"Ah...hh," Maria screamed in pain.
"What's wrong now, Maria? Are you daydreaming again?" Robert asked, closing his eyes.
"S-sorry, boss," Maria stuttered, rubbing her eyes with her palm. When she opened them, she saw her boss's closed eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. She murmured, "Why, Shen Li? Why do you make me vulnerable even in my dreams?"
"Stop talking to yourself and make sure to keep your mouth shut. I hope you don't want to spend your night outside the plane in the middle of nowhere," Robert said, giving her a stern gaze.
"No, boss, no way," Maria said, lowering her head and speaking softly, feeling upset with herself.
"You better be. Now, sleep," Robert said, closing his eyes and pulling a duvet over himself as he rested back in his seat.
"Okay, boss," Maria said, placing herself in a comfortable position on her seat. She turned her face in another direction and murmured, "Maria, please focus. This time, you're not going to see him in your dream, otherwise, you're fired." After murmuring, she took a deep breath and covered herself with the duvet, ready to keep her boss company in silence.
.................................................................................
In the Highlight apartment London ...
After a long bout of crying, Hazel sat quietly, holding a picture frame of Helix and, she traced the contours of Helix's smiling face with trembling fingers.
Suddenly, a sharp sound pierced the stillness, jolting Hazel from her reverie. 'Bang' the sound came, and upon hearing it, Hazel stood up, signaling to Alex to refrain from opening the door. Understanding her gesture, Alex sat back on the sofa.
With hesitant steps, Hazel approached the door, her heart racing with apprehension while moving towards the door to open it, and as she did, she heard a polite, familiar voice.
"Hey Barbie, where's your so-called Hitler... oops, sister?" chimed a melodious voice, dripping with playful familiarity. Rosy stood before her, wearing a painted, pleasant smile on her face, Rosy breezed into the apartment.
Rosy was a girl in her mid-twenties, with a shining face, brown eyes, golden rose hair, tall stature, and a slightly fuller figure that looked good on her. She was one of the most attractive personalities and the only true friend of Helix.
"Oh, another surprise. Dude, what's going on? Let me guess, you both planned a surprise for Helix?" Rosy said, entering the house and noticing Alex.
"No," Alex replied with a low voice, lowering his head.
Hazel stood silently, listening to Rosy's words, unsure of how to explain to her that they hadn't planned any surprise for Helix, as destiny had already surprised her that day. With hesitation, Hazel spoke, "What brings you here, Sister Rosy?"
"As you know, your Hitler girl, about an hour and a half ago, she told me she was coming to my place for some work related to our studio, but Hitler neither came to my place nor picked up my phone calls, so I came here," Rosy explained everything in detail while sitting on the couch.
"So, she's not with you?" asked Hazel, her face showing worry and on the verge of tears.
"What happened? Relax, my Barbie. As you know, she's a workaholic girl. She might be busy wrapping up her work. Why are you so tensed?" Rosy asked, reassuring Hazel with her comforting voice. Over the past few years, Hazel always became tense whenever she found out that Helix wasn't with her. Many times, Helix had told her where she was, but Hazel often panicked at the thought of losing her, as her biggest fear was that their horrible past might repeat. Rosy gently patted her back, trying to calm her down.
"Calm down, Hazel. Maybe Helix is somewhere related to studio work, as Rosy said. So, please stop panicking," Alex said, coming close to her and caressing her head.
"No, this time she's not able..." Hazel began to say, but before she could finish her sentence, she fainted. The reason was her continuous crying and past medical history, which made her weak, causing her to lose consciousness.
Rosy instructed Alex to take Hazel in his arms and followed her towards Hazel's bedroom. They both knew that this wasn't the first time Hazel had fainted like this, so they didn't want to waste any time panicking. They took her to the bedroom, and without wasting a single second, Rosy called Helix's family doctor and their best friend, Dr Olive.
At the bank of the river under the Millennium Bridge in London
A voice from the rescue team called out, "Catch her and come over the bridge! Be careful not to let the poor girl fall!"
The boy beside leaped to save the girl, his actions putting his life in danger. Gently, he held Helix by her waist and grabbed the rope thrown by the rescue team. He tied the rope around his waist and, with the support of the rescue team, made his way above the bridge.
Once on the bridge, he carefully placed the girl on the surface. However, exhaustion overtook him, and he collapsed beside her. The boy exerted immense effort and energy in pulling the girl to safety and swimming to the riverbank.
Suddenly, a man's voice from the rescue team cried out, "She's dead." This declaration spurred the boy into action. With renewed strength, he stood up and punched the man in anger, shouting, "You moron, shut up!"
Pushing aside the crowd covering the girl, he knelt beside her. Tenderly, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her princess-style. With determination, he ran towards his car parked on the left side of the bridge.
Upon reaching his car, he swiftly opened the back door and gently laid the girl in the backseat. Pressing his palm against her stomach, he attempted first aid, hoping to expel any water from her stomach by pressing on it, with the thought racing through his mind that it might come out of her mouth.
With a gentle yet firm grip, he pinches the soft part of her nose and closes it with his index finger and thumb. Carefully, he opens her mouth with his thumb and fingers, his focus unwavering as he prepares to administer the life-saving technique.
Drawing in a deep breath, he leans in, pressing his lips over hers, ensuring a secure seal. With a steady resolve, he blows air into her mouth for about a second, his eyes trained on her chest, eagerly awaiting any sign of movement, any indication that his actions are making a difference. It's a moment filled with urgency, but also with a quiet determination and a sense of connection between two individuals, one striving to save a life, the other relying on his skill and compassion.