CHAPTER 6

After Lilliane withdrew some money, she got back into a taxi.

“Where to, Ma’am?”

“Take me to...” she paused, thinking. When her stomach grumbled and her throat seemed to crave hot coffee, she said, “Do you know any coffee shop outside of Las Piñas?”

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

“It’s already in Laguna, Ma’am.”

She licked her dry lips and softly nodded.

“Okay, Manong, let’s go to Laguna.”

She leaned back against the seat to try to rest her weary body.

“Are you alright, Ma’am?”

Lilliane caught a glimpse of the older driver watching her from the rearview mirror and awarded him a small smile as she nodded.

“Yes, thank you.”

She closed her eyes. She didn’t know how long she would run and hide. Just thinking about how this would be for the coming months and years made her feel exhausted.

Truth be told, she didn’t know much about commuting or going places. Her whole life revolved around home, school, and work. She didn’t have many friends.

She noticed that her classmates seemed reluctant to befriend her, which saddened her. She often felt they only needed her when it was convenient. Meanwhile, she sometimes caught the girls looking at her with disdain or being cold when they interacted.

She didn’t know why they acted that way, especially when there were boys talking to or approaching her. She wasn’t doing anything wrong, but sometimes it felt like she was. She chose not to dwell on it too much because she didn’t want to drown in sadness or overthinking.

She also knew she wasn’t like them, who loved parties and alcoholic drinks. Perhaps that was one reason she couldn’t form a decent circle of friends. She couldn’t call the few people she interacted with in class her friends because she still felt alone. They probably thought she was a boring person.

Her parents had warned her to be careful with socializing and choosing friends because not everyone was genuine in their dealings. Some had their own agendas, especially since she matured early.

Thinking of her parents made her tear up. Hot liquid flowed down her cheeks, and she quickly wiped it away. She opened her eyes and restrained herself from sobbing.

If her parents were still alive, she wouldn’t be experiencing all of this. She wouldn’t be miserable. But she didn’t blame them for leaving her early, entrusting her to her Aunt Mathilda, knowing they didn’t want to leave her alone.

She had known since then that Mathilda’s attitude was already bad, but after her parents left, she experienced the woman’s cruelty more. Her Uncle Richard, at least, showed some kindness and concern for her.

She took a deep breath and looked out the closed window of the taxi.

She needed to think and plan what to do for her safety and freedom. She had to be careful and smart with every move. She needed to confuse and mislead Mathilda’s men—and Mathilda herself.

Lilliane knew that if they caught her, the consequences would not be good.

Remembering Mr. Fuentes made her feel the need to hide even more. She didn’t like that old man! From the way he looked at her and the things he said, it was clear he only wanted her body.

She couldn’t shake off the memory of how he stared at her when they met at an event with her parents. She was still a minor back then, and even though she wasn’t dressed inappropriately, she felt almost naked in his gaze, making her want to shrink between her parents.

The taxi driver dropped her off at the café he mentioned. She noticed that there weren’t many people inside when she entered.

“Ma’am, coffee?” the barista asked.

“Yes, please.” She also ordered a sandwich.

After placing her order, she chose to sit in a corner.

While waiting for her order, she let her long wavy hair down from where she had tucked it under her baseball cap.

There probably weren’t any of Mathilda’s hired goons in that place, especially since she had withdrawn money in Las Piñas. They would think she was still there.

She opened the bottled water she had bought at the counter earlier and quickly drank from it. She had been thirsty for a while, and she felt like she would dry out if she didn’t drink water now.

“Here’s your order, Ma’am.”

Lilliane looked at the waitress and paused drinking her water.

“Thank you.”

When the waitress placed her order on the table and looked up at her, Lilliane saw a look of amazement on her face before she smiled.

“You’re so beautiful, Ma’am.” The compliment made Lilliane blush, and she smiled shyly at the waitress. “I’m sorry,” the waitress added, apologizing for staring at her earlier. “Please enjoy your order, Ma’am. If you need anything, just call for me.”

“Thank you,” she replied before sipping her hot coffee. She couldn’t help but softly moan as the heat of the drink flowed down her throat.

Lilliane sighed. She needed to find a temporary place to stay for the day.

Mathilda was restless until she received a proper report on Lilliane’s whereabouts. It was affecting her work at the company, and the calls from Fuentes were adding to her anxiety.

When her cellphone rang, she quickly answered it. It was the investigator she hired.

“Ma’am, I have a new update.”

Mathilda felt a sense of relief wash over her. She paced around, one hand resting on her waist.

“Have you found her?” she asked calmly.

“According to her bank transaction around ten this morning, Miss Lilliane is still in Las Piñas. It’s the same place where she withdrew money last Sunday.”

This meant that after their appointment with Fuentes, she had decided to run away from them!

Mathilda felt her anger rising again, and she tugged at her own hair.

“If she’s just in Las Piñas, why can’t you find her?!”

“Ma’am, we are doing everything we can to locate Miss Lilliane—”

“If you need to search the entire Las Piñas, every house, establishment, apartment—anywhere! Do it! She cannot get away! Do you understand me?!” Mathilda shouted, out of breath with anger and frustration. “I’m not paying you for nothing! Find that woman and bring her to me!”

She didn’t wait for the person on the other end to respond and angrily threw her cellphone onto the couch before shouting in rage.

“Just wait for me, Lilliane, when I catch you!”