Chapter 14: You'll See, You'll Going to Miss Me

"Trina, you know that Miguel is here, right? Why did you bring him here?" Andrea whispered as she approached Trina.

"I didn't. He followed me here on his own." Trina replied as she tried to help Jake stand.

"Let go of me! Go with that jerk! Bullshit!" Jake heatedly said as he avoided Trina’s hands and struggled to stand, making his way out towards the door.

"Wait a moment, Andre." Trina worriedly remarked, briefly looking at Andrea before quickly following Jake outside. Despite her anger towards him for witnessing him kissing another girl whose hands were wrapped around his neck, still, she couldn't bring herself to disregard him. She saw how hurt he was from the punch he received from Miguel. She was worried, because he had just undergone an appendicitis surgery which was the reason for his momentary disappearance and not paying the money he owed her.

Meanwhile, Andrea quietly watched the door through which Miguel entered. She raised her right hand to knock, but hesitated and withdrew it.

"Don't let others look down on you." This thought echoed in Andrea's mind, and she didn't realize she was already smiling as it continued to play in her thoughts.

Shaking her head, Andrea dismissed her concealed thoughts.

Seeing the plastic bags she dropped on the floor when she swiftly joined the commotion then, she opted nothing, but quickly move; picked them up, then organized them and started cooking. She couldn't understand herself, but she felt her heart pulsed with an exhilarating rush of contentment. His raspy voice that echoed in her mind glowed with a warmth that spread to every corner of her being.

After a few minutes, she set the table. She took the medicine kit from its storage and then knocked on Miguel's room.

"Hey, Miguel. Mind if I come in?" Andrea's voice purred as she continued to knock softly on the door. Impatience was creeping in, no one was answering. She crooked the knob and found it unlocked, so she stepped inside. The sound of running water from the bathroom hinted that he was showering. She couldn't help but swallow hard, recalling the rugged, Adonis-like physique of Miguel that resembled a Greek god.

Nonetheless, in a dimly lit room, cool water caressed and flowed over Miguel's body. His eyes and spirit sparkled with the sensation. Feeling the heat rise within him, he decided to take a shower to cool down his simmering irritation. He lingered in the water for a few minutes, then quickly grabbed a blue towel, wrapping it around his lower body before stepping out.

"Why?" He asked Andrea, who stood frozen like a statue in front of him.

“Huh?” Andrea was puzzled as she kept on staring at his taut, sculpted, flexed with a power that hinted at raw strength and untamed passion abdominal muscles - moving with a fluid grace that was undeniably captivating.

“Why are you standing there?” Miguel proclaimed, interrupting Andrea’s alluring thoughts.

Miguel approached the closet to pick out a pair of clothes while waiting for Andrea's response.

Gulping and trying to control her amazement, Andrea mumbled, "Um, well, I just wanted to treat your wounds."

"No need, I'm okay," Miguel said seriously as he turned to face Andrea, having already chosen what he would wear.

"But what about your injuries from the accident? Let's apply some ointment so the scars won't be too visible once they fully heal," Andrea reasoned.

"I'm really okay, but if you insist, come here. Treat me," Miguel teased as he approached the edge of the bed, sat down, and extended his right hand, the one affected by the accident. In truth, his wounds weren't painful anymore. He simply enjoyed seeing the blush on Andrea's cheeks. He knew that Andrea wasn't aware that she was already blushing. He doesn’t know why, but he enjoyed the view in front of him. “Silly girl!” He thought.

Thereafter…

"Where could she be? Why hasn't Trina returned yet?" Andrea wondered silently, gazing out for her friend. Over an hour had passed, and Trina was still nowhere to be found. When she couldn't find her friend, Andrea sighed as she followed Miguel to the dining table.

"Thank you, by the way. Thank you for what you did earlier. Even though I know it seemed defensive, it felt like you were standing up for me. I've been wanting to teach that guy a lesson for a long time," Andrea chuckled. She seized the opportunity to speak, knowing that Miguel wouldn’t respond due to his adherence to etiquette, which forbade talking while eating.

Seeing Miguel enjoying the meal she had prepared with great relish and delight, she teased and said, "You know, you shouldn't get too used to my cooking. Just you wait, once you leave here, you'll start missing it. You’ll see, you’ll going to miss me."

"I will," In a raspy and calmly voice, Miguel replied while eating without looking at Andrea.

Andrea was momentarily speechless; his words were echoing in her mind. "What did he say? He'll miss me?"

"I will miss your delicious dishes," Miguel declared after noticing Andrea's silence. He paused in his eating.

"Uhh!" Clearing her throat, Andrea hushed. "Are you done?" she diverted, quickly asking Miguel's pause.

"I can't eat with all your clamor," he replied just as quickly.

"Such a character!" Andrea retorted, her eyes narrowing at Miguel's comment.

"Do you always get despised by that jerk?" Miguel asked seriously after taking a sip of water.

"You even despised me, so I'm used to it," pouting, Andrea responded.

"I never said you're ugly!" Miguel replied, emotionless.

"Didn't you? Alright then, do you think I'm beautiful?" She countered zestfully.

After contemplating a right word, he uttered, "You're good."

"See? I asked if I'm pretty, why did you say 'good'? Your answer doesn't match my question," Andrea interjected, cutting off Miguel's statement.

A brief, icy smile flickered across Miguel's face, belying his ruthless demeanor. 

"There, you're finally smiling. You should be like that more often. You look even more handsome when your forehead isn't always furrowed and you're not being grumpy." Andrea teased with a grin.

Miguel suddenly became serious, and after a few seconds...

"I'm leaving," he suddenly announced.

In a fleeting moment, Andrea was stunned with his notification. The joy in her eyes vanished. She hadn't expected those words to weigh so heavily in her heart.

"I know. Your two weeks are almost up," she replied then. 

"But, can you say goodbye later when that day comes? You still have three more days here, right?" she added, forcing a smile.

Andrea couldn't believe that just when they seemed comfortable with each other, he would remind her of his impending departure. She had grown accustomed to his occasional grumpy remarks, his moments of silence, his appreciation for her cooking, her care for him, and most of all, the unique feeling he stirred deep within her heart.

"Perhaps," Andrea whispered quietly to herself.

***

In the morning...

"Let's meet later. I'll pick you up, and we'll go together to the police station," Marcus said over the phone. He and Miguel were discussing their next move. They needed the backing of the law's guardians, the police officers, to entangle the shadowy figure behind the plot; to catch the person who wanted to kill Miguel.

But what Miguel didn't know was a sneaking figure of the woman behind the wall, who subtly leaned closer to the door, straining to catch snippets of his conversation with Miguel.

After the call ended, the woman eluded quickly in silence. Marcus, on the other hand, pocketed his phone and was prepared to leave. He was actually on the patio of the mansion when he received Miguel's call.

When he exited from the secret garden through the patio, Miguel run into his Aunt, Missis Natalie.

"Marcus, have you eaten?" Missis Natalie asked. "You know your grandfather and parents are already dining, and I'm on my way there, why don't you join us first? You know how your grandfather is, right? We should all eat together," she added, smilingly.

"Don't worry, Auntie. I'm fine, really. I was in a rush, so I decided to eat early. It's already late morning anyway, so I thought I'd go ahead," Marcus replied with a gentle smile to his aunt.

"Alright, if that's what you want. Take care, okay?" Missis Natalie responded, bidding a gentle goodbye on her husband's nephew.

As Marcus drove away in his luxurious car, out of Natalie's sight, a dark, malevolent smile crept across her lips, hinting at the wicked plans she had hoarded. She smirked before disappearing into the exclusive chamber.

She quickly grabbed her cellphone and immediately called his trusted subordinate.

"Now you can get back at Miguel for what he owes you. It's up to you what you'll do with him," Mrs Natalie spitefully said to the person on the other end of the phone.

"Why? Do you know where he is?" replied the man, with a gleam of malevolent satisfaction in his eyes, that even his lips curled into a sinister smile as he received the crucial information he'd been seeking. Each word the lady on the phone uttered dripped with wicked delight as he plotted his next move.

"Marcus. He's your key to finding the person you're looking for. Follow Marcus and make sure they don't reach the authorities, because that's where they're headed now. He just left; now tail him and tame them down!" Missis Natalie explained viciously.

"Ah, finally!" the man murmured, his voice a chilling blend of joy and malice. He and his men followed Marcus the other day, but the latter seems to sense them as he speedily changed direction. "I've been waiting for this moment. It's time they understand the price of crossing me, and this time I won’t let him off the hook easily!" He added, concludingly.

Pressing the end button of the call made Mrs Natalie grin in victory. For several days now, her men had been tailing Marcus, believing he would lead them to Miguel's whereabouts. When the news about him and his car plunged into Lake Avenue and no body was found, she has a hunch that he's still alive! She wouldn't rest until she saw his corpse.

"Sorry dear, but it’s time for you to follow your mom and grandma! You’ve always been in our way, so how easy it would be to silence you forever!" Missis Natalie thought, her fingers tightening around her phone, and a cruel smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she imagined the life she had always wanted for her and Edward.