Chapter 2.

Slade stood there like a log of wood that had just fallen into a pool of icy water. 

He felt stiff and immovable as he tried to process those few words that his nanny had just uttered.

He slowly heaved the nanny from his chest and walked back to the building. He was shocked out of his wits. 

It could even be said that his actions now are but instinctive.

He slowly pushed the door open, which fell away at his touch. Earlier, before he heard his name called by her, he had looked through a blow in the door to see the inside. But right now, the debris of the interior of his once beautiful home stood right their in front of him like a ghastly nightmare.

Charred woods, melted plastics, shattered glasses, broken porcelain, and several other fire residues littered the whole room. Slabs of latte blackness crawling all over the walls. The ceilings were displaced, and the whole space was in ruins. 

A ruin that can hardly be fixed.

Just staring at this, Slade heart became water! He knew what this meant! Fire! A serious fire! But he didn't want to make things up. He quickly turned around to look at Mamita, who had already walked towards him, too.

There were tracks of dried tears, nearly wetted all over her face.

"What happened?" Slade swallowed. His throat was as bitter as gaul. He didn't think he was ready to hear the story.

"A few days after you went to prison..." She was still sobbing, unable to get her words clearly.

She decided to hold back the remaining tears. That way, she would be able to tell the story clearly.

Slade's heart was beating hard as he waited for the narration.

"July 11th. Your father's birthday. The house was busy, and everyone had his hand occupied. There were a lot of guests and other well wishers. The day went by slowly... It was a joyous day which later turned..."

She sniffled, rubbing the back of her hand, which looked extremely coarse, against her nose.

"At night when everyone was tired and looking to put their bodies to bed... suddenly, a cry of horror was heard. Fire! It was a mysterious fire that no one knew how it started."

"It was strange how the fire spread out in the blink of an eye. Before attempts could be made, the whole mansion had been set on fire!"

"I'm sorry, Slade..." Her voice broke again as tears started welling up in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. The fire took them all. If I had not gone out shortly to get more groceries, perhaps I would be dead, too."

"Forgive me, Slade, that I could not do anything." Her effort to hold back the tears gave way! Her eyes became flooded.

Slade felt like his spirit had been crushed as he listened to the story of his nanny. His heart was shattered into a confetti.

His whole family is dead! His entire family is gone! Gone to a mysterious fire!!!

But he could not just stand there and watch Mamita suffer like that. He couldn't begin to imagine what share of pain and torture she must have gone through all these years. He felt pity for her, for himself and for his family, who were gone.

A tear strayed from his eyes as he tightened his jaws. He should be the man here no matter what.

"There are rumors..." Mamita began, "that the arsonists are the Langley family. They gained a lot from your father's death. But it's just a rumor."

"Langley family…"

"Yes, and your girlfriend Mariana..."

Mamita suddenly fell silent, as if she had said something she shouldn't have.

"Mariana? What happened to her? I thought she would be here taking care of you all."

"Taking care of us?" Mamita seemed to find this amusing, showing a mocking smile before a tear rolled down her cheek.

Slade did not want to press further. He walked closer to her and hugged her.

The both of them stood in the midst of the ruins; a leftover of what used to be an opulent living room.

While hugging her, he tried to cup her body into his broad chest, but he noticed something strange. He quickly pulled away as his eyes squinted.

Suddenly he realised that one of her arms was gone. She only had one arm left.

Could this get any worse?!

"What happened to your arm? Thought you said you were not in the fire?" He asked out of burning concern, not caring about the words themselves.

"It's... It was..."

She was trying to explain to him when all of a sudden, a loud vehicular noise was heard roaring outside the building. Urgent matters shift the mind to pressing business.

Slade and Mamita quickly hurried out of the building to see what this noise was all about.

Outside the building, there was a group of men dressed in vests, googles, hats and boots. They looked like they worked for a construction company. There were two bulldozers behind the men.

Although they were construction workers, yet they looked very tough.

As soon as Mamita saw them, she started to shudder. She quaked and was in great fear. Slade noticed this. He intelligently deduced that her missing arm must be related to these people.

He was trying to advance towards the men when Mamita grabbed his arm to stop him. She shook her head at him. There was great fear seeped into every corner of her eyes. She was warning him not to go to the men!

Seeing her like this made Slade burn in rage. His face suddenly turned cold and rigid as steel! He snatched his arm from her and stomped towards the men.

"Who is the boss here?" Slade said coldly, hardly looking at the five men gathered in front of him.

"Who is this poor loser acting tough?" One of the men mocked.

"Get off my face right now, and we'll try not to destroy you alongside that wench and the house!" Another man gloated.

Slade's eyes turned crimson when the man called his nanny a wench! He could kill all these men without even breaking a sweat, but he was biting his rage down.

"Are you still standing there?" The men were really surprised to see Slade staring them down even though they had warned him.

While this was going on, the leader of the construction workers stepped to the front. He looked round and heavy. Bald but appealing.

"Do you know who sent me, you little cunt!!!" The leader almost spat at Slade. "I was sent by the Langley family!" His voice was loud and very proud.

"If you do not crawl out of my sight like a beggar, I'll crush you to death, and you'll be buried under the rubble of this house like your miserable family!!!"

Slade narrowed his eyes. The Langley family again? It seemed that the rumors Mamita mentioned were likely true;

Otherwise, why would the Langley family bother tearing down his house?

When Mamita saw that the argument was getting heated and Slade might get hurt, she quickly ran to the front to shield Slade from getting beaten.

"Don't include him, please. I'm the one you're here for." She feigned boldness as she stood in front of Slade, spreading her arm like a wing to protect Slade.

The construction workers suddenly burst out laughing by her demonstration.

"What the hell is wrong with this one-handed bitch. Get away from my sight!" The leader slapped her across the face.

He slapped her so hard that she tumbled over her head and almost broke her neck.