Lucas watched me as I adjusted the head band that I was trying to wear. I couldn't muster the courage to undress in front of him. Even though he was trying to make me wear the undies, the fact that they were transparent made it feel like I was exposing myself to him. I kept my eyes on him as I slowly removed my clothes, waiting for him to reconsider his request. Instead, I saw his eyes soften slightly, and for a moment, the tense atmosphere seemed to waver. There was a glint of curiosity in his eyes, which made me feel even more vulnerable, strangely enough. Swallowing hard felt like I was swallowing my pride along with it. As I completed my transformation into the absurd bunny costume with those damn transparent undies, I couldn't help but feel a mix of embarrassment, resentment, and, surprisingly, a hint of defiance. I couldn't recall the last time I'd been grateful that I preferred to keep myself well-groomed and fresh. "What now?" I asked. I had agreed to this arrangement to pr
"I'll be heading home now, My," I replied to her call. I had barely gotten any rest. Lucas didn't let up after what happened earlier. The sun was already rise, but his energy seemed endless, and here I was, completely drained from what he did. I wasn't allowed to stay up late, but I had no choice because of him. "Why did you go back to your condo? Don't you like staying at home?" she asked. I quickly shook my head. "No, My. I was just looking for something. I'm heading back now," I lied as I looked at Lucas, who was peacefully asleep next to me. "Is that so? Then I'll arrange a family dinner later. Are you okay with that?" "Yeah, sure, My. That's great. I haven't been able to join you for a meal in a few days now." I removed Lucas's arm from my waist before leaving the bed. I nearly cursed when I saw myself in the mirror. My hair was a mess, there were dark circles under my eyes, and I looked utterly exhausted. I said my goodbyes to Mommy after a while. She and Daddy were t
My hands were trembling. I couldn't stay still as I made my way toward the Gazila highway. No one said exactly which hospital they took my Mom and Dad to, but I searched for hospitals near that highway. Even now, the news that I have watched hasn't fully sunk in. I just realized earlier that they hadn't returned home yet. But what made me think is that, how it is possible that I didn't know they were handling such a huge case all this time. Am I such a worthless child? This is what I feared ever since. I've long reminded Dad to cut down on clients with big names because, I know in the end, they are the ones at risk. I exhaled heavily out of mixed emotions that I am feeling. Right now, my parents are all I can think about. I don't know if there's any news update on the incident because after it was reported, I left immediately to find the hospital mentioned in the news. I followed the nearest hospital on the map. My heart raced as I saw my approach toward the hospital. Was I so oc
My eyes were swollen as I stared blankly at the two coffin in front of me. Everything happened so fast. It felt like I had lost a leg because of what happened. It was as if my soul had left me, and worst of all, I felt like I'd lost the motivation to keep living. I wiped away the tears that streamed down my cheeks. I felt Bernadette's presence beside me. I don't know if I should be thankful that they're with me, especially at times like this, because all I wanted right now is to be alone. Although Bernadette and Noah weren't forcing me to talk, I preferred not to interact with anyone for a while. I felt so tired from everything I had gone through. Up until now, I still can't accept the fact that I lost my parents. The parents I depended on. How can it be this hard to be dependent on parents? It felt like my life ended when my parents were taken away. I can't even find the will to keep living. I don't know if I can continue; I felt incomplete, physically, mentally, and emotionally
"I'm not trying to cause trouble, Noah. I just want to know who did this to my parents. They deserve justice," I said to him over the phone when he called me. "Come on, Aurora. You know it's better if you stay home. You need to rest, mentally and physically. Don't forget that you have a baby inside you—" "I know—just after this one. I'm not neglecting my child. I just want to seek justice for My parent's death, especially since we all know it wasn't an accident." "Even so, you should just let it go—" I ended the call and quietly watched the highway as we drove along. Our conversation kept going in circles, and it was getting irritating. "Is the evidence we gathered still not enough?" I asked Sergeant Torre. Another police officer was with us. We also had the investigator for the attorney who would present the case in court.I don't know, but something kept telling me... urging me to keep an eye on everything. I needed to be hands-on, even if just in this aspect, because I felt l
"Can you play it again?" I asked. I needed answer. I can't deny the fact that a part of me was still hoping that Lucas had nothing to do with it, even though it was crystal clear in the footage. But my hopes falls down like a water on mountain when, in just a few seconds, I saw how Lucas unleashed a hail of bullets, and the next thing I saw was the shattering of my parents' car window. I could hear Geneva and Vince arguing, but I couldn't understand what they were talking. I felt like a ghost that was just standing there. My mind was in haywired, it was unable to process what I have just found out.I kept staring at the monitor, where Lucas was still firing repeatedly with his gun. Even though he was slightly turned sideways, I could see the darkness in his eyes. It was as if he saw nothing, and he wasn't fully satisfied on what he's seeing when he pulled out another gun after his first one ran out of bullets. I felt like my breathe will stop any second now. The officer who's wit
Trembling, I staggered out of Lucas’s apartment, my hands smeared with his blood. I could feel the eyes of people on me, yet no one dared approach because of the knife I was holding. Feeling nauseous, I called Noah. I didn't know what else to do. I was terrified after what had happened. They couldn't blame me; I was just fighting for my life, to save myself from him. Lucas was the one to blame. "Can you pick me up, please?" I pleaded when Noah answered the call. "What happened? Where are you?" "Please, hurry," I urged. I threw the knife away, feeling sick, and grabbed at my hair. I covered my ears as I looked around. Even now, I could hear Lucas’s voice, though he wasn’t there. What scared me more was hearing Iris’s laugh, as if her mouth was right next to my ears, driving me insane. I shook my head with my eyes closed to dispel the sounds, but a harsh blow to my head was the last thing I felt before everything went dark. "Hurry up! Make sure she doesn't escape, or you'll be n
"Upon checking the van, they found a cellphone. We're calling to ask if this phone belonged to your parents." I took the familiar cellphone from Daddy as they handed it to me. There were blood stains on the back of the case. "This is Daddy's cellphone," I answered weakly. I felt Noah's gentle touch on my back as I examined the cellphone in my hand. "Alright. Although, we cannot give it to you yet. We are formally asking now for your permission to keep it for the mean time... while the investigation is still ongoing. We just want to make sure if there's possible evidence inside of it that could help to solve this case even faster," he explained. I looked up slightly at Noah, who was standing nearby. A small smile crossed his lips, as if letting me decide. I managed a small smile back. "Can I check it by myself first?" I asked, a question they seemed to anticipate. "Yeah, sure. I'll leave you here for now," he said, then stood to leave. I watched him until he disappeared from my