Chapter 72 Back home.

Shayne and Shina left, heading to the location where they would find Zick. Leaving Mark alone, he was relieved when Mrs. Williams called him and notified him that Maxwell would be home safe and sound. He trusted her words because she had a lot of connections that would help them find Maxwell. If she hadn't called, he didn't know what he would have done frankly because the place Zick kept Maxwell was extremely dangerous.

"Hey," Michele said, startling Mark out of his daze. She walked to the couch and sat next to him. "Didn't you hear me coming? Did you find a way to bring Maxwell back?"

Mark smiled a little. "Sorry, I didn't hear you," he said, his tone still a bit lost. "Did you manage to calm Melissa down? She didn't seem okay earlier."

"She is sleeping now," Michelle said, sighing. "She is heartbroken. I'm scared that it will affect her health. You must find Maxwell as soon as possible.

"Maxwell will be here soon," Mark said, his voice dripping with reluctance. "His grandmother sent all her men to fetch him, so go and rest. Make sure Mellisa is fine until Maxwell arrives."

Michelle's response was sharp, "Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Her tone was filled with annoyance. "Do you have any idea how much Mellisa cried? She's scared and heartbroken, thinking she might lose her husband. Why did you keep quiet when you knew he was coming home?"

Mark's reply was defensive, "What could I have done? His granny told me to keep it a secret. I was just following the rules. It's not like I enjoyed seeing Mellisa in that state. My hands were tied. I would have said something earlier if I could."

Michelle's disapproval was palpable, "So why are you telling me this now? Are your hands untied? Or are you just making excuses?" She shook her head in annoyance, "You know what? Just forget it." Michelle rose from the couch and walked away, her pessimism about the situation evident in every step.

Mark shook his head in utter disbelief, his mouth agape. He couldn't fathom how Michelle could direct her anger towards him. Seriously, he understood that everyone was stressed, but was it justified for her to treat him that way? "I won't chase after you, not when I'm not at fault. You owe me an apology," he muttered.

...…

Mellisa was painfully awakened from her slumber and sat up on the bed. The memories of yesterday flooded her mind and tears began streaming down her face. "Maxwell, please be safe, I can't lose you too," she sobbed. Shina and Michelle, who were sleeping next to her, were jolted awake by Mellisa's weeping.

"Hey, please don't cry Mellisa," Shina said, sitting up on the bed. "I've deleted that video from Zick's phone, and Mark and Shayna will do everything in their power to bring Dad home. Stop crying now," she said, hugging Mellisa.

Mellisa tried to speak, but her words were choked by her emotions. Her stomach tightened, and her heart ached with pain. She couldn't bear it anymore.

"Melissa, calm down, please. We are all with you. Your husband will be back home soon," Shina and Michelle said.

"Excuse me, Ma'ams," the maid interrupted with a tone of uncertainty. "There's a helicopter outside, and I suppose the master has returned home." Melissa hastily jumped off the bed and rushed out of the room, leaving Michelle and Shina bewildered. 

"Are you certain about what you just said?" Shina inquired with a hint of uncertainty, eyeing the maid who kept her head bowed. 

"Of course, ma'am," the maid replied, her voice laced with a sense of resignation. 

Without bothering to acknowledge the maid, Michell,e and Shina followed Melissa out of the room. 

Mellisa rushed down the stairs, heedless of the risk of falling. She was eager to confirm the maid's words. She dashed out of the house, barefoot, but unconcerned. Her eyes brightened when she spotted Maxwell approaching. Though he was only 50 miles away, it felt like a million. When she reached him, she flung her frail arms around him, tears streaming down her face.

"Maxwell," Melissa whimpered, clutching him tightly. "Why did you leave me? Do you have any idea how excruciating it was for me to even consider losing you? Please, never put me through this again." 

Maxwell's throat constricted, forcing him to swallow hard. He couldn't fathom the agony Melissa must have endured all night, believing that something terrible had happened to him. The mere thought of causing her tears shattered his heart. And it was all because of Zick Nadia. Maxwell knew he had to teach him a lesson he'd never forget. 

He pulled away from Melissa's embrace, forcing her to face him. His heart sank when he saw how fragile she looked. "Hey, baby doll," Maxwell whispered, wiping away her tears. "I'm here now, aren't I? I won't let this happen again. I'll stay by your side and never leave you alone. I promise. So please, stop crying." 

But deep down, Maxwell couldn't shake off the feeling of displeasure and disheartenment that had taken over him. He knew that the world was a cruel and unforgiving place and that anything could happen at any moment. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd be able to keep his promise to Melissa, or if fate would have other plans for them.

"I'm glad to hear that you're okay," Melissa said, still sobbing. She raised her hands and began to stroke Maxwell's face. "Nothing happened to you, right? I was so worried about you. My heart was aching so much."

"Melissa, I'm fine. Nothing happened to me," Maxwell reassured her. "I'm sorry for making you cry. A pretty lady like you shouldn't cry at all. You should always smile."

"I couldn't smile when you were surrounded by a wild animal," Melissa replied, pouting her lips as tears continued to stream down her face. "I almost lost my mind thinking that you were hurt."

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me," Maxwell apologized. He pulled Melissa closer to him, looking into her eyes. As he leaned in, their lips met, and Melissa felt an electric shock run through her body. Maxwell's soft lips were warm against hers, and she couldn't resist the urge to deepen the kiss. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer as they explored each other's mouths. It's wonderful to see two people so in love.

Michelle and Shina were standing at the doorway, but what they saw in front of them was nothing to be happy about. Their smiles were stretched from ear to ear, but it was a facade to hide their fears about Mellisa's health. She was so pale and weak, which was not good for her health. Shayne and Mark were standing a few miles away from Mellisa and Maxwell, and the pilot had already left with the helicopters. 

Finally, Maxwell and Melissa ceased their kiss, gasping for air, and Melissa ended up coughing uncontrollably.

"Maxwell," Melissa wheezed between coughs, "I suppose I love you so much. But don't ever leave me, please." Melissa couldn't complete her sentence as she slumped into Maxwell's arms and lost consciousness.

...

A/N

Hello beautiful reader, I hope you are enjoying the story so far, please leave your comments and review, I would appreciate it.

I'm truly sorry about the late update, as I had said, I'm having a network and electrical problem. If my battery is not dead there are no networks, so please bear with me. Don't forget to vote and leave your comments.