Ziggy winced as he sipped his coffee—it was overly bitter than how he expected it to be. He made this coffee himself and thought that perhaps he needed more practice and skill to make the perfect coffee for his taste buds. He was at his laboratory right now taking a break from his usual laboratory routines, a couple of doc.u.ments jumbled on his desk including a fresh newspaper he bought at the street earlier while driving his way to the lab.The news these days concentrated to only two subjects—the stolen La Agartha pieces and the Lagdameo heir"s ambitious and daring proposition of making a bridge to the Manggan Island.
"A bridge?" A frown messed up the Youngest sire handsome visage as he remembered the thing "What is the Lagdameo coach up to? He failed to stop her the day she left and now he wanted to reconnect with her? Stupid!"
Truth was Ziggy didn"t know how to react on the news about Darryl asking the central government permission to build a bridge. He thought that the Lagdameo coach had lost his sanity already at Xhemin"s escape but something inside him was also quietly cheering for Darryl, he just doesn"t want to recognize that feeling as his dislike on him lingered till then.
Nevertheless, Ziggy thought that Darryl"s proposition was carefully planned and was receiving a good feedback from the ma.s.s. However, he didn"t expect that Darryl had to divulge the information about Xhemin and professor Owens. The day of Xhemin"s escape, Darryl also found out about professor Owens and he used that information to his own benefit.
"What a smart-a.s.s he is," Darryl blurted again, talking only to himself. Now that the ministry knew that someone successfully crossed the par line, Darryl had a strong chance of getting approval. All he needed to do was prove that his information about Xhemin and professor Owens were true.
But how will the Lagdameo coach attest to that?
"Young sire," Ellie came in and disrupted Ziggy"s thoughts.
"Yes?" He answered turning fully to the butler who called him. He had sent Sam to another business school so she was not there at the time to give him company.
"You have a visitor," The butler announced.
"A visitor?" he arched a brow at it. He was not expecting anyone so he was surprised to this unannounced visit "Who?"
Right then the picture of Darryl coming straight from the door made Ziggy"s eyes widened. He almost threw the bitter coffee he had made for himself.
"What are you doing here," He asked right away.
Darryl looked at Ziggy leveling his hard stares. He knew the youngest sire disliked him so much but he was the only thing he got at the moment.
"I need your help," He said straight to Ziggy"s surprised face whose shock only aggravated with his words.
***
Ziggy could not believe it. He despised Darryl so much yet the one he was asking was something that got him too carried away that he ended up saying yes to his plea. He pitied the coach—Darryl. He seemed to have not get over Xhemin"s escape, but who among them did?
He himself was longing for her, more so Doctor Miles who was missing his only granddaughter every single day. Every time they spoke about her, which rarely happened because they both were not willing to talk about it, Doctor Miles a.s.sured him that Xhemin was fine and that professor Owens will take care of her but this a.s.surance didn"t reach his eyes at most. Ziggy knew that deep inside, the doctor was suffering from pain and devastation.
Ziggy fixed himself on the mirror and proceeded to set up his phone"s camera. For the first time in six months, he"s opening his media accounts for a live announcement. When the live feed started, his comment section broke out uncontrollably as his supporters and fans were thrilled. They were flooding him so many questions about himself, about his research and about his future plans. Ziggy for some time allowed himself to mingle with his fans but after a while, he proceeded to the very reason why he went live.
"I opened my accounts today for one reason and that has something to do with the news that recently broke out about the people who crossed the Manggan Island. I would like to confirm the truthfulness of these claims. I am both acquainted to the professor and the girl who successfully crossed the par line as all of us went Rivendell. The reason for their venture to the island was to study plants, as both of them were botanist" Ziggy announced confidently. He did not mention their names like Darryl did as Rivendell Academy might have a problem with that but he supported Darryl"s claims.
"In my opinion, building a bridge toward the Manggan Island is like opening our civilization to new possibilities that both the government and the people from Manggan tribe would benefit"
He was wondering earlier on how would Darryl prove his claims but he did not expect that he was the answer to it. The Lagdameo heir made him a witness and wanted to plead his support publicly to get more attention and appeal to the ma.s.s. Of course, he was very unwilling to help Darryl the first time he asked yet something inside him wanted to know what happened to Xhemin as Darryl told him she was injured. He just wanted to make she was safe and perhaps the bridge that Darryl was going to build might help her comeback alive and well. Although these things were impossible, he hoped for it just like he hoped that sooner he will figure out the cure for Huzey"s broken leg.
Ziggy"s thoughts dragged him too sentimental that instead to ending his live feed with his support for Puente De Amor, he chose to tell the story behind the bridge.
"The bridge was called Puente De Amor for the reason its name itself speaks—Love. Once, there was a man who fell in love and the woman he fell for was at the other side, ocean and oceans apart. To find his way to her, he must build a bridge to cross the sea" Ziggy narrated. He knew that this story will make the whole nation wonder about Darryl"s intention for making the bridge but he also thought that for once, such story should be told.
Ziggy ended his live feed and eventhough the screen turned black, many lingered on his page frantic and curious about the story he just told.