Danu sighed again, feeling awry. He didn't know Lawrence and the De Groots, only that Lawrence was a good man.
"Mr. Danu," Markus spoke again to Danu, "Can you imagine if Mr. Emanuel and Mrs. Beatrice succeeded in getting rid of the second Madame and Young Master Justin? People in this country will work for very small wages, so there will be dangerous demonstrations. The De Groot Company, one of the big companies from the Dutch colonial era in Indonesia, helped many people from being forced to work hard by providing them with decent jobs with good wages. Even the De Groot Company protected the people from the invaders."
Danu sighed, what Markus said was the truth. The service of the De Groot Company and the De Groot family in Indonesia is great, although it is never written in the history books of the struggle of the Indonesian people against Dutch colonialism. Even today, the De Groot Company has consistently helped the people by providing jobs in all of De Groot Company's subsidiaries.
If Emanuel and Beatrice succeed in getting rid of Justin in particular, then the De Groot Company will be destroyed, there will be oppression from both of them using the name De Groot Company.
"Mr. Danu," Markus spoke again, "Excuse me, what is it that weighs on you to grant my request as the representative of the late Mr. Lawrence?" he felt that something was weighing on Danu to grant his request to bring Caroline and Justin to stay at Danu's house, "Are you afraid Mr. Emanuel and Mrs. Beatrice know you are protecting the second madam and Young Master Justin? Afraid that those two people will make things difficult for you and the people of Karang Dewa Village?"
Danu sighed, then smiled faintly.
"If they make things difficult for me, no problem." He said to also speak to Markus, because all this time he had just been listening and kept on sighing. "What I think about is Rasti, Aryo, and Rangga, as well as residents." He continued, "I'm sorry I didn't want to protect the second madam and Justin."
Markus let go of Danu's hands from both sides of his arms, returned to his knees in front of Danu,
"Good grief!" Danu was surprised again, he quickly wanted to lift Markus to his feet, but Markus remained on his knees. "Mr. Markus!" he's getting all wrong.
"Mr. Danu," Markus looked at Danu with hopeful eyes, "I beg you. I beg you to please take care of the second Madam and Young Master Justin. At least for the sake of humanity. Second Madame and Young Master Justin know nothing of the feud between the De Groot brothers that killed Mr. Lawrence."
Danu sighed again, feeling more and more wrong. He, who is a white-line warrior, knows very well that he is obliged to protect people like Caroline and Justin. But on the other hand, he has a responsibility to protect Rasti in particular, because he only has Rasti as the successor to Raden Kerta Kusumojoyo's lineage.
"Emm," Danu slightly scratched the right side of his forehead, "Mr. Markus," Markus slowly lifted him, "Please give me some time to solve the problem that Aryo made."
"Aryo what trouble, Mr. Danu? Can I finish it?"
"Aryo killed one of Ghotam's men, Mr. Markus."
"Good grief!"
"The boy saw that Rasti and Justin were in danger, so he had to kill Ghotam's men with my dagger."
"You are worried that Aryo will get into trouble with Mr. Emanuel and Mrs. Beatrice?"
"Just be careful, because they already know I helped the three of you." Danu then sighed, "Another thing, I have to prepare a pavilion behind my house for Second Madam and Young Master Justin to live in. Sorry, I can't place them in the main house, because I am a widower for decades, then suddenly there is a second madam, who can become the gossip of the people."
"Okay, I understand." Markus understands Danu's explanation because it's not just Danu bringing Caroline and Justin to live with Danu, everything must be prepared so that Danu can still prevent a disaster from Emanuel and Beatrice.
+++
In a bunker in a very simple house on the coast of South Beach, in a dimly lit room with an iron bar door, Villena and Brian were there.
In the past, Beatrice didn't kill the two right away, because Beatrice knew that Villena was Lawrence's former secretary, knew a lot about who and who was loyal to Lawrence, and was also quite close to Caroline and Justin. In this place, Beatrice could safely torture Villena to open her mouth to say what she wanted to know.
TAK-TUK-TAK-TUK.
A woman's highells voice was heard in the silence of this Bunker.
Brian who was sleeping in Villena's arms was awakened by the sound. His face immediately became frightened. He knew who was coming. He immediately woke up Villena.
"Mom's! Mom's wakes up!"
Villena who was battered from being tortured by Beatrice woke up, slightly squirming, while looking at Brian who looked increasingly frightened.
"What's wrong Brian?"
"Auntie Beatrice, Mom," Brian spoke in a trembling voice. This child witnessed Emanuel and Beatrice's atrocities not only to Villena, but to Lawrence and the servants in the De Groot family's mansion, on the day the two took the De Groot Company. All that traumatized him who was only 10 years old. But what can he do? He was cooped up with Villena.
It's still good that Beatrice didn't torture him because Beatrice's mother's conscience was touched. And actually, Beatrice didn't agree that Emanuel wanted to kill Justin, but had to agree to keep the De Groot Company and Lawrence's wealth in their hands.
Then what about Lawrence's old wife Marlene? Emanuel and Beatrice did not dare to pursue him, because they were reluctant to Marlene's family in Taiwan. The Marlene family can be said to be of noble status apart from the Billionaires who have great power in Taiwan.
Villena fell silent upon hearing Brian's answer.
TAK-TUK-TAK-TUK.
Right Highells voice grew louder, closer to this cell.
Brian immediately slid his body into Villena's arms, his mother also hugged him tightly. He knew that Villena would be tortured again.
Villena's heart was pounding because the sound stopped right in front of the bars of this cell. Then there was the sound of a key unlocking the lock that locked the cell door.
Brian hugged him tighter. But unfortunately, a burly man pulled Brian out of Villena, then two other men forced Villena out of the cell. Villena was seated on an iron chair, then her hands and feet were tied with metal plates that were on the arms of the chair and the bottom of the chair.
Brian immediately ran to the front of the bars, seeing that Villena was about to be tortured by Beatrice, because the highells came from Beatrice's footsteps. The quiet Brian could only watch, unable to scream for Beatrice's mercy.
Villena now looked at Beatrice who was standing not far from her. She saw the look on Beatrice's beautiful face was terrible. Villena started to swallow her saliva because now she saw Beatrice taking a dagger from one of the men's hands.
'Beatrice wants what more from me right now?' Villena whispered, "Kak Lawrence, you are so mean. You let this vile Beatrice capture Brian and me to torture her.'
Beatrice is now approaching in front of Villena, lifting the tip of Villena's chin with the tip of her dagger.
"What do you want from me?" asked Villena daring to ask Beatrice, "I told you where Markus hid Kak Caroline and Justin, right?"
"Of course," Beatrice said in a calm voice but made Villena shudder. "But they got help."
"Help? Do you mean Markus? Of course, Markus helped both of them."
"Not Mark, but an old man."
JRENG.
Villena was surprised to hear this, Beatrice gave her a probing look.
"Akhh!" She squealed as the tip of the dagger was slightly forced into her chin by Beatrice, "You came here to ask if I know that man?" she asked Beatrice, because her intelligent brain caught the point of Beatrice's words about an old man saving Caroline and Justin. "Akkh!" she squealed again as the tip of the dagger seemed to be slowly moving up her cheekbone. Her eyes saw Beatrice's eyes like a ferocious demon.
"Who is that man, Villena?" Beatrice now pressed the tip of the dagger at one point of Villena's cheekbones, "Answer Villena!"
"Beatrice!" Villena spoke in a voice trembling with pain, "Not everyone related to Kak Lawrence, I know."
"Lie!"
"I'm telling the truth, Beatrice! Besides, there were a lot of old men who knew Kak Lawrence. You only mentioned an old man, didn't explain his features."
Beatrice pulled the tip of the dagger, passed it to her men, then grabbed both sides of Villena's cheeks, and gripped tightly.
"According to Ghotam," Beatrice spoke to Villena, "That man has incredible kung fu."
Villena listened to Beatrice's explanation.
"Ghotam can be incapacitated by that man."
Villena flinched at this, then chuckled.
"Ha ha ha!"
"Why are you laughing?"
"Ghotam who is famous for being tough because of his great-grandson Cheng De, can an old man take down? Ha ha ha! What funny news!" Villena explained why she chuckled after hearing that Ghotam was defeated by the old man.
"So you know the guy?"
+++
Rasti observed Danu who was meditating sitting on a sloping rock placed in the middle of the lake in front of the pavilion of Raden Kerta Kusumojoyo's kung fu college in Danu's house.
Danu did meditation because he too was hurt deeply from fighting with Ghotam. But this time Danu didn't concentrate. Danu's mind went to Markus's request.
'Grandpa tends to meditate,' Rasti was surprised to see Danu meditate, 'As far as I know, grandpa meditates if grandpa is injured, or wants to train his inner strength.' She knew Danu would meditate on one of the two causes.
Danu lost his concentration because he felt that Rasti was watching him. As a result, the science currently being used to treat internal wounds got out of control, and he spouted red liquid.
"Grandpa!!!"
+ to be continued +