The white car that struck Aurie vanished, disappearing into the Seoul night like a bubble bursting. In the chaotic aftermath, the question of who was responsible for the shocking attack; the gunshot, the deliberate hit, didn't seem to matter to the crowd. All eyes, all media lenses, were focused solely on the ambulanceof the Fortuna-Adler matriarch as it screamed away from the Grand Jeju Hotel.
THE ASAN ARRIVAL
The ambulance reached Asan Severance Hospital, still in the heart of South Korea's metro. Before the vehicle had even fully braked, the doors of the Emergency Room burst open. Three doctors and four nurses rushed out, their movements crisp and professional, drew them in like fans in the ER. A brief, unsettling moment of awe before reality struck.
From the ambulance's tail, Adiel arrived quickly in Hugh's car. His father was still focused on the road, but Adiel couldn't wait. He dropped off so fast he practically flew onto the pavement and bolted toward the hospital entrance.
Hugh, finally pulling the car into a space, paused. He noticed an expensive royal blue car, came in, stopped right beside the ambulance bay, then the two ladies inside dropped off. Hugh's eyes narrowed. He recognized the confident, sharp stride, the bespoke clothing. It was Gabriela Fortuna and Lucy Fortuna, Aurie's loyal and formidable sisters.
Hugh, now rushing toward the hospital door, found himself on a collision course with the two women. Gabriela and Lucy stopped abruptly as they saw him, their faces unreadable.
"Hi Gab & Lucy!" Hugh chirped, forcing a wide, concerned smile that he usually reserved for difficult trade negotiations.
Gab & Lucy merely met his gaze, their eyes communicating a perfect, synchronizedeyeroll, the silent thought clear between them: "Gosh Hugh, your wife is in the emergency room! Stay away from that door & stop smiling!!!"
They didn't break their stride, running straight into the hospital without acknowledging his greeting.
Hugh stopped near the door, momentarily stunned. He asked himself, his voice a bewildered whisper, "So they just didn't see me? They just... they just... passby me?" He shook off the confusion, his pace picking up. He followed them inside with a faster, urgent walk.
GAB AND LUX
Inside, the reception area was a sterile hub of hushed chaos. Adiel reached the counter first, his composure shattered, his voice cracking as he shouted: "Where's mooooooooom?"
The two nurses behind the desk shook their heads slightly, overwhelmed by the intensity, but they knew exactly what Adiel meant. They just pointed with frantic hand gestures toward the emergency room where the doctors and nurses had just taken Aurie.
Adiel immediately followed the pointing hand gestures. Gabriela and Lucy followed Adiel, closing the gap quickly. As they passed the stunned receptionists, Lucy offered a quick, practiced apology, waving a dismissive hand. "Apologies! You know, we're in a hurry! Thanks."
They reached the door to the restricted emergency zone. Adiel's wide eyes darted around, his composure entirely gone. He bent over, holding his two knees, trying to pull air into his lungs. After two ragged blinks, he straightened andshouted in madness. The pressure, the fear, the sudden, brutal attack on his mother. It was too much.
One nurse inside the emergency room saw his outburst and quickly came out, holding the heavy door ajar. She spoke in a calm, practiced, and professional tone. "We're doing great! Sir... you may sit here or you may go~"
"I'm not going anywhere!!! I need to go inside!!!" Adiel yelled, his voice strained with desperation.
Gabriela and Lucy were instantly there. They moved as one, embracing Adiel fiercely from his back, pulling him away from the door and into the nearby chairs.
Gabriela:"Shhh... Shhh... Shhhh big guy... mom's okay!"
Lucy:"That's true! That's true! They have a pantry here, why not~"
Adiel turned, facing his two aunts. He was openly sobbing, hugging them at the same time, the weight of the night crashing down.
Adiel:"What... what was that?"
Gab:"We're going to find out about that, big guy."
Lucy:"That's true, big guy. You know that!!!"
They settled side-by-side, a protective shield of family surrounding him beside the emergency room's door. Adiel slowly stopped sobbing. He pulled back, his eyes red. "Gab, Lux, were you both uh... were you both in the..."
Lucy:"Ohhh... I miss you calling me Lux, big guy!"
Gab:"We were preparing, by the way."
Both women exchanged a meaningful look, then smiled, a hint of something calculating beneath their relief.
THE 'NO NUMBER' MESSAGE
Hugh witnessed that intense familial bond from a distance, standing two hallways away from where they were sitting. They didn't notice Hugh, still focusing to calm Adiel down. They hadn't spared him a single glance since their initial, disgusted eyeroll.
Hugh felt the odd, burning mix of jealousy and victory. He wanted to join them, to be the concerned husband and father, but the open scorn in the women's eyes prevented it. He told himself, as a justification, "Ok big guy. Embrace your aunts.". He turned and retreated, walking with a deliberate, firm stride until he reached the smoking section of the big hospital.
Hugh starts smoking an e-cigarette, the smoke curling around his head like a reluctant halo. Tears almost dropped, but he forced them back. Hisright palm tapped his foreheadin a gesture of frustrated confusion.
He muttered to himself, the words clipped and raw, asking himself, "Who the fuck did this? So idiot!!!"
Then, his phone vibrated in his left hand. An SMS from a 'No Number'.
Hugh opened the message. He read the cryptic lines.
No Number: How do you like that?
The e-cigarette dropped from his lips, unnoticed. The smile he had forced moments ago was gone, replaced by a look of sheer, gut-wrenching terror. This wasn't just an accident; someone else was playing a game far more dangerous than his.
You, my reader, who is pulling the strings?
That single, chilling text message, "How do you like that?", changes everything. Do you think that anonymous text really belongs to the killer? The sniper? The person behind the wheel?Or is this just a distraction?
And while Hugh spirals, the true power of the Fortuna family has arrived. Aurie's sisters, Gabriela and Lucy, arrived. They embrace Adiel with fierce protection, and "We were preparing" for something long before the gunshot.
How do you see Gabriela & Lucy in this story? Are they the trusted allies Adiel desperately needs, or are they two more players in the vicious game for the Fortuna empire?
The only thing certain is that in the silence of the hospital, Aurie's ghost is finally beginning to awaken.