Chapter 4 The day I lost it all

Chapter 4

Yana’s POV

But before I could speak, the big screen suddenly went off and then snapped back on to display the news channel. Every single person in the room turned around like they were ordered to do so, to now stare again at the big screen.

"We interrupt our broadcast with breaking news," a female news anchor's calm voice boomed through the speakers, silencing the crowd once again as everyone turned to the screen. "Federal authorities have just launched a massive, unannounced raid on a Volk Sports and Entertainment warehouse. Documents leaked online just minutes ago allege that the billion-dollar sporting empire is merely a front for high-level organized crime."

A collective gasp echoed through the room as pictures of documents and videos of our company's warehouse filled the screen.

"Investigators claim founder Viktor Volk is heavily implicated in multi-million dollar money laundering operations," the anchor continued. "Even more disturbing, federal reports link the Volk organization directly to international drug smuggling and human trafficking rings operating across Eastern Europe. We have reports that federal tactical units are currently en route to..."

It felt like I stood outside of my body for a while. My body suddenly went blood-cold,  like I was watching my whole world crash down all around me in a matter of minutes.

"Frauds!"

"Where’s my daughter?!?"

‘’Have them locked up!’’

Soon the whole lobby got rowdy with screams of accusations, some bringing up their lost children who had gone missing and putting the blame against my family. 

My shoulders dropped.

"There must have been a mistake! These things aren't true!" My voice got swallowed up by the crowd getting even more agitated by the second and no one seemed to be paying me any heed,

I knew these accusations were false. 

My father detested these things he was being accused of, he would never do things like these, and as for the fake video of me... I didn't know what to do, where to start, or even what to think as murmurs and curses suddenly kept flying around while the crowd heated up and even some began tossing food at me and I knew things were beginning to get out of hand.

My gaze swept through the crowd trying to find my boyfriend, but he was nowhere to be found, then my eyes settled on my parents who were now huddled together.

My father was standing near the stage with his cane, looking completely in shock with his face overly pale and his dark eyes wide as he stared at the screen like a man whose whole life was flashing right in front of him, and I was sure at that moment he was innocent. 

Beside him, my mother had her hand pressed tight against her chest, struggling to catch her breath as her face turned plain white.

"Mom!" I screamed, immediately breaking into a run toward them.

Before I could reach her, my mother's knees buckled and she crumpled to the ground sideways as my father tried to break her fall, but he was too weak to offer any real help.

The crowd around them didn't move to help either. 

They only shouted louder, throwing insults and calling us frauds and criminals as they recorded her on their phones.

Tears burned hot and flowed without stopping down my cheeks, smearing my makeup as I dropped hard onto my knees beside her, feeling my calves and body protest in pain at the harsh movement , but it could not compare to the heavy suffocating pain in my chest. My hands shook as I pulled her closer to me. "Mom! Mom, please open your eyes! Yana is here…"

For a fraction of a second, my fighter training kicked in forcing my racing heart to steady just enough so my shaking hands wouldn't fail me.

Her skin was slowly being covered up with drops of sweat as she gasped weakly for air. 

I hurriedly laid her flat on her back, my hands flying to her chest and locking my fingers as I began CPR out of desperation, even as my body was trembling so hard with so many emotions.

"She needs help! Someone call emergency services!" I screamed out every word that came to mind as panic clawed hard at my throat while I looked around the room for help, but all I saw was a sea of cold, angry faces holding up lit phone screens and recording as I pushed down with all of my strength at my mother's chest trying to preserve her life with the first thing that came to my mind. 

But still nobody moved.

"Trying to play the pity card? That wouldn't work!" An elderly woman I knew hadn't exactly liked our family spat out and sadly the crowd agreed with her as they began drawing closer.

No...

Just then the huge main doors of the lobby burst open next with force as the sound of heavy boots filled the room, pounding hard against the floor.

"Federal agents! Get back!" a voice yelled out over the noise, and officers in black full on gear came rushing into the room, pushing the angry crowd back. 

"Call a medic!" one of them shouted into his shoulder mic when he saw my mother on the floor, while two other officers moved past me and grabbed my father. 

They shoved him against the edge of the stage, pulling his hands behind his back and slapping iron handcuffs onto his wrists.

"Dad!" I sobbed, completely torn between keeping my hands pressed onto my mother's chest and watching my father get dragged away in handcuffs, while everything around us completely fell apart.