Chapter 240 - I Swear

Three days later.

Angeles Pampanga.

Alex was boarding his car on the way to the St. Benedict hospital where Owen was confined. Saling informed him that Owen was demanding to get out of the hospital to visit Allison's wake in the funeral homes.

Thirty minutes later, Alex parked his car in the parking lot of the hospital.

He exited his car and walked towards the entrance of the hospital.

In the hallway, he met Saling.

"Good morning, Sir Alex!" the caretaker greeted him.

"Good morning, Saling. How's Owen's condition?"

"He's fine, Sir. He only suffers minor injuries, just scratches and bruises on his face and other body parts. He was devastated after learning that Madam already passed away. He wanted to leave this hospital as soon as possible so that he can visit Madam's wake," Saling explained.

"Okay, I'll go and talk to him first. After the doctor gives his authorization that he is ready to be discharged from the hospital then I will bring you and Owen to the funeral homes after settling the bills," Alex said. "You go back to the beach house now and contact some of your relatives that can be trusted and have them watch over the house while you're away. We will just pay their time after you get back from the burial. Just bring some of your clothes, you can stay in my house temporarily..." he added.

"Thank you, Sir!" Saling replied.

"Go now..."

"Yes, Sir!" the caretaker responded and sauntered briskly towards the entrance of the hospital.

Alex proceeds to the patient's room.

He found Owen wide awake, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He was showing a vacant expression on his face.

Owen looked at Alex remorsefully. "I'm so sorry, Sir!" he said in a trembling voice, feeling apologetic for the death of his Madam.

Alex released a heavy sigh. "How are you feeling now?"

"I...I'm okay now. I have not suffered any serious injuries on my body. I'm ready to leave this hospital and visit Madam in the funeral homes. Please, can I leave now, Sir?" Owen pleaded.

"Okay. I'll talk to your doctor later and if he gives you a discharge paper today then you and Saling can go with me back to Manila," Alex said.

"Thank you so much, Sir," Owen responded with a gloomy sigh.

"But first you have to tell me what transpired on the hours before the fatal accident took place? What happened, why is it that it was my sister who is driving when it was supposed to be you?" Alex asked coldly. Right now he was ready to blame Owen for his sister's death.

"Okay." Owen's eyes shimmered with tears instantly upon recalling the last few minutes before the accident took place. He closed his eyes for a moment gathering strength to tell Alex everything.

He cleared the lump forming on his throat ready to tell the story...

"Madam instructed Saling to watch out for Caroline's movement on the beach. Before that, your sister confiscated Caroline's cellphone and tablet so that she can no longer contact her family and husband..."

Alex brows furrowed. "Huh? When did that happen? Caroline told me that her husband broke her gadgets when they quarrel after she went back to him."

"That was all a fabricated lie between Caroline and Madam. Caroline didn't go home that night. Madam imprisoned her inside on one of the rooms in the mansion. I'm the one who brings Caroline's meals every day. Madam doesn't want to let go of Caroline. She doesn't want the pregnant woman to leave Greg's side," Owen explained.

"Holy!" Alex uttered the word in shock. "Continue..."

"One day, Saling and Caroline went to the city to buy groceries. Caroline bought a new phone and told the caretaker that she will call her twin sister. After Madam know about it, she decided to travel to the beach house for a confrontation and bring Caroline and Greg back to your house because she predicted that after the call, Caroline's husband ad relatives can easily track her in Angeles Pampanga."

Owen paused for a minute or two...

"So, what happened next?" Alex asked eager to know about the accident.

"We start traveling on the road and during the early evening...we stopover at this fast-food restaurant located on the highway to have dinner and have a few minutes rest as well. I'm the one driving the car when we leave Metro Manila."

"Then after the restaurant?" Alex asked.

"We're in the middle of eating our meals when I saw Mike, Caroline's husband, entering the restaurant and ordering his food. He settled on the table far away from us. We were able to watch his movement silently from a distance."

"Huh? What is Mike doing in that place?" Alex asked in bewilderment.

"Caroline's call to her twin sister was tracked, that was Madam's guess. That's why her husband was also in the same place just like us. Madam instructed me to kill Mike with her gun."

"WHAAAAAT!?" Alex exclaimed in shock.

"But I told her that I can't kill Mike. I'm not a murderer! I feel huge relief when Madam starts laughing and told me that she was only joking," Owen said.

"So...what happens next?" Alex was horrified after learning his sister's sick joke, his heart was doing somersaults in his rib cage.

"We finished our dinner and continue observing Mike eating his meal. Then he left the restaurant after done eating. Madam wants us to follow him... so we vacated the place and get inside the car. This time Madam insisted that she will be the one driving the car. I have no choice, if I won't get in the car she will leave me behind, so I got in the passenger seat and she started the engine following Mike's vehicle on the road smoothly."

Alex asked, "So, how the accident happen? She didn't wear the seat belt?"

"I reminded Madam of the seat belt but she ignored my warning," Owen responded.

Alex feels that what Owen was about to say to him will be the last few minutes of his sister on earth. He cleared his throat. "Continue..."

"While we are moving in the road, there are motorcycles behind us then another car...then Mike's vehicle was ahead of us a few meters away. Madam got a call from Greg, I took the phone from her bag and my hand comes in contact with the gun inside her bag. They talked for a few minutes. Madam continues driving while talking to Greg, then their conversation ended. After that...out of the blue a motorcycle decided to overtake ahead of us and Madam was trying to avoid hitting the motorcycle so I lunged at the steering wheel and we steered the car successfully to the left side avoiding the collision with the motorcycle only to smash our car into the other vehicle speeding on the opposite lane.

The accident happened so fast...the next time I opened my eyes I'm already lying in the hospital bed...and the rest is history," Owen concluded his narration as he wiped the tears that were falling from his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Sir, I was not able to save Madam's life," he said apologetically, his voice filled with profound sadness and guilt.

Alex winced in pain.

He released a deep sigh. After hearing everything, he can not solely blame Owen. It's his sister who insisted on driving the car and didn't wear her seat belt, courting death on the process. Besides, accidents always happened on the road, it can happen to anyone. The good thing is, the other driver was safe and recuperating nicely in the same hospital.

Only his sister did not make it...

He breathed deeply.

After learning about the accident that took away his sister's life, Alex wants to know about the secrets that the two women were hiding from him.

Alex rose from the seat and walked towards the window which was located near the bed. He stared outside looking at the people walking on the busy streets outside the building.

After a while, he went back to the chair wanting to resume his interrogation.

He studied Owen's face intently. "So...can you tell me now what you know about Allison and Caroline? What are their secrets?" he asked curiously.

Owen breathed deeply and shifted his attention towards the window. He was not sure if telling Alex all the things he knows can make any difference. He glanced at his visitor and asked him a question instead, hoping to evade his inquiries. "Sir, w-where is Caroline as of this moment?"

"She's back to her husband and family," Alex replied casually.

"Ah okay...nice to know that...I'm happy for her," Owen murmured.

Silence took over the room.

Alex looked at the guy lying on the bed, his gaze never wavered. "Owen, tell me now everything you know about my sister and Caroline!" he demanded in a cold voice.

Owen glanced at Alex with fear shining in his eyes. "S-sir...It's better that you don't know anything. Let me take Madam and Caroline's secret with me 'till the day I die. I swear, I will not tell anyone their secrets. The women's secret is safe with me. I owe Madam my life, it's the least I can do for her," he said warily.

Alex was dumbfounded. After hearing Owen telling him that he would take the women's secret to his grave, he was getting more curious. More than ever he needs to know the women's secrets now!

"Owen, you don't have to keep the secret alone on your own, let me take half of the burden," he suggested kindly.

"But, Sir...I'm doing this to protect you. What you don't know won't hurt you..." Owen insisted on guarding the women's secret.

Alex brows knitted together as his eyes darkened. "Owen, do you want to keep living in my sister's mansion and continue living a lavish life without worrying about money? Or do you want to live in the street, penniless and unemployed? Choose wisely!" He gave him the ultimatum.

Owen groaned and released a ragged sigh.