CHAPTER TITLE: Brother
|| XAVIER'S POV ||
" IRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Her lump body fell in my arms. I let out an agonizing cry, watching her body filling in blood. My heart flew away as I noticed the bullet in her left chest. She took the shot for me as soon as Michelle aimed it at me.
Tears blurred my eyes as I began to scream her name out loud,
" NO... IRIS!!! IRIS!!!!!"
Everyone was momentarily stunned by the whole situation. Arthur also looked frozen as he looked down at Iris in blood. He was shaking visibly after the sight. Michelle pulled the trigger again, ready to shoot again but Arthur's men broke into the scene. Arthur said coldly, grabbing a gun from his men,
" Take her away, Xavier. I will take care of this."
I didn't waste a single moment anymore. Using his men as a shield, I got out of the car to go to the hospital.
TWO HOURS LATER...
I haven't heard anything from Arthur ever since I came to the hospital. My main concern was Iris who was in the operation theater, fighting for her life. I couldn't sit for a second. Each time I tried to calm down, I remembered how she said 'sorry' to me before closing her eyes.
Please.. don't leave me, baby..
I prayed badly in my mind. Even though everything she had done was a lie, she proved it with her life that she truly loved me. How couldn't I trust my woman? Why didn't I hold her back then?
I blamed myself for everything. None of this would have happened if she was with me, safe and sound. Arthur was someone who would always put her life in danger. I couldn't see her getting hurt anymore.
Steady footsteps echoed from the other side of the corridor. I shifted my eyes over there, spotting Arthur running into the hallway. His clothes were still stained with blood, sweat dripping from his forehead. He seemed like he had rushed himself here. His face was pale like a dead fish.
Arthur came to me, fear lacing out of his voice,
" How is she??"
I replied after taking a gulp,
" No idea! The doctors have said nothing. Did you take care of them?"
Arthur shot me a glare, replied indifferently,
" Everyone is dead!"
I was stupefied for a moment after listening to him. Michelle was his loyal man. Did he really kill Michelle for Iris?
Arthur walked over to the window, silently gazing at Iris who was inside the room. He stared at her for a while with an unreadable expression. After a few moments, he came back to me and passed me some photographs. As I looked down at them, I stared at the pictures in disbelief.
In those pictures, it was little me who was tied up. I barely recalled the time of my kidnapping. I was a kid back then and a girl was with me as well. Among those pictures, there was a girl as well who was younger than me. She looked cute and chubby but was tied up as well. Before I could ask anything, Arthur blurted out suddenly,
" It's Iris! The girl..you were looking after for years is Iris. You have lost her even after you found her."
I gasped, stumbling back in no moment. She saved me twice but I failed..to protect her. How could I not recognize her? How could I leave her alone to die?
Swallowing hard, I muttered still in shock, looking up at Arthur,
" How...how did you find out?"
Arthur sighed softly, telling with a snort,
" That loyal bastard said everything right before he died about my grandfather's misdeeds."
I squeezed my eyes shut in grief. The truth made me more guilty than before. Arthur continued with a growl, no hatred showing up in his eyes,
" She did so much for you, can't you forgive her once?"
I gave him a puzzled glance. Didn't he say that Iris was his fiancee?
Arthur spoke again with a bitter chuckle, staring back at the operation theater,
" I am not so heartless to take away the only meaning of living from her, Mr.President."
I fell silent after his words. He indeed loved Iris too much. Perhaps the feelings weren't mutual or he failed to show it in time. Sometimes it is necessary to tell out loud that you love her.
The door of the operation theater was pushed open gently, drawing our attention back on the doorway. A lady doctor came outside, appearing pale and gloomy. I rushed to her, Arthur following me behind,
" Doctor, how is she? Is she safe now?"
The lady doctor looked at both of us and said with a sigh,
" Calm down, Mr.President. She is safe now but you should have mentioned it earlier to me that she is pregnant."
Both of us stood shocked, too astounded to say anything. The doctor understood judging by our reaction. She nodded with a smile to say it again,
" Yes, she is four weeks pregnant. Thankfully the baby wasn't harmed during the incident."
The doctor left after congratulating me. I wasn't sure what to react. Iris lived with Arthur for the past weeks. They were an official couple and I had no reason to blame Iris if she was carrying Arthur's child.
Arthur broke my dilemma, coming next to me,
" It's yours! We have never touched each other. Don't doubt her."
His words brought a huge smile on my face. The thought of having our baby warmed my heart. A baby? A baby with Iris and mine?
I went crazy almost at the thought. Arthur patted on my back before attempting to leave without meeting Iris. Just when he walked away, I reminded him again,
" Where are you going? Won't you meet her?"
Arthur turned around to look at me, a complicated smile taking over his lips. He replied with a shrug, barely having the power to conceal his painful voice,
" I don't want to ruin her new life. You already won me, Xavier Gray."
Then he turned around again to walk away. For the very first time, I saw the lonely boy who didn't get the chance to know his family, actually sacrificed his love for someone else. I never thought that I would ever feel this brotherly love or connection for him. But I couldn't stop myself from saying that..
I called Arthur again, making him pause in his tracks,
" ARTHUR!!"
He paused to glance back at me, his eyes slightly narrowing. I told him with a little bit of hesitation,
" If you ever need anything, your brother is here!"
Something flickered in his eyes which I couldn't quite tell. He stared at me for a moment before giving me a smile. Afterwards, his lone silhouette disappeared in the corridor, never coming back.
As I continued to stand alone on the corridor, one of the nurses came to inform me, holding a file,
" Mr.President! Madam is awake. Would you like to visit her?"
I came back to my senses fully. Nodding my head hurriedly, I followed the nurse to meet Iris. I was dying to hear her voice. I had to know why she was so foolish to take the bullet for me?
The door flung open and I saw my girl, laying quietly. For a few seconds, I stood there silently, unable to believe that she was my first love and the last love of my life. No wonder, I was attracted to her from the beginning.