Andrew watched as Edward kept resisting, still trying to fight back even though the plan had already been set in motion. Anthony had been stationed in his territory, observing every move.
Before everything escalated, they had already filed charges against Edward and devised a plan to finally capture him.
Andrew let out a deep sigh. What none of them had expected was that Edward would try to rape Mariely. He shook his head in frustration.
Edward's sharp, furious eyes pierced into him, his rage undeniable even as his hands were cuffed, struggling against the police.
"Whatever," Edward spat bitterly. "I killed that man, and I'm sure Faith will be miserable."
Andrew was about to respond when he felt a light tap on his hand—it was Clover. He gave a small nod, understanding the signal. Together, they turned their backs on Edward and walked away, hearing the sound of Edward being dragged off. His sentence was clear: lifetime imprisonment. He would rot behind bars.
They encouraged the other victims, who had once been afraid of Edward and his men, to step forward. With Edward stripped of his teaching license and solid evidence stacked against him, justice was on their side.
"We need to get to the hospital," Clover finally said.
Andrew only nodded. Anthony, after completing his part, had already gone home. Another heavy sigh escaped Andrew as he drove straight to the hospital.
The moment he arrived, he questioned the nurses and learned that Mariely had been placed in a private room. He decided to wait before asking Nathan about her and the baby's condition.
What kind of lunatic would do this? He thought bitterly as he walked toward the room.
When he got closer, he noticed someone standing by the door—clothes stained, drops of red liquid falling, his entire body filthy. Andrew tapped him, and the man turned.
"How will you explain it to her?" Andrew asked quietly. "She's very scared, and she's devastated over what happened to you."
Frank sighed deeply, guilt heavy in his voice.
"It's my fault she suffered this much. I never thought Edward would go as far as raping my fiancée… Damn it." His voice trembled with fury.
"If only you could've heard Faith's cries…" Andrew clenched his fists. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect it either. We should've acted sooner."
Frank's eyes softened with determination. "She's the victim here. No matter what happened, she's still my beloved fiancée, the mother of our child. She will always be my Faith."
Andrew nodded. "How are they? Faith and the baby—are they okay?"
Frank exhaled in relief. "They're both fine. Our baby's safe… Thank God. Still, I'll never forgive myself."
Just then, the door opened and Nathan entered. His eyes met theirs briefly before saying, "Come inside."
They followed him in. Mariely lay fast asleep, her breathing steady. Frank immediately rushed to her side, pressing soft kisses to her hand, her cheek, and her forehead, gently stroking her hair.
No words left his lips—only a silence filled with grief and love.
None of them could find sleep that night.
******
Frank's Thoughts
How do I explain this to her? He gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. She'll cry again; I know she will.
He was relieved that their child was safe, but he could still hear her sobbing voice calling out his name, haunted by his supposed death.
This was all part of the plan—they needed to make Edward believe Frank was dead to trap him. But it had been dangerous. Frank had taken suspension pills that slowed his heartbeat for ten minutes, enough to fake his death. The bulletproof vest saved him, but the beating he endured had been real.
Still, none of them expected Edward to go after Mariely. That mistake tormented him.
That bastard, Frank thought bitterly.
Thanks to Anthony's information, they had tracked every move Edward made. Yet the consequences had been worse than imagined.
Suddenly, Faith stirred.
"Zean…" she whispered weakly in her sleep, tears slipping down her cheeks. He gently wiped them away.
"Don't leave me… Please don't…" She whimpered, still trapped in a nightmare.
"Zean!" Mariely jolted awake, gasping for breath, still trembling.
Andrew motioned for Frank to step aside, letting Nathan speak to her first. Frank quietly obeyed, moving where she couldn't see him.
"B—Brother Nathan…" she sobbed. "It was just a dream, right? Frank isn't dead, right?"
Frank's chest tightened, but Nathan held her. "Just listen to me, Faith, okay? Promise me you'll try to calm down."
"How can I calm down, brother?!" She cried.
"For the baby's sake," Nathan urged gently. "You almost lost your baby. Please, Faith—you need to stay calm for your child."
Mariely hesitated, then slowly touched her belly, tears still falling. "We were supposed to get married, brother… I want to see Zean. Please, just once… even if it breaks me, even if I have to mourn him…"
Nathan shook his head. "Faith, you don't need to mourn. He's not gone. He's here."
Mariely froze. Her tear-streaked face turned in disbelief as Nathan signaled Frank forward.
"Faith," Frank finally said.
Her breath caught. With a sob, she rushed into his arms, clinging to him desperately, her body trembling.
"Zean… Is it really you?" She cupped his face, checking every bruise, her tears mixing with bloodstains on his clothes—some fake, some real.
Frank kissed her softly.
"I'm filthy… I'm so dirty," Mariely wept bitterly.
"No, you're not," Frank said firmly, holding her tight. "You are my everything, Faith. You'll always belong to me. Nothing he did can ever change that. Please—don't ever call yourself dirty again." His fists clenched in helpless fury.
"He almost killed our baby," she sobbed.
Frank stayed silent, too overwhelmed.
"What happened, Zean? I don't understand…" She whispered in confusion.
"I'll explain everything," he said, brushing her cheek. "We needed him to believe I was dead so we could capture him. I didn't expect he'd take it this far. I'm so sorry, Faith."
"The blood… the gunshot I saw…?"
"It wasn't real. I wore a bulletproof vest. The blood was staged. But the bruises… those are real. I also took pills that slowed my heartbeat and made me seem dead for ten minutes. It was the only way."
She clung to him, sobbing. "I thought I lost you… I thought I'd lose our baby too… My mind nearly broke, Zean."
He pressed her tighter against him. "I'm here now. I won't let you return to that hell. Edward will never hurt you again. He'll rot in prison—there are many cases against him. It's over, Faith."
Mariely looked into his eyes, still trembling. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
"I'm fine. I already got treated. You should rest now. I'll stay right here beside you." He kissed her forehead gently.
At last, Mariely lay down, still holding his hand. He kissed it tenderly until she finally drifted into peaceful sleep.
"Good, she's resting," Clover said as he entered quietly.
Frank only nodded, watching her with weary eyes.
"Is Edward locked away?" he asked.
"Yeah," Clover smirked. "That orange jumpsuit suits him well."
Frank exhaled deeply. "I'll go see him later… But right now, I need to make sure Faith and our baby are safe. Please watch over everything for me."
Clover sighed, patting his shoulder. "Fine, fine. You're hopeless without me anyway. Take care of your family."
Frank chuckled softly but didn't answer. Once Clover left, he remained alone in the room, quietly watching over Mariely. He knew he needed to change and clean himself up—but before anything else, he'd always come back to check her.