the brink of regretful dismay, laughed with grumpiness because he had no bank account, and blamed Rielle for failing a deposit to his supposed bank account enrollment! The angrier the leader was, he took Rielle by the hand and harshly violated to kiss and molest her ravishingly again while Rielle was cursing and screaming for help, but Hwan Chul shouted, begging.

"Stop! Please don't touch her, I beg you. I will instruct my lawyer to bring the money here or maybe designate a pick-up place for you to get it; believe me, please, don't touch her plea-ee-ss-s." Hwan Chul was whining, imploring them. The leader got irritated by Hwan's whimpering and aimed his gun at him. "I guess there's no point in getting money from you, dude; I would rather kill you right now and then kill your girl after I enjoy her body." The leader aimed his gun and was about to fire when Rielle set herself free from the man's grasp and ran swiftly to Hwan and shielded her body from him. "No-o-o, Chul!" cried out Rielle in vain. The bullet fired, hitting Rielle straight to her heart, and the bullet hit through Hwan's chest, leaving both bloody and in pain. Hwan Chul cried louder, calling out Rielle's name.

"No-no-no-no! Rielle!" was Hwan Chul's last scream, and he lost consciousness.

The assisting crowd heard a shot outside the mill, and they were shaken and alarmed that the Police force immediately marched forcibly to the mill. The robbers were caught off-guard and captured without a fight. One police officer came near Rielle and Hwan's bodies and immediately called the ambulance on standby. Upon seeing the lifeless bodies of Rielle and Hwan, Hyun-Ki ran and put his arms around Rielle, screaming and crying intensely.

Wilson and the other reporters documented the situation with their cameras and gave live news on air. Junie assisted the medics by pulling out Hyun-Ki from his grasp of Rielle so the physicians could carry her and Hwan Chul on the stretcher. The doctor took the pulse of Rielle and Hwan Chul and shouted, "they are alive!" and brought them immediately to the ambulance. Hyun-Ki was filled with hope and would like to ride in the ambulance with Rielle.

"Junie, take a ride with Hwan Chul while I'd be with Rielle." Feeling desperate and downcast, Hyun-Ki was about to get in the ambulance when a field reporter approached him and wanted to interview Hyun-Ki, pointing a camera at him. Still, he refused to talk and gave the medics the signal to move.

Back home at Rielle's house, Mrs. Calma and Rielle's sisters with Attorney Drew saw the news live and were shaken and frightened, running confused and crying profusely, cannot accept the fact that it was their Rielle who was held hostage and shot to death by the robbers. Mrs. Calma was panicking when a doorbell rang; it was the police informing them of Rielle's condition. With her fiancée (mistakenly thought), Rielle was rushed to the hospital, and they were both in surgery. They all went together in Attorney Drew's car, escorted by the police. Rielle's mom was praying for her daughter's survival while Donna and Zia were thinking about who was the other male victim hostage with Rielle.

They soon reached the hospital and ran directly to the Operating Room, where police and newscasters were around the OR. Hyun-Ki was haggard and grim while he was with Wilson, the only reporter Hyun-Ki allowed to share with him about the incident the robbers were discovered and captured. After his interview, Mrs. Calma called for Hyun-Ki.

"Over the news, we learned that you discovered the robbers' hide-out and got assistance from the police; I'm wondering why Hwan Chul also took hostage when the robbing incident happened in Rielle's bank."

"According to one of Rielle's officemates, Hwan Chul paid her a visit bringing him a bouquet for Rielle and asked her permission to stay and wait for her until her work was over. Then the robbers came, and because the leader took Rielle as a hostage, Hwan Chul protected her, and they also took him because he accidentally unmasked the robber." Narrated Hyun-Ki. Mrs. Calma deeply thought about Hwan Chul and Rielle being involved in this kind of incident, risking their lives. Was this coincidence, or did death entangle them both again? When will this stop? Should Rielle avoid Hwan Chul? All these were running in Mrs. Calma's mind when the surgeon came out of the OR after an hour and asked, "who is the guardian of Hwan Chul?"

Hyun-Ki immediately approached the surgeon, surprising Mrs. Calma, Donna, and Zia. "I am Hwan Chul's brother," said Hyun-Ki. "Mr. Hwan Chul is already out of danger, and in fact, the bullet that hit him was shallow, meaning it did not penetrate his chest because Miss Gabrielle's body covered him; although the bullet bruised his shoulder bone but was not displaced. He will be treated with an arm sling, maybe around four to six weeks. His bullet wound would heal within ten days, and the stitches would be removed within five days and still needed to be confined for eight days for observation to see if the bones won't shift apart. Explained the surgeon. "Please put him in a private room, doctor," Hyun-Ki said. "And how about Miss Gabrielle?" Hyun-Ki asked anxiously. "She's still in surgery by the other surgeon, so you'll have to wait until her surgery is over." Advised the surgeon.

After his conversation with the surgeon, Mrs. Calma approached Hyun-Ki with a slap on his face, making Hyun-Ki flinch. "How dare you lie to my face, Hyun-Ki! Why didn't you tell me that you and Hwan Chul were brothers? What is this you're doing with my daughter? Are you both playing on my daughter, Mr. Han Hyun-KI?" Mrs. Calma was furious about their lies.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, for not revealing the truth to you. Rielle stopped me from telling you because she's afraid you might not understand the reason behind it. But the truth is, ma'am, I only knew about their relationship when Hwan Chul recovered from comatose and returned here to look for Mari. How would I know then that the Mari he was in love with and looking for was the same person I fell in love? Rielle and I fell in love during her memory loss about Hwan Chul, and when he found Mari, it was already too late because Rielle and I were already in a relationship. And when her memory found Hwan Chul, she was no longer in love with him, and so as not to complicate things, Rielle requested Hwan Chul and me not to reveal to you our blood relation because you might go against our relationship due to your anger with Hwan." Silence came between them; Mrs. Calma was analyzing what Hyun-Ki revealed, and he continued, "Mrs. Calma, ma'am, I love your daughter very much, and I am waiting for the right time to ask her again for marriage because she rejected my offer the first time, and I cannot make her reject me the second time," Hyun-Ki said in a pleading tone.

Mrs. Calma cannot understand what life is doing with these three people, but she cannot stand in their way if Rielle and Hyun-Ki are very much in love. All she is worried about is the brothers' parents. Mrs. Calma is aware that both brothers are already of age but was she confident that Hyun-Ki will stand for Rielle if his father stands in their way? Knowing their wealth, will Hyun-Ki be willing to strip himself of this wealth and marry Rielle? Will he be ready to leave and turn his back on the business he was managing, and if he does, what future will he give my daughter when he was used to living prosperously?

The surgeon who operated on Rielle came out of the OR after an hour. "Who is Miss Calma's guardian?" Mrs. Calma and Hyun-Kin quickly ran to approach the surgeon.

"The heart surgeon successfully treated Miss Calma's gunshot wound to the thoracic aorta. She can remain independent and confined for eight days and discharged without complication." The surgeon explicitly said. "Thank you, doctor, so much. Please give her the best private room for her confinement, doctor, and the best attention and treatment she needs to heal completely." Requested Hyun-Ki courteously.

Rielle was then moved to an exclusive hospital suite that comprised an additional private room for the attendant who would take care of Rielle during her confinement and a private bathroom. The room comes with a carafe, a dining table wherein a fruit bowl is served once a day, and meals for the patient's guests and attendant. Whereas for Hwan Chul, Hyun-Ki put him in a deluxe room with a dining corner, a rest corner, and a private bathroom.

After two hours of sedation, Rielle felt weak and tired. Her mom was happy that her daughter had awakened, and Hyun-Ki stood by the side of her bed, waiting for her to come to consciousness because of the long hours of her deep sedation. When Rielle recognized her mom, she wept and sobbed because she again recalled the suffering she had gone through with the robbers. She looked up from her bed, and when she saw Hyun-Ki standing by, she raised her arm wanting his embrace. Hyun-Ki came close and comforted her with his hugs and short kisses. And Rielle came crying profusely, feeling the warmth of Hyun-Ki's protective embrace and telling how she felt during that harrowing experience with Hwan Chul.

"I already accepted my fate at that moment, feeling that I would die in that cruel man's hands. And all I asked from above was to save Hwan Chul's life. Hwan was fighting for me and never thought of himself. He even offered those criminals money to save me, but they still have the thought of killing us both." Hyun-Ki felt angry, clenched his fist for those men, and felt pity for Rielle and his brother, Hwan Chul.

"I will see to it that they will suffer a million times than what they did to you and Hwan Chul, I promise that," Hyun-Ki said out of his ferocity toward those criminals who harassed and tortured his brother and shamelessly abused Rielle. After Rielle's painful and agonizing recount of her encounter, she fell asleep. Hyun-Ki advised Mrs. Calma to rest in the other room, but she wanted to go home because she felt weak and sick and could not stand any more of Rielle's narratives.

"It's all right, ma'am; I'll have Junie bring you home. I already requested a nurse aide for Rielle, and she's coming tomorrow, so you don't have to worry about having someone to take care of her. Anyway, I'll always be here every night, so feel assured of Rielle's safety." Hyun-Ki assured Mrs. Calma.

"Thank you very much, Hyun-Ki, for I believe now how sincere is your love and care you're giving my daughter. I am confident that she's in good hands. I'll leave now, and please tell my daughter not to worry about anything. Goodnight, Hyun-Ki," and Mrs. Calma left with confidence for Hyun-Ki. And while she was going out of Rielle's room, she remembered Hwan Chul, so she went to his room to see him.

"I'm Rielle's mother," when Mang Ben opened the door. Mang Ben led her to Hwan Chul, who was already awake.

"Hwan Chul, I am so grateful for your vigilance in fighting for my daughter despite the difficulty you had from those criminals, and I will forever be indebted to you." Mrs. Calma said.

"Ma'am, what I did was inherent to any decent man who cannot take for granted what any woman could encounter violence against their will. And because Rielle has been close to my heart, I cannot just allow anyone to violate her, even if they helplessly subdued me. I am willing to lay my life for her. And I am very grateful from Above that she was safe and back to your foster again." Mrs. Calma felt a soothing feeling from what Hwan Chul said to her.

And in her thinking came her thoughts about how their father would be proud of them if only he knew.