ISMAEL’S P. O. V.
The moment we landed back in the Philippines, my anxiety hit its peak. If I could just have the ability to turn back time or make it stop for a moment, I would, just to be with the woman I love longer. A week is never enough, not even a lifetime.
We went back to our penthouse, and I couldn’t stop glancing at her, especially at her hand. She’s now wearing the diamond ring I gave her. That makes me calm for a moment.
Jothea decided to have a shut-eye. I grabbed that opportunity to call Mr. Tory to ask for some updates about the case we are working on and also tell him everything I heard from Jothea and Savannah yesterday, including my suspicions.
“Yes, sir? Have you landed safely back in the country?” Mr. Tory greeted me when he answered my call. I am currently outside walking to the second floor, so Jothea won’t hear our conversations.
“Yes, I did. How is our search going?”
“It is confirmed. There’s a tracker planted on Miss Alvandra’s phone.”
I exhaled. I was right. That suspicious guy who approached Jothea when we were in Baguio is an accomplice of Raviel. Then he knew we had gone out of the country and that we were now back.
“And we discovered that the device connected to the tracker is in the possession of Mr. Zarate.”
I frowned. “The one whom Jothea met in Baguio was Raviel himself.”
“You’re right, sir.”
Fuck. That lunatic is doing everything he pleases to annoy me.
“What else did you discover?”
“A dead body.”
The news I heard rendered me speechless.
“It was found inside the smokeless incinerator in the basement of the Golden Red Casino.”
“Aren’t incinerators not allowed in the Philippines?” I tilted my head in dismay. “Who owns that body?”
“A piece of burnt handkerchief was seen, and they say it is owned by the manager of the Golden Red Casino named Mr. Vargas, but that man is still alive and was seen inside the casino until now.”
Bits of information started putting themselves in the right places, and I found myself grasping for breath. Raviel killed Mr. Vargas and is now acting like he was him, just like how he pretended to be someone just to plant a tracker for Jothea. In what resort?
“Let’s meet in my secret office, Mr. Tory.”
“Yes, sir.”
I went back to the room where Jothea was still sleeping. I tucked the blanket under her sleepless body and kissed her forehead. I gazed upon her as if it were my last.
“I love you, Jothea.”
*****
Mr. Tory was waiting for me when I arrived at my clandestine property located around Jothea’s house. He followed me into my office, where our covert investigation is taking place.
“Here are some of the details I’ve collected regarding Mr. Zarate’s background,” said Mr. Tory as he placed the open folders of information about Raviel. “I went to their hometown and discovered that his biological parents were killed in arson.”
“Which hometown?”
“In Laranez, sir.”
“Laranez?”
“Yes, sir. The city of Laranez, where your grandfather was the mayor.”
A heavy sigh escaped my lips. I looked over the folder to find out roughly about the year Raviel was born. I also checked in my file if there were arson cases in the city of Laranez when he was five years old.
Goddamn it.
“An abandoned LPG tank ignited a fire in Laranez, destroying homes, forcing a number of residents to flee their houses, and ultimately resulting in the deaths of two individuals,” I read in the articles.
“But according to the residents, your grandpa, the mayor, premeditated the arson; therefore, it wasn’t an accident or gas leakage. At the time, an election was coming up, and he ordered his men to ignite a fire in a section of Laranez to show people how he gives his helpful hand in the hopes of rallying voters to vote for him again and keep him in office.”
My grandfather faked a fire.
I held my head in frustration. Now, I can see where Raviel was coming from. His family was found dead in that fake fire, and he was vexing his grudge against me for the injustice they faced. However, it doesn’t give him carte blanche to treat Jothea however he pleases. He should spare Jothea from this.
The abrupt notification of my phone caught our attention, and when I checked what caused it, I saw a familiar, unknown number on the screen. I clenched my jaw when I saw the picture sent to me; it was the promise ring I had given Jothea.
I stood up to call the unknown number. I was right. It was that bastard.
“What do you want?” I asked, trying to calm myself.
I overheard him mocking me with a cheeky laugh. “Oh, none for now since you two already came back here. I should give you a very warm welcome, don’t you agree?”
I cast my gaze on Mr. Tory. He then left with a nod.
“I know why you’re doing this, Raviel.” I peeked through the window where I could see Jothea’s house.
“Yeah? And I know your plans too. Sadly, I can’t let you have what you want. You’re using Jothea to your advantage.”
“And what does it have to do with you?”
“She’s my friend and my classmate. I can’t just let her be with a geezer like you.”
A friend? My tongue brushes against my cheek as I continue to shake my head in utter disbelief. I combed my hair using my fingers before I spoke again. “Oh, you’re funny, young man. At least she likes me. “Additionally, I can provide the warmth that her body requires and desires, so find a woman who is capable of sucking you and mind your own business.”
Once again, he broke into laughter. “What if that woman is the one you love? I’ll make her suck my dick and make sure that the warmth her body needs will be fulfilled.”
My teeth gritted in disgust. “I’ll make sure every part of her body you touch will be removed from yours.” I ended the call.
I hurried back to the penthouse, only to see that Jothea had already left. Where did she go in times like this? I immediately felt a tremendous amount of anxiety in my chest. I attempted to call her phone multiple times, but she did not pick up on any of my calls.
As I was ready to call Mr. Tory, I noticed that his name was displayed on the screen, and he was also calling me.
“I apologize, sir, but we have a situation. Our men discovered a pile of bombs around the casino. Mr. Zarate was planning to blow the whole thing up.”
Is this the warm welcome Raviel was talking about?
I felt a strong wave of fear and dread immediately surge through my chest, made worse by the startling possibility that Jothea might be there.
“Look for Jothea around. Don’t stop until she is found,” I ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
My heart raced with horror. I always take everything calmly, but this time, every inch of my system is trembling in fear. I walked to my closet, slid my hand underneath the drawers, and retrieved the pistol I had stashed away for a long time. I never had the chance to use it since I am not the kind of human being who uses violence, but now I don’t think everything can get through with a good conversation. This will not be settled unless someone pays for it.
I drove to the casino while calling Jothea over and over again. She really knows how to drive me crazy and instill anxiety and fear in me. The night is growing darker, and yet she’s nowhere to be found. Where is that woman, for Pete’s sake?
“Love?” I almost bumped into the car in front of me when she answered.
“Oh, God! Thank you for answering! I thought something had happened to you. Where exactly are you at?”
“Huh? Uhmm… at the casino.” Her words stopped me.
“Casino? You mean Golden Red Casino? What are you doing there?”
“Just-”
“Get out of that place,” I begged.
“Huh? But why? I’m still-”
“Just listen to me, Jothea. Do it now!”
In a flash, I dashed to the casino’s playhouse after navigating my car to the nearest area. I persisted in searching for her despite the heavy stench of cigarettes lingering in the air and the fact that I have been coughing continuously.
But even if I cough up blood at this moment, I won’t stop looking for her. I need to find her to be at ease. As I was about to look for her in the dressing room, where I saw her the last time I visited here, I was dragged by someone outside. The next thing I knew was that everything I beheld was reduced to ashes.
The sight of the casino, engulfed in flames as a result of the explosion, caused tears to well up in my eyes. The already deafeningly loud sirens of passing ambulances and police vehicles grew considerably louder.
“Sir,” said Mr. Tory.
I shifted my gaze to meet his. There was a terror of vanished hopes in his eyes that is affecting my soul. “Just what are you people up to?! Did you not hear my order? Keep going until you meet Jothea!”
Once again, I made my way to the scene, but this time the authorities forbade me. Goddamn it.
I even yelled at her earlier. I should have told her nicely to get out of that place. Knowing how stubborn she is, she will probably protest and won’t come out.
After another unsuccessful attempt to reach her through her phone, I broke down and sobbed again.
It is not going to happen like this. She is safe. God, save her; I’m begging you.
“Sir, let’s get out of here,” Mr. Tory pleaded as he noticed me kneeling on my knees amid the hoards of people.
“No, I’ll wait for her here. She’ll be fine. She’ll come out of that place.” When I again glanced at the casino, tears were blocking my vision.
“Rescuers are currently searching the perimeters for survivors. Let’s just wait in the car. It is not a good thing for you to be widely visible. Keep yourself safe as well, sir. People in your family who were opposed to you being the next president of the clan will definitely try to take advantage of this situation. Please, sir, get on your feet,” this man urged.
“No, not until she appears in front of me.” I resisted.
“Sir, what if she already saved herself and is waiting for you at the penthouse? Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“Please don’t give me unrealistic expectations. I need to see myself where she is. I will come back with her, dead or alive.”
Upon realizing how helpless I am, Mr. Tory let out a gasp. “If you insist on remaining here, Miss Alvandra will be very angry with you, sir. You should listen to me this once because I’m sure she wants you to be safe. We will make every effort to locate her, I assure you.”
It’s an hour before midnight, and I still haven’t heard anything about Jothea. My hope is dwindling as I near death from waiting for her in the car. Every memory of hers is killing me. Seeing her face in my mind broke me into tears with hopes that I would see her again in front of my eyes.
God, I miss her so much. I’m losing it.
I got out of the car and was going to return to that area, but my phone started vibrating the second I stepped off the curb.
That unknown number.
As soon as I opened his message, I saw the hands of the love of my life with the engagement ring I gave her. I feel like a thorn has been pulled out of my chest. But my entire world came crashing down when I saw the message that came with the photo.
“She’s mine tonight.”
My eyes get darkened. Even my hand was shaking with anger, and I couldn’t think straight.
I immediately contacted Mr. Tory.
“Rattle your men. We’ll kill someone before Cinderella goes home.”