I slowly opened my eyes. At first, I blinked a few times to adjust to the light, and the first thing I saw was the white room.Where am I?I focused on the steady beeping of the monitor beside me and felt the oxygen mask covering my mouth and nose.What’s happening? Am I in the hospital?I tried to sit up, but I couldn’t move my body.Am I paralyzed?Fear slowly crept into me as flashes of that night—the bomb, the explosion—rushed into my mind. My whole body still ached, as if the pain from that nightmare was real, not just some distant memory.I turned my head, glancing around the room. There was no one else here.Why am I here?Is this a dream?I shut my eyes again, trying to drift back to sleep, but sleep refused to come. Then I heard the door creak open and soft footsteps approaching me.I opened my eyes to see Verona standing there, her eyes wide in surprise.“Sis! You’re awake now!” she exclaimed, her voice full of relief. I wanted to ask her why she’d left me in such a rush befo
I couldn’t help but glance at the man—Zech’s so-called uncle, Jerick—as I listened to the three of them talk about business. I also caught him glancing at me, accompanied by a smile I couldn’t quite read... but it didn’t seem to mean well. I was introduced to him—Jerick Sandoval—the man who owns several international shipping lines and online shopping platforms. That’s why I don’t understand... why is his surname Sandoval? What’s the reason? Zech’s father once said they’d been friends for seven years and that Jerick was the son of his cousin, Emmanuel Sandoval. That only deepened my curiosity. No matter which way I look at it, I know he’s well-acquainted with that man—the one I’ve dealt with several times before. Is he planning something? Zech’s arm wrapped securely around my waist, while his other hand held a glass of champagne. I noticed the smile on his face as he talked to his father and Jerick about the company’s direction. And here I was, pretending to be so engrossed i
The hairdresser fixed my hair. Zech’s mom had even sent a make-up artist and hairdresser just for me. What’s with this grand ball? The occasion seemed very special and important to the El Devar family. It had been days with no repeat delivery of those strange packages. But I was still worried. What if someday, without realizing it, Zech’s staff missed one and one of my family or friends received a package? I didn’t know what to do if that happened. No matter how many times I searched, I couldn’t find that man. And no matter how much I wondered who might be after Pigeon, there was no one I knew who could be involved in this. Looking back at all my past transactions, there was nothing suspicious. And the file Matthew left with me was already hidden safely, somewhere no one would ever find it. Is that what this mysterious person wanted all along? I had checked the file again; there was nothing but codes, hundreds of them, ones even Ced couldn’t understand. After the hairdresser finishe
The depressing music gave me sadness as I quietly drank the milk tea. There were many people inside the establishment where Rhisha and I were.We hadn't seen each other for a long time, and when I found out that she was in Manila where I was, I phoned him to meet her. If I hadn’t used Facebook and seen her posts, I probably wouldn’t have known.“I see the news about your three friends, Queenie, you never told me what happened to them, but I am so happy they had the justice they have, despite the murderer killed. Everyone thought it was an accident, but it was not. And the three police acquainted with the murder got imprisoned. And it's a whole story,” said Rhisha while twisting the straw of her milk tea.I dropped the half-empty milk tea on the table, our seat next to the glass plain window near the entrance. I looked at her, whose formerly long hair was now shoulder-length, and she dyed it copper brown to match her white skin complexion better. Wearing a gray blouse and fitted black
The snow fell gently, blanketing the ground as I trudged through it, a basket of lilacs clutched in my hand. Each step felt heavier than the last as I made my way to Theoren's grave.It had been a week since the tragic incident, and the headlines had finally brought some semblance of justice. It wasn't just an accident, as the truth had been revealed, bringing closure not only to my friends' deaths but also to Theoren's.Yet, despite the passage of time, I still couldn't wrap my head around how Maverick could have done such a thing. The CCTV footage I'd seen didn't seem to match up, but Zech had explained that the police hadn't shown the actual footage. Jackson wasn't the culprit behind my friends' deaths; he'd merely played a part in the events. Why, Zech hadn't disclosed. And Jackson wasn't deceased, as they'd made it seem. It was all a setup.As I approached the grave, the chill in the air seemed to seep into my bones despite my thick attire. It was my fifth visit, and the flowers
I raised the handgun, pointing at him, and a wicked smile appeared on his countenance, and those eyes with no soul on them eyed me. “Vara Samonte...” he mumbled my name, hearing his graveyard voice, seeping a chill in my entire body. There's nothing he was holding, and his arm crossed. “You fool me once but not twice. But how smart are you, Vara, such a nice name in your fake identity. I thought you were the Duchess, but then, someone came to me and told me you were not her. I hated a liar,” he shook his head, and he tilted his head on the left side. “Upon knowing you and Zech, there is something wrong in here. What will he feel seeing your lifeless body covered in blood? How I enjoy seeing the light of him fade. Such a pretty face, perfect family, and perfect life have you ever thought about it?” I don’t know why he says those, but does it benefit him? “Killing me? I am not letting you do that to me, Deathwish. Don't you think you are ahead of me? I suppose you might be wrong. I