The next day, Robert saw Azora dressed to the nines. She was sitting on the couch, eyes fixed on the TV. Her face was expressionless, so he paused for a moment before approaching, studying her carefully.
She had showered and brushed her hair, wearing a white dress that he recognized as her favorite. There was no bag nearby, but she was impeccably dressed. He couldn’t help but think she had plans for the day. Glancing at the clock on the wall, it was only six in the morning-too early to leave.
He walked closer to her and stood by the sofa she occupied. He smiled. But there was no response from Azora. Her gaze remained fixed on the children’s show playing on TV. He smiled a few more times, but she didn’t react or say a word.
Robert sighed and decided to gently touch her shoulder. “Azora,” he called softly.
That snapped her out of it. She stood up, startled, and looked at him with surprise. “Hey. You startled me!” she complained.
Robert grinned. This was the Azora he knew, always a bit grumpy.
“Do you have plans today?” he asked.
She nodded and shrugged. “I want to… travel,” she said, looking at him intently, her smile tinged with uncertainty. “Come on, don’t give me that look!”
“It’s the first time you’ve wanted to leave the subdivision,” he observed.
Azora played with the end of her loose hair, then looked down at the floor. “Is it wrong to go outside?”
He rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment. “Are you planning to return to your father?”
She quickly shook her head. “No… it’s not that.”
“In that case, you’re going somewhere else. You’re not exactly the wandering type, so where are you headed?”
Azora frowned, clearly annoyed by Robert’s questions. Robert just smiled. He really couldn’t predict what was going on in women’s minds. They quickly became hot-tempered and shouted at him when he followed their orders. He sighed. He suddenly remembered his younger sister.
He exhaled and pushed aside the memories that threatened to invade his mind. He looked at Azora. She was staring at the floor again, silent, waiting for him to speak. But what could he say to her? She seemed lost in thought again, as she had been in the past few days.
He hadn’t told Alibata about what he had noticed about Azora. He was sure Alibata wouldn’t hesitate to send Azora back to the city. That would be fine with him, but he couldn’t shake the thought of whoever had harmed Azora.
If the woman’s suspicions that the maid Simmy was behind it were correct, Azora should stay with him until he could ensure her safety.
“Robert, are you listening to me?” Azora suddenly asked. Her voice was so loud that it brought him back to reality. Azora was already looking at him, her eyes questioning. He smiled subtly.
“Where are you going?” he asked again.
“I just told you,” she replied.
“Oh,” he laughed. “My mind was elsewhere. Where are you going again?”
“Clasiso.”
He was silent for a moment, then grinned. “Clasiso?” he repeated.
Azora nodded. A sad smile suddenly appeared on her lips. “Yes. I want to confront Anthony’s father.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “You know your father won’t agree with your plan.”
Azora’s face hardened. She ran her fingers through her hair, looking directly at him. He stood his ground, sensing her steely gaze. If he didn’t know her, he might think she wanted to harm him.
“You don’t plan to tell father about this, right?”
He wanted to keep his mouth shut. If he told Alibata about Azora’s plan, her father would immediately send his men to his location. Alibata would use all his connections to find out where his house was. And it wasn’t part of his plan to give up Azora. It was still early. The person who wanted to kill Azora was still in Alibata’s power.
And if he didn’t tell his father and just let her advance to the Clasiso’s burrow, he wasn’t sure if Azora’s condition would improve. Based on her story, her father and the man with the Clasiso last name were mortal enemies. It wouldn’t be good if the girl proceeded to these people’s territory.
“Why do you want to go there?” he asked. He looked down and glanced at Azora, oblivious to the evil glare she was giving him. He noticed that she liked to look at other people in a bad way.
“Well…” The girl smiled and looked down. It was just the two of them, and their gazes met. “I wanted to clarify things with them.”
“Your plan will only cause confusion.”
“I know, but I had to try.” She bit her lower lip and looked away. “I saw the news; it was nationwide. People are demanding justice. If the NBI could even help with the case, they would surely discover the truth. So since it was still early, I needed to explain everything to them.”
“Do you think they’ll believe you?”
Azora fell silent for a few minutes. She pondered. Her face softened as she considered the possibilities that would happen if the girl explained.
“Don’t leave. Let them solve the case,” he said.
Azora turned to him. Her brow furrowed. “Are you forcing me to stay home?”
“Your thoughts are not good. If you explain to them, they will not stop until they implicate your father. You’ll only give them a reason to blame your father for Anthony Clasiso’s death. Not only your father’s name, but also your future will be ruined.”
“Robert–”
“Listen, Azora.” He sighed. “Do you think it was just a coincidence that Anthony’s case became famous?”
Azora’s words turned into a line. He secretly smiled, knowing Azora was suspicious.
He smiled again and continued. “They spread the news to gain people’s sympathy. Have you thought about why?” He sighed. “They want the suspect himself to approach them. If you go through with your plan, you’ll be pushing yourself into the trap they set for the suspect… for your father, Azora.”