Silver Lining

Chapter 47 - Redeemed

Clara's POV

"Clara! Move away!" Luciano shouted as he grappled with Nora who was still aggressively wielding her knife in the air. Chad jumped in to help Luciano to bring down Nora. Despite the danger of a mentally unsound woman threatening my life, my feet couldn't move at all as I fell into a state of panic and disbelief after receiving a big blow from what I witnessed.

"Get the security!" Luciano shouted after bringing Nora down on the ground. Sophia immediately ran to get help from the security.

I choked on my tears as I watched Rico laid on the floor with the struggle in every gasp of his breaths. He was coughing out spurts of blood from his mouth, waiting for death to claim his life helplessly. The cracks between the pebbled floor beneath him were soon flooded with crimson blood of his.

"Call the ambulance, please!!" I yelled at Dorris desperately. That shook her out from the state of shock that she was in and she took out her phone with her trembling hands to dial for an ambulance.

I held Rico in my embrace while pressing against his bleeding wound on his abdominal. I was covered in his blood and my tears were pouring out all over my face of distraught as I spoke to Rico, "Rico... please, don't close your eyes! Please... I'm begging you..."

He opened his eyes into mine, revealing the familiar set of his piercing eyes. They were still blue like perfect spring sky, just like how I remembered them the first time I met him. The only difference was that... they were losing life with each second passed. His lids were heavier with each blink he took. He raised his hand to my face with much struggle, he was trying to wipe off my tears as he struggled to speak to me, "I'm... I'm sorry...for making you cry again... sorry... I just... want you... to be happy.."

"No, no, it doesn't matter, none of it matters at all, please just hang in there for me, please..." I pleaded desperately in tears as I held on to his hands tightly.

"It's... okay... This is what... I owe Amelia..." He breathed out these words with each of his struggling pants and then his hand slipped out from my grip. I felt a punch in my heart when he closed his eyes on me.

"No!!! Please don't...!" I buried him tightly in my embrace while I wailed pathetically.

Dorris wept by my side, while Chad and Sophia looked away from this unbearable sight.

Luciano was shouting over the phone, "God Damn it! Get me a helicopter to the nearest hospital now, I have a casualty here!"

Then I felt a sudden sting at my abdominal, and it gradually stirred into a bad cramp that kicked me hard in my abdominal. I pressed my hand against my abdominal and groaned in pain uncontrollably as I broke into cold sweat instantly.

"Clara!! Are you okay?!" Dorris asked me worriedly in a state of panic.

I looked down and realize I was bleeding between my thighs, and it wasn't Rico's blood, it was my blood...

"Clara!! What is happening?!" Luciano went into a state of panic too as he scooped me over to his embrace.

"I'm... I'm in pain..." I gritted.

"Hang in there, I'll get you help soon," Luciano said as he rubbed his hands against my arms.

"Chad! Take care of Rico!" Luciano shouted at Chad.

Rico's POV

I only knew I had to protect Clara at my first instinct, I would do anything to keep her safe. When the stab pierced through my body, it was painful but not as painful as the mental pain I felt through these years.