Will they have a lead now?
MaximusIt's all pointless! All our efforts have been in vain because we haven't found Sarina. I have no idea where she is or who took her. The man whose fingerprint was found on the bottle of sleeping pills that Mariano's group retrieved knew nothing. But one thing is certain, it was used on my wife.I nearly beat the man to death when I found out why Mariano had taken him. I might have done it if it weren't for my brother and his two men holding me back. I felt like a candle burning out when they finally restrained me until I fell to my knees and let my tears flow down my cheeks. I didn't care about the looks they gave me or what they might think of me. All I could think about was where Sarina was and if she was okay. I couldn't bear the thought that someone was hurting her or that she was suffering from pain or anything that may cause her pain.Weeks passed, and I still hadn't returned to the Philippines. I didn't want my wife to suddenly appear, only to find me gone. I wanted to be
"Are you throwing me out of your house?" I asked, causing his brows to furrow."You know that's not what I mean," he quickly replied."If not, then let me stay here," I replied shamelessly."You have business to attend to, Max. People rely on you and your company. You can't just abandon them," he said."I have no obligation to them, but I have a lot with my wife.""I'm not telling you to stop the search. You can do so without compromising the company your parents worked hard for," he said, not taking his eyes off me. I knew he felt sorry for me but didn't want to show it."I'm already doing it, Mariano. You don't need to worry about that." I knew how hard my parents worked for our company, so I let Aries take care of everything while I was away. I am not some irresponsible person who was selfish enough not to know the gravity of my actions, even though I miss my wife so much and feel like dying slowly."It's different when you're there. I promise not to stop searching for Sarina unless
Maximus"What kind of work is this?" I asked harshly before throwing out the architecture team's recommended designs. They all looked terrified before they had their heads down, unable to look me in my eyes. I don't care about their feelings and couldn't stop myself from getting angry either."Sir, they've been working nonstop for two weeks on those designs," Aries interjected, drawing my ire. Of my employees, he was the only one who was strong enough to say something or to talk back to me."And what are you implying? That it's my fault their designs are useless?" I snapped at him, and he quickly shook his head."Why don't we stop first and take a break?" he suggested, making me look at him, trying to understand what he wanted to accomplish by saying that. I took a deep breath and nodded before he turned to the architecture team. He was the only one I couldn't scold too harshly, but sometimes I couldn't help myself. Thankfully, he always understood. "You go ahead and take a break." The
MaximusMariano just looked at me and didn't answer. Even the police officer said nothing and just handed over an envelope. What's inside? Why is my brother being so secretive now? Was I thinking right? Does it have to do with my wife?"That's a copy of all the results," said the police officer."Can you continue your investigation until you find out what happened?" Mariano insisted."Can you answer me? Who is she? Who is the woman you're talking about?" My anxiety turned into fear and worry. What if they are really talking about Sarina? It just dawned on me that Mariano wouldn't need me here if this were related to his group's transaction. It's clear this involves me, so I can't help but be annoyed at him for staying silent."Shut up, Maximus. I am trying to negotiate here," my brother replied before turning back to the police officer, whose face was full of confusion. Maybe he was wondering why I was acting like this. "Please, officer. Don't stop the investigation unless you find the
MaximusThree months after reading those files, I returned to the Philippines, and the police investigation still hasn't yielded any results, even after a year and a half. I should have lost all my hopes, but the loneliness made me not to. I didn't want to feel empty forever, and I thought that would always be how I felt if I didn't hold on to the hope that my wife would return.It's been two years since I last saw my wife, and the pain is still fresh. My older brother and friends call me frequently, probably to cheer me up, but it doesn't help. Six months ago, Mariano visited me, and we spent an entire day together. He talked to me seriously and said it was unlikely that Sarina would be found. I was furious because I knew he had a point.Then, the hope I had been holding onto to stay strong had completely vanished. My brother stayed with me, and I saw the worry on my grandmother's face. I even saw her cry out of fear for my condition because I had attempted to take my own life. I coul
"What did you say?" I asked again, thinking I misheard him."You heard me right, Max," he replied, sighing."And? What about Sarina? Did you find her? Is she in his house? Did he take her?" It seemed my questions would never run out, so he had to answer. He should have given me an answer that I wanted to hear."Nothing, Max." From the very beginning, Mariano had been helping me find my wife. Our prime suspect was Roskov, so he never stopped tracking his activities. And now my brother tells me he's gone? That he's dead, and there's no more information we can get to find out where or how my wife is? I was just thinking about her earlier and how miserable my life is, and then this?"No, how can you say that?" I asked angrily. I couldn't accept his reply. There has to be something that might lead us to my wife. We never found her body, so he had to be alive somewhere. That bastard Roskov was only hiding her."We can't do anything about it, Max," he said. What, am I just supposed to accept
Maximus"Find me a competent secretary, Aries!" I shouted at my assistant. The previous ones had resigned one by one, and any replacements never lasted long. They couldn't handle my temperament despite my assistant's efforts to keep them. The two secretaries with me in Las Vegas had also left, as they often bore the brunt of my anger. I didn't intend to, but I always couldn't help shouting and yelling whenever I felt frustrated.It's been a year since the Las Vegas police confirmed Sarina's death. For several months, I locked myself in my own world again, refusing to talk to anyone. Until one day, I suddenly woke up and started working. But that was it; I just continued doing what I used to do. Sometimes, I tried to find happiness with other women but felt nothing. I couldn't find solace in them, and even if Midori had frequently visited me, I still couldn't let myself take her. There's a part of me that stops me from getting closer to her."The HR has already started posting the hirin
Maximus"I already told you I am not ready for another relationship." I was angry, and I made sure it showed on my face."You don't have to worry, Maximus. Midori is very understanding, and I'm sure she would be a big help to you," Uncle Botan interjected, making me look at him and meet our eyes."Does Midori know how to cook?" I asked, wiping the smile off the woman's and her father's face."Ahm, no, but you can hire a maid. Come on, Maximus. You need a wife, not a maid." This man actually responded."Can she clean the house? Do the laundry? Wash the dishes? Clean the toilet?" I continued to ask, ignoring Uncle's sudden, displeased look."Grandson," Lola gently tried to stop me."My wife knows how to do those things. Even if she's not a doctor, she can cure my pain. She massages me whenever I am tired because of work, and most of all, she hates shopping and traveling. Can Midori do that?" I asked Grandma and Uncle Botan before turning to Midori and asking her directly. "Can you do tha