Song: Black Sea by Natasha Blume

.....

You rise, I fall
I stand, you crawl
You twist, I turn
Who's the first to burn?

With trembling fingers, I grabbed my phone from my back pocket and pressed the record button.

"I should have known it was you," Henry spoke through gritted teeth as he stood, surrounded by Mr. Sinclair's men, six of them I counted.

"Henry, look—I did what I had to do," John responded. "All of this wouldn't have happened if you married my daughter in the first place. You were suppose to marry Victoria and bring our two families closer together. You and I—we could have controlled a monopoly."

"That was never going to happen," Henry spoke. "You know it."

John snickered through a chuckle. "And that's why we're here today. All of this wouldn't have happened if you had given me the financial support and help I deserved."

"You deserved not even a penny from me or anyone. You embezzled millions in your gambling affairs, laundering money in black markets across continents. You created your own downfall, Mr. Sinclair."

 John laughed.  "When did you find out?"

"After the explosion at your banquet—I knew you were up to something, and I wasn't wrong. You were targeted by them."

"Them?" John mocked.

"You know who they are."

"Henry, Henry," John clapped, "You were always the smart one, brighter than anyone I known, even your father."

"What does my father have to do with anything?!" Henry snapped.

"Everything—but of course, you don't know that. I'll you a little secret before you're rid from this world."

"Tell me," Henry spoke with gritted teeth.

 "Don't you remember how you mother and father died?" John laughed with a cruel expression. "Don't you want to know how they suffered? Before you die, I'll tell you who did it. That severed brake cord in their car—that was my doing."

Henry's eyes flared at Mr. Sinclair. "You! You were their friend!"

Henry lunged for John, but the men restrained him and brought him to his knees.

"You're the one who killed them. You'll never get away with this!"

John walked up to Henry and laughed. "I think I already have. If I didn't take care of them, I wouldn't be standing here today. It's dark world we live in Henry. You know that. And now, I'm going to have to do the same to you."

John signaled to one of his man who took out a gun and pointed it to Henry's head. Henry didn't flinched a muscle.

Adrenaline coursed through me. I was going to step out from the shadows, but Victoria's voice stopped me.

"Dad, please!" Victoria pleaded.

She stepped into the light and shoved the men away from Henry.

I stopped recording and immediately sent the clip to Nick, hopefully there was enough signal to deliver it out here.

"Dad, Henry did nothing wrong," Victoria spoke up.

"Even after what he did to you, honey? Abandoned you like a dog?" Mr. Sinclair said.

"Henry never did me wrong. He did not do anything wrong to our family. Please, I beg you, father."

"Fine—I won't put a bullet in his head then. But I'll make him suffer another way just like his parents." John looked to his four men.

One of them held Victoria down as she screamed while the others tied Henry's hands and legs together.

"You're never going to get away with what you did, John!" Henry threatened. "I'll make sure of it!"

"Dispose of him quickly, and bring Victoria." John ordered before turning around to leave.

"Father, no!" Victoria screamed as two men pulled her away.

The two men holding onto Henry dropped him over the edge into the dark waters of Lake Michigan. My heart was racing to go and save him, but I couldn't yet.

They would have caught me.

Henry, wait for me. I'm going to save you.

When the engines died away from the abandoned warehouse and the coast was cleared, I rushed to the side of the waters.

There was no sign of Henry.

I dove into the cold waters in one fast motion. Under the surface, I swam lower and searched around for signs of Henry through my blurred vision, until I spotted a dark figure just below me, a few feet away.

My hands propelled through the waters, and I raced down to him who was drifting to the bottom. When I finally reached him, he was unconscious and unresponsive to my attempts in waking him up. I moved behind him, and with all my remaining drops of energy, pulled him to the surface. I didn't know I even managed to carried his weight with me, but it just happened like a miracle.

"Please be okay, Henry," I cried into the darkness of the night.

We floated in the water as I tried to think of a way to get us out, but the metal columns against the sides were too high to reach. Hope began to dwindle until I heard the sounds of sirens whirling in the near distance—help was on its way.

"Ally!"

Nick's voice roared from above, and when I looked up, he had already jumped into the waters to help me support Henry.

The police and firefighters who arrived shortly after Nick did helped pull all three of us onto land.

They immediately crowded around my husband, Nick pulling me away from the commotion.

"Nick, let me go! I need to go to him! I need to save Henry!" I struggled but Nick wouldn't let me go.

"Ally, you already did. You saved him. Now let them take care of him."

The emergency responders quickly cut away the ropes on Henry and one of them began CPR.

Nick pulled me into his arms as we waited for Henry to respond, but he didn't.

The agonizing seconds ticked as I watched the EMT now conducting chest compressions on Henry's lifeless body.

I was afraid he wasn't going to wake up.

I couldn't lose him like this.

I wouldn't know what to do if he didn't make it tonight.

After another set of rescue breaths, Henry lurched into the air as he coughed water from his mouth.

A relief of breath expelled from my face, and I broke down.

"Ally ..." I heard Henry uttered.

Nick released me, and I ran over to him.

"Henry!" I bent down and held him in my arms while the tears rushed out endlessly. "You're going to be okay now."

The paramedics strapped Henry into a stretcher and I stepped into the ambulance after them. Holding his hands, I prayed for someone to watch over Henry and bring him back to him.

With an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, I could hear Henry whispered, "I'm sorry."

I wiped off the tears in my eyes.

"It's okay," I mouthed back to him, lifting his hand to my cheek and placing a kiss on the back of it. "Everything is going to be alright now. You're with me now."

Henry remained in the ICU for most part of the night. All I could do was sit worried about him in the cold corriders with Nick, just like when Nana was in the hospital..

The doctors finally came out around four in the morning to inform us his condition was stable, no damage to the lungs and brain or pneumonia, and he was going to make a full recovery in the next few days.

.....

The scandal involving Mr. Sinclair's embezzlement and his role in the murders of Henry's parents were displayed all over the news the next morning.

I didn't know how Henry found out about it, but I understood his statement now. He wanted to tell me the other night that Mr. Sinclair was the close family friend who didn't turn out to be who Henry thought he was.

A hand moved over mine on the bed.

"Henry," I whispered in surprised. I turned off the television in the hospital room, hoping he didn't catch a glimpse of the news, and pressed the button for the nurses.

I reached up and kissed him on the forehead. "Didn't you know how terrified I was of losing you?" I leaned my forehead against his and closed my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Ally," he said lowly through his coarse voice.

"It's okay. You're fine now, and that's all that matters to me." I kissed him again on the forehead.

The hospital door opened, and Nick walked in after the nurses.

As the hospital staff checked Henry's condition, Nick and I stepped out into the hall.

"It's good to see Henry awake now. I wondered what kind of ordeal he must had gone through last night."

"Me, too. It's a miracle in itself he's alive." I looked out through the window of downtown Chicago.

"You're his miracle, Ally. If you weren't there, who knew what would have happened to Henry. By the way, who led you to where he was?"

"Victoria did."

"Victoria?" Nick asked surprised.

"I got a call from her after I talked to you. She had called to tell me Henry was in danger, and her father was behind it. I thought she was lying for a moment, but then I thought again, she couldn't."

"I thought she didn't like you."

"Things have gotten better between us. She approached me during Nana's funeral to apologize for what she had done to me. I guessed we're on better terms now."

"That's good to hear. It must have been hard for her since it was her own father."

I nodded. "I wondered how she is doing right now."

The nurses came out and advised the checkup was completed and all of Henry's tests went well.

Nick's phone rang in the hallway. "Ally, you go in first. I have to take this phone call."

"Okay, see you in a bit," I said before returning inside the room.

Henry was sitting upright on the bed now. We smiled to each other as I walked over to him and sat down on the bed, facing him. He reached for my hands and placed it near his lips.

Nick walked in after finishing his phone call.

"Nick's here to see you," I told Henry.

"Glad to see you made it out, Henry," Nick spoke, his dimples deepening on his cheeks. "You looked awful," he teased playfully.

"Thanks, Nick," Henry responded with a smile.

Nick sat down on the empty chair beside the bed, looking more serious than before. "I just got a phone call from my grandmother. It's about Mr. Sinclair." Nick took a deep breath. "Apparently, he committed suicide this morning."

Henry looked shocked. "Is that true?"

"There's one way to find out. The media knows everything." Nick turned on the television, and the news he just informed us flashed across the broadcast screen.

"The incident occurred sometimes this morning after the media got a hold of the scandal from the FBI. They found him dead in his office with a single gunshot to the head and a gun in his hand."

"I didn't know it would come to this," Henry said.

I placed my hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"I hoped his wife and daughters are doing okay," Nick added. "I never thought someone you known all your life could commit such heinous crimes like this."

"I couldn't believe it either, but the evidence was all there," Henry said. "I didn't want to do it, but he threatened Ally's life. He had his people come after us when we were in Vienna. I couldn't just sit and do nothing about it."

"You did the right thing, Henry," Nick spoke. "If you didn't step up, no one would have known. You wouldn't also have discovered that he was behind your parents' deaths."

Henry nodded. "How did you know, Nick?"

"Ally sent me the video she recorded when Mr. Sinclair took you to that warehouse by the lake. I turned the video over to the police for the investigation."

Henry's attention turned to me and he looked confused, even a little upset. "How did you know I was there?"

"Victoria told me you were in danger. I had to come and help you."

"Why didn't you tell the security guards?"

"It was too dangerous," I replied. "Your life was on the line."

"Henry," Nick spoke up, "Ally jumped into the water last night and pulled you from the lake. If she wasn't there, it would have been a different story on the news."

"Thank you, Ally." Henry pulled me in his arms.

Knocks sounded on the door, and two police men walked in to my surprise. This situation  wasn't over yet.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Cavill. I'm Officer Gonzalez and this is Officer Green," one of the officers greeted.

"Afternoon, how can I assist you today?"

"You have probably heard the news of Mr. Sinclair's suicide this morning," Officer Gonzalez said.

Henry nodded. "We did."

"I apologized ahead, knowing what you went through last night, but we need you to come down to the station to answer a few questions for the continuing investigation in Mr. John Sinclair's death or we can interview you here. Would you have some time?"

"My husband hasn't fully recovered. Officers, please give him some time," I spoke up.

"Unfortunately, it is important the interview is conducted as soon as possible."

"It's okay, honey." Henry turned to the officers. "It won't be a problem, officers. Let me get ready, and I'll meet you downtown at the station in an hour."

"That sounds good. Thank you for your time, Mr. Cavill."

After the officers left, Larry arrived with some clothes for Henry to changed into. He asked Nick to take me home while Larry took him into the station.

I asked to go with him, but my husband resisted the idea and asked Nick to accompany me home.

Nick was able to persuade me to go back to the house and wait until Henry was done.

"How's your grandmother doing?" I asked Nick as we sat down in the living room.

"She's doing fine. She's working a lot now, probably trying to distract herself from losing her best friend."

"Tell her to call me if she ever needs someone to talk."

Nick smiled and nodded. "I'll let her know. How are you doing? Henry and you have been through so much already."

"I know." I took a deep breath. "I just hope Henry is okay after all of this."

"Henry is a strong person. With you by his side, he'll make it through. If you ever need an ear, remember—I'm here for you, always."

"Thank you, Nick. You're such a good friend."

"Don't say that."

I chuckled. "You really are. Anyways, when are you going to tell me about your special someone?" I teased.

Nick smiled childishly. "I'll bring her around soon."

"Okay, if you say so." We heard a car engine outside the house. "That must be Henry."

I leaped up from the sofa and ran to the door, opening it as fast as I could. The black Mercedes Benz came into a halt on the driveway and Henry opened the passenger door, stepping out onto the concrete driveway.

I ran toward him and flung my arms around his waist, burning my face into his chest. "Welcome back."