Chapter 24: Sacrifice

We sat in silence as Ace drove. I then reflected on the events that occurred. We had dinner, then Lee and I talked, took me to another one of his mansions, the accident, and now Liam's disappearance. It was too much to handle.

"Man, I messed up," I said.

Lee pulled me onto his lap.

"We didn't cross illegally if that is what you are worried about," Lee replied.

I looked at him.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"We drove off without our documentation, that could get us in jail," Lee said.

"I am sorry, I didn't even think of that. I was happy to find Liam and didn't care about everything else," I replied.

Lee smiled.

"I love that," Lee said.

"Ha, as if," I said.

I rose to look at Lee, and he laughed at me. I playfully beat him on the shoulder.

"You are not playing with me right?"

Lee glared at me. "I don't play with people's feelings thank you."

I took out my phone and I stared at it.

"Can I still see Liam's location?" I asked myself. 

I tried my luck and checked. I rose in shock.

"What's wrong?" Lee asked.

"Liam," I said, looking at the map on the screen skeptically. "He is heading to an estate."

"Ace," Lee said.

"On it," Ace said.

Ace sped up to Liam's location and we found ourselves on the premises of a huge estate like the Romano's.

Ace stopped in front of the car and we quickly came out. The lady took her sweet time and got out of the car with Liam. I signaled Liam to keep quiet to avoid more disruptions.

She walked to us and smiled. "You caught me I see."

I looked at her skeptically.

"I see you have moved on Lee," she said.

"You sound familiar. Do I know you?" I asked.

She looked at me and chuckled. She removed her sunglasses. Lee and I were shocked at who it was:

Elaine Raynolds.

"Elaine?!" we exclaimed.

Elaine smiled. "Ah, you do remember me."

She looked at Lee before looking at me - she looked disgusted.

"I see you went for a low-class girl - wanting to lay low perhaps?" she asked.

I clenched my fist but Lee held my hand and I smirked.

"You are right," I said. "Funny that you are still the same snob girl you have always been."

Lee looked at me.

Elaine rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Miss Perfect. Guess perhaps the thought of me being the richest apart from you makes you jealous."

We both walked towards each other.

"I never envied your life - in fact I pitied you," I shot back. 

"Liana," Lee said.

"Don't involve yourself Romano," Elaine and I said. "This is our war."

"Just let the innocent boy go and we can continue where we left off," I said.

She looked at Liam who was trying to look brave. Then turned to look at us.

"Okay," she said.

We looked at her.

"But under one condition."

She pointed at me. "Since you will happily marry Lee Romano, you should know the sports we support."

I opened my eyes.

"Pardon?" I asked. "What sports?"

Elaine came and whispered.

"I know you two are in a fake relationship. Fake. To be honest, I didn't think a girl like you would be interested in a man like Romano - a workaholic, short-tempered, and cold man. You stooped so low."

I smiled at her and whispered back.

"You are the one who stooped low. All the bad qualities you label Lee as are opposite from what I have been seeing, so I wonder what you did to him that made him that. Ah - perhaps one-sided love? Traitors like you never like being honest about their own failures."

I chuckled.

"Smell the coffee and realize that my relationship with Lee is built on something yours never had - trust."

She became furious.

"The life in the Romano household is a mess! Save yourself while you still can!" she exclaimed.

"Ha, the news could circulate about you kidnapping the Romano's last-born grandson. You could lose your wealth in the blink of an eye."

I snapped my fingers.

"Save yourself while you still can."

Elaine pushed me aside with her elbow and went to Lee.

"Lee! I have something to talk about quickly!"

As she and Lee talked from afar, I had many questions I wanted to ask. How did she know that my relationship with Lee was a lie? Was our acting horrible that it answered away?

I saw Liam walk up to me. But I pushed him back.

"Don't come closer, you could get hurt!" I whispered.

But Liam didn't listen and came up to me regardless. He hugged my leg tightly and I picked him up. He cuddled in my arms, shivering.

"I was so scared Liana," he said, whispering.

I patted him gently.

"I know, and I am sorry," I said. "But now that Uncle Ace, your Dad, and I are here, you are safe, okay?"

Liam nodded. I didn't realize that Ace was looking at me. He signed me an instruction.

"Run!" he signed.

"How?" I whispered.

He made a short curve sign and I looked behind to see if some hedges could keep us hidden from Elaine until we reached the front gate. Good thing there were no security guards, so our escape would be easy.

I whispered to Liam.

"Do you think we can make it out of here?" I asked.

"Yeah," he whispered back. "Follow Uncle Ace's direction - my Dad will handle her."

I nodded and slowly we hid behind the hedge, making sure that no one could see us and we slowly made it out of the gate.

"Let's go Li!" Liam exclaimed softly.

"Okay," I said. "Let's go!" I exclaimed softly.

I scanned the gate.

I looked at Liam with a sad face. "Liam, it's locked." 

We both felt defeated. As we were about to lose hope, another car came in through the gate. Liam and I gave each other a high five.

Swiftly, as the car got in, we too made our exit.

"Hey!" a voice in the car shouted.

We were caught!

Luckily before the man could catch up to us, the gate quickly closed. I put Liam down and together we ran as fast as we could. I looked over my watch and I immediately got a call from Ace.

"Liana, the guards are on your tails."

"What do we do?"

"I quickly called for backup. There will be a car waiting in front of you."

"Thanks."

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Don't look back."

"Got it."

Ace dropped the call. With no time to waste, we jumped into the car that was in front of us as Ace instructed and it drove off.

"We will be taking you two to the airport," the driver said.

"The airport?!" Liam and I exclaimed.

He chuckled.

"You two are worried about Lee right?" he asked.

We both nodded.

"Don't worry, he has it all sorted out."

Something told me that this man was not part of Lee's workers.

I placed my elbow on his shoulder and showed him the phone.

"Liar," I said. "As if my son and I wouldn't realize that you are a fake driver! This call is being shared with him right now. So, it's either you take us to our destination, or you are going behind bars for years to come."

I looked at him. "So what do you say, sir? Are you ready to throw your old age away?"

"With pleasure!" he exclaimed, accelerating even more. "I know the right place for you two."

Liam came to me and clutched my arm. The driver then locked the doors. I could feel Liam trembling. I was looking for something to break the window with.

The man exclaimed happily, "Good luck in getting out of here!"

I then looked at the buttons in front of me. I suddenly recalled the sunroof feature. I took Liam into my arms again and tapped on the driver's shoulder.

"Hope you arrive at your destination Grandpa!"

He looked at us with confusion and I quickly pressed the sunroof button. We climbed out and my acrophobia kicked in. But in the name of safety and for the life of Liam I jumped.

"Hey!" the man shouted. He then had to hard brake but how long was that going to take for a tech car to stop?

We rolled to the other side of the road. Thank goodness there were no cars in sight. I checked on Liam.

"Are you okay?" I asked with concern.

"I am good," Liam replied.

We then heard hooting from an incoming car and this time I quickly ran to the other side, Liam still in my arms.

Liam and I walked until we saw a little park.

"That should be okay," I said. "Let's go."

We got to a secluded but visible area in the park and sat there. I looked at my watch and I saw it got cracked to a little degree, but the damage was real. I tried calling Ace but he quickly dropped the call. Soon, a text message came through.

"Liana! Run with Liam quickly! They have managed to track you!"

Liam looked at me. "Do we have to run again?"

I nodded. A message from Lee came through.

"Wait for me! I am coming!"

I got confused. Who do I believe now? Do I stay or run? Still lost in my thoughts, I heard someone shouting.

"Liana!"

It was Lee.

"Daddy!"

"Liam - no!"

Liam quickly ran to Lee and I quickly ran after him.

We had a loud bang causing people in the park to run. I stopped and saw some mini atomic bombs falling.

"Liana! Liam! Watch out!"

Lee warned and I quickly pulled Liam under me and rolled to the ground, I felt some sharp pain run through me.

"Argh!" I hissed in pain.

It landed on the playground and blew up.

Lee quickly ran up to us.

"Liana! Are you okay?!" Lee asked.

I felt immobilized by the pain. Liam stood up and looked at me.

"You are badly hurt Li!" he exclaimed.

I had to be strong for Liam at least. So I stood up quickly despite the pain.

I smiled. "That's okay, Liam - Liana will be okay."

I looked at my arm and leg. They were badly scratched but I could handle it. Lee helped me stand up.

"You are badly injured, let's go to the hospital---"

I cut him short.

"Don't worry, I am good. I have some sort of paralysis that tends to immobilize me for a few minutes so it's a part of me whenever I get injured," I said.

"But still," Lee protested.

"Romano, don't think about it - let's focus on getting Liam out of here safe.

Lee nodded. He then looked at his phone.

"Ace says he is waiting for us on the other side of the road."

I nodded. We all walked out of the park and to the bus stop. We then had to quickly cross due to the cars passing swiftly. My walking speed was reduced because of my injuries but Lee adapted to my slowness.

"Lee! Liana! Watch out!"

Ace shouted, and before we knew it, I saw Elaine speed up towards us.

"Lee! Run!" I shouted.

"No!"

I looked at the speeding car. There were either two choices:

Let us all die together or save them in time.

"Lee, Liam, I am so sorry."

They looked at me.

"But I have to do this!"

I pushed them to the other side.

"Liana! No!"

The car came towards me and I then felt my body falling to the ground painfully.

I am glad I got to do this for you boys...