Chapter 12: Shocked
1205 Words
“HURRY!” She gave her husband a sharp look after he said that.
“How can I hurry when it still hurts? Huh, Mr. Hernandez?” Her husband burst out laughing at her response.
“That’ll go away once I go for another round,” he whispered to her.
She pinched his side and glared again.
“Lucky you, huh?” she said and turned her back on him.
She boarded the cable car. Honestly, it was just the two of them inside. It felt like her husband rented it out—he only got the exact number of tickets for the two of them to go up Mt. Ulriken. Just one-way tickets, too, since they planned to walk back down. She actually preferred going downhill now, given how she was feeling. Her husband didn’t really want to go anymore—she was the one who insisted they go out since it was their last day. They were supposed to go yesterday morning, but the pain she felt was too much. So she—and her husband—did nothing but rest at the hotel they were staying in. Turns out, his friends also had their own rooms. At first, she thought they were all sharing one. And they really did lock their doors that night. BK would’ve broken the door if he forced it. They only opened up at ten. Good thing there was food in BK’s room.
“You’re so stingy,” she told her husband when the cable car started moving.
“Stingy how?” he asked with a frown.
“I mean, why are we the only ones riding this?” She glanced at him briefly, then looked around. She was already standing up so she could enjoy the panoramic views from the cable car. Of course, she didn’t miss the chance to take photos of everything they passed on the way to one of Bergen’s highest peaks—Mt. Ulriken. It was one of the so-called 7 Mountains that hikers adored. Breathtaking, as they say. Every view they passed was stunning, especially when they hovered over the water and some traditional houses.
“BK!” she whispered when she felt his lips on her nape, arms wrapping around her waist.
“I planned it this way—I wanted you all to myself,” he murmured.
She turned to him. “BK, have some respect for the place!” She widened her eyes at him.
“F*ck! You’re thinking something else again, Daph. Aren’t you?”
She bit her lip at his question. Could he really blame her? After tasting what Amelie once boasted about—something divinely made?
Feeling embarrassed, she turned away from her husband. Her eyes landed on his arm as he wrapped it around her again. She decided not to read too much into whatever he did. No use getting humiliated. What happened between them—well, that was only because of his mom’s wish.
Her lips parted slightly when the full view of the seven mountains came into sight. It was absolutely beautiful. It would’ve been nice to explore it all, but they no longer had the energy. They stayed in Ulriken. As her husband said, maybe next time.
They also didn’t miss the chance to eat at Skyskraperen Restaurant. The food was perfect for hikers like them.
BK kept asking her on the way down if she was still okay. She was. The pain had eased, so she told him she could manage. He just scratched his head every time she paused to rest. She didn’t want to miss this chance.
It took them nearly two hours to walk down. It shouldn’t have taken that long, but she moved slowly, which annoyed her husband. He said she was being stubborn. Of course, she was just making the most of it.
She sat on a bench when she saw one. They finally made it down.
“Want to go to the fish market?” he asked as he sat beside her.
She looked at him. “But Max and I already went there. We even had a seafood mukbang,” she said cheerfully.
Her smile faded when he suddenly turned serious. She saw the sadness wash over his face as he looked away. Guilt crept into her chest.
“O-okay, if you want… we can go again.”
She watched him stand up. Maybe she said the wrong thing.
“BK!” she called out. But he didn’t even glance back.
He just walked away with his hands in his pockets.
Shaking her head, she followed him. She hurried to keep up, but he walked too fast.
She paused for a moment to catch her breath, keeping her eyes on him. That’s when a man on a motorcycle pulled up beside her. She’d noticed him earlier, trailing them—but because of the crowds, he kept stopping. His visor was slightly lifted now. She could tell he was smiling sweetly, judging by his eyes.
Her lips parted in shock when he suddenly pulled out a gun and pointed it at her.
Shaking, Daphne stepped back—but froze when he placed his finger on the trigger. If she moved, he might actually fire. Her whole body trembled. It was her first time seeing a real gun—and it was aimed at her.
She held her breath as she watched his finger hover over the trigger. She couldn’t move a muscle. It felt like no one else was around. All she could see was him.
She shut her eyes tightly and covered her ears when he brought the gun closer.
Her scream echoed with the sound of the gunshot.
She didn’t even know where the bullet went—she was still standing there, frozen.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and lowered her hands.
Chaos had erupted.
And then she saw him—the man who threatened her—lying lifeless on the ground, a gunshot wound to the head, soaked in his own blood.
His eyes were wide open, staring straight at her. She screamed. It felt like his gaze was trying to say something in that final moment.
Someone pulled her into an embrace and covered her eyes, guiding her away from the body. She could already hear police sirens approaching.
“Are you okay?” a voice asked, and she looked up. The voice was familiar.
She threw her arms around him when she realized it was Max. She suddenly broke down, telling him everything through sobs. Just as she looked up at Max again, she spotted BK rushing over. But he stopped in his tracks when he saw them embracing.
Max let her go and looked straight at BK.
“Next time you leave her alone in a place like this… I swear I’ll take her from you—whether you like it or not,” Max said angrily before turning and walking away.
She couldn’t help but watch as he got into his vehicle. She was confused by what he’d said to her husband.
BK approached her, apologizing repeatedly for leaving her like that. He held her tightly. They only let go when a police officer came over to them.
- Writer
