As early as a bird, Mr. Stephen Alejandro opened his eyes with a smile on his slim chapped lips. His hands crawled to the table beside his bed to reach for his reading glasses. In the process, his whole body started shivering, like that of a convulsing child.

Confused about the reaction of his body, the cylindrical shaped glasses dropped from his hand hand shattered in it's own frame.

The Chairman's eyebrows raised together as his mouth suddenly went slack, exposing his teeth in shock to the reaction of his body. Lines of vertical wrinkles formed between his eyebrows while he gritted in pain.

Suddenly, as if the oxygen in the room was chocking him up. That moment, Mr. Stephen felt five fingers cutting through his throat, trying to reach for his soul. He quickly held his chest as he struggled to breath. Wanting to touch the small alarm bell he uses to call the maid, his body fell to the other side of the bed, as he struggled to catch his breath.

'Crash!' The chairman shivered at the noise and looked up to see his cat staring guiltily at a broken vase on the floor.

'Meow!' The black cat cried, fearfully.

Just then, the maid walked into his room.

"Mr. Chairman!" She rushed to him with fear written all over her young, heart-shaped face.

"Agg-nnees..." He called her name with so much pain and difficulty.

The maid opened his drawer and brought out his inhaler. Placing it in is mouth, she compelled him to gently breath in and out while she pressed it into his mouth, firmly.

Her hand reached for her phone as she failed the doctors number. It was reading when her eyes glanced at Mr. Alejandro. He had passed out.

As quick as lightening, her tiny hands held him firmly as the pupils in her grey eyes trembled, forming tears.

"Mr. Chairman, please don't go." She dialed the doctor's number once again but he wasn't picking up.

"No, Mr. Chairman! Stay with me." She held his face, trying to wake him up but she noticed that he had suddenly went lifeless and cold.

Meanwhile, the doctor just came out of the surgery room and went straight to his office. Seeing the missed calls, he tried dialing the number, as Agnes picked.

"He just passed out sir. He's not b-breathing!" Her lips quivered the words in fear.

"Oh my! Tell the driver to bring him here, right away." He instructed as an unsettled look clouded in his eyes.

Immediately, she ran outside to call the drivers. They carried him into the dark and drives off to their own hospital.

Meanwhile, Jade whom had managed to sleep heard the serine of the ambulance through his dream. He woke up, he tried opening his eyes but he sharply closed it . Invisible doodlings covered his face but he managed to open up through the eye-blinding sun-rays that kissed his skin from above.

'Sapphire...' He remembered what had happened last night. 'I need to take her out, today. It has to be today. Else, he would marry her tomorrow.'

Remembering how Ace pulled the trigger. A painful look strolled through his eyes. Jade shook his head in self pity as a single teardrop rolled down his eyes. He never would have imagined that Ace was into this. He struggled to move himself from the firm grip of the rope that held him up but that was impossible. His fingers trailed to the knot, he tried pulling it out as a finger reached for the other edge of the rope. In pain, he pulled it.

Though, it was almost impossible, Jade tried his best, using the remaining strength left in him to pull out the edge of him rope from the knot and left himself free. He tried and tried till his hands went sweaty. Beads of sweat missed with the dried blood on his forehead but Jade wouldn't give up. And in just an instant, the knot loosened up a bit. He tried harder and harder the his wrist was free enough to pull out the edge of the rope.

Hearing his silent groan from outside one of the bodyguards looked backwards, to the direction of the room.

"Do you hear that sound?" He asked his partner.

"What sound?" The other looked around, abruptly.

"It's like our new friend is awake. I gotta check on him." He announced before leaving.

***

Meanwhile, the chairman was rushed to  the hospital. Mrs. Kate was on her way to work that morning when a call entered. Looking at the face of her screen, she saw it was the family doctor.

"Why would he be calling?" She raised an eyebrow at the thought and answered the call.

"Hello."

"So sorry ma, but there's an emergency." The doctor started with a clear voice.

"Just go straight to the point." She replied with a blank face.
Thinking he needed more funds to run the hospital or something.

"Your father-in-law collapsed this morning. His condition is critical ma."

"What?!" Her eyebrows raised and her full eyeballs widened in utmost surprise. She wasn't even expecting this. Her heart raced like a that of a terrified horse. Kate gently put her food down to the accelerator, making her car overtake others like a fiercely lion. Other road users stretched their necks towards her, wondering who that was.

"That woman must be crazy." One man concluded.

As fast as speed, Kate rushed into the hospital.

"Welcome ma." Mr. Kim rushed to her from the reception.

"How is he? Where is he?! Is he responding to treatment?"

"He's right here ma." Mr. Tim led the way into the Chairman's ward.

Her lips parted in amazement when she was him on the sick-bed. He had a white gown on and  in an oxygen mask connected to his his nose.

"What happened?!" Kate looked at him, stunned.

"The maid call me very early this morning. She said he collapsed so I instructed she bring him here right away."

"I was just with him last night! Is... Is he in a critical condition?" Her voice trembled with tears forming in her eyes.

"Unfortunately ma, he's having severe asthma and his symptoms no longer improve with standard medications. Im afraid to say this na, but the chairman does not have much time left."

"What?!!" She clamoured with where hand over her mouth. It looked as if her heart suddenly dropped as the breathing suddenly went heavy.
"How long does he have... At maximum?"

"I'm not sure but he's having not less than 12 months."

"Oh my!" Kate muttered, allowing the heavy tears to freely flow down face that had suddenly turned red.

Taking another look at him, she noticed the bluish colours of his slim lips. She held her head in pain.

"He's body is weak, unlike the last time."

"What last time?" She raised her sad eyes at the doctor.

"I've been prescribing him  leukotriene modifiers and other special treatments this whole time. You...don't know about this, ma?"

Kate nodded her head as she took another glance at him. Walking out of the ward, she met Mr. Tim.

"Hope all is well, ma?"

"Make sure all this remains confidential. Especially to the Damien's family. If a single word gets to the media, it would be hard to handle." She explained.

"Yes, I'm aware ma. He shivered like a trembling leaf. What about his children and relatives in in Paris?"

"No, tell this to no one. Not until Jade is back. Have you heard from him?"

"Not yet ma. Worse part is, he went alone. He said we shouldn't call the police until he gives a call."

"What?! That's crazy!" She opened her handbag and took her mobile phone. Kate failed his contact but he wasn't picking up. She dialed it again and again but it was still the same.

"I'd have to find my son before he gets himself killed." She  concluded.

"As far as we are all concerned, the chairman isn't in America right now. So, I'll be the one to handle everything."

"Okay ma." Mr. Tim replied as she walked back into the ward.