THE ILLUMINATION

In a trice, an ambulance was called for was there, whereby Lesley was rushed to the hospital.

Clark was aware of the conflict that would arise if he was spotted anywhere near Lesley, therefore he chose to head home instead.

Myriads of questions lingered in his mind as he pondered the illumination of Lesley being his long-lost best friend.

At home was Daisy, his doting mother, who was busy preparing lunch for them.

“Clark, dear, you are back ?” Daisy craned her neck towards her son, who turned up to be quite jittery.

“Son, are you okay?”

"Mother!” Clark clamored and strode towards his mother for a hug.

“Mom, I saw her today,” Clark emitted as he wept.

“Saw who? Tell me .”

Clark held his mother's arms and coached her to the divan.

“Mom, it was Bethany. Laura's daughter,” Clark vocalized with quite a pensive tone.

“What! Bethany! Are you certain of what you’re saying? You do know that Domingo and his family are thought to be dead already, “Daisy lectured in utter dismay.

“Yeah, mom. I know and that's why I'm as shocked as you are especially because she turns out to be the grandchild of Mrs. Salvador. She is a Salvador now !”

“That's insanity! I can't believe this !”

“But this only means one thing, after murdering her parents, they took her in. After all, I heard that Daphne Derwood, who is Mrs. Salvador's daughter-in-law, is barren.”

Daisy stretched her arm for a glass of water.

“I'll make sure I bring back Bethany. By Bethany !” Clark stood and zipped outside.

“Clark, where you going ?!” Daisy called out but her words fell on deaf ears.

Clark zoomed off in an archaic pickup that belonged to his uncle.

He finally took a halt at the city hospital where Bethany was being treated.

Clark advanced to where Daphne and Rex were eagerly awaiting a response from the medic, but could only stay back and observe them from a distance.

The screech of a door was heard, and both Daphne and Rex rose to their feet in a flash, as Daphne, who was soaked in incisions advanced into the emergency room.

Daphne and Rex met with confusion and marveled at the same time at finding the two doctors who were treating Lesley, lying on the floor unconscious.

As if that wasn’t enough, Lesley was nowhere to be seen.

On the other side, Clark's attention had diverted to a guy of medium stature, who was dressed in a long black leather coat and pushed a wheelchair with a sentient lady on it.

He seemed quite suspicious as he even had a goon-like mask on. Out of curiosity, Clark tiptoed towards him but became vigilant when he spotted the lady's face and it came to his realization, it was…

He precipitously ran to the elevator the rogue was about to take before the doors latched.

“Bethany !” He exclaimed hoarsely but what was even more enticing was that the guy he had seen earlier on was nowhere to be seen now.

Clark froze for a moment, trying to apprehend the events that had just taken place.

They were now at the ground floor, whereby Clark carried Lesley to his pick-up unrecognized. He was lucky because as soon as he stepped outside, the alarm was turned on.

Things were getting out of hand as everyone tried to solve the dilemma at hand.

At the same moment, Clark drove off to his home.

His mother was in shock and disagreed with what Clark had done but in the end, she had no choice but to support him.

" Mom, I thank you for your support in this,” Clark remarked as they were having evening tea with his mother and his uncle Dean.

"You'll tell Bethany the truth?” His Uncle Dean, who also happened to be a cop, queried.

“Sure uncle, as soon as she gets well ,” Clark spoke boldly.

“ Are you certain she'll even believe you. You know that in spite of the fact that she is your childhood friend, the people she now regards as family are the same people who you'll be accusing of the hit that took on her biological parents.”

" The disk her father left for uncle years back is enough evidence .”

“How did you even manage to capture her?” Dean asked sarcastically, almost spitting the drink he was taking.

“I don't even know but someone else tried to abduct her but then left her in an elevator. I have no idea who it was. It's like he just vanished into thin air.”

“The Salvadors have a lot of foes. I would not be surprised ,”Dean said.

“Okay. Let's go to sleep now. It's quite late ,”Daisy said as she cleared the table .

Thereafter, Clark retired to his room, where Lesley was.

She had not suffered serious injuries and so she was out of danger, although Clark administered the appropriate drugs to her and checked on her head injury, using the knowledge he had built up on medicine as he once worked as a cleaner in a hospital .

Clark took a seat next to the bed where Lesley lay.

“Bethany,” he mumbled and traversed his fingers into Lesley's,” I thought I would never see you again.”

Tears flowed down his ruddy cheeks in torrents.

He proceeded to giving Lesley a peck on forehead. " I won’t let you go.”

Clark finally nodded off the chair, after gazing at Lesley for what seemed like forever.

The following day, at the crack of dawn, news had it that Lesley Derwood, the daughter of the renowned duchess, Daphne Derwood, had been abducted by an unknown individual, and whoever would give any leads on Lesley’s whereabouts would be rewarded with

Clark felt a weak grip on his hand; Lesley had come about.

“Bethany, " he called out softly.

“W-w-what happened?” she stuttered.

“Relax, you'll be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you. You must be starving, I'll get you something to devour.”

Scarcely had Clark stepped outside when Lesley summoned him back.

“Wait!” she exclaimed hoarsely.

Clark stood rooted to the floor and fixed his eyes on Lesley who struggled to sit upright on the bed.

“Who are you and why did you bring me here?” she struggled Clark.

“Well,” Clark switched on after a moment of silence,” I'm that boy you admired so much back then. The boy you’d always sneak through the windows to meet every night…”

“Clark,” Lesley murmured before Clark was done delivering his statement.

“Yes, Bethany. It's me.”

Clark dashed to and wrapped his arms around Lesley careful enough not to hurt her, as they both wept.

“I can't believe I finally met you again Bethany .”

On the spur of the moment, Uncle Dean rudely interrupted them. He couldn't conceal his amazement at seeing Lesley, whereby he too joined them in a group hug.

“Bethany! So it is you!”

Lesley nodded in consensus.

“Clark, you've revealed everything to her already ?”

Both Lesley and Clark traded swift peeks.

“Revealed what? Is there anything that I deserve to know Clark?” Lesley called into question curiously.

Both Dean and Clark were speechless.

“Come on,” Lesley reverberated.

“It's the Salvadors, they are the real culprits of your parents’ murder, “Dean let out.