Chapter 2

Amore and Liam had arrived at a relatively distant place—the end of the secret tunnel. No one knew about it except her doctor friend Dindo.

She immediately went to find someone she knew.

"Mang Isko, where are you?" she called out to her acquaintance.

"Oh my goodness, ma'am—you're here! I'm so glad you came to visit," he replied, hurrying outside when he heard her voice.

"I didn't come just to visit—I need your help. Where's the car I hid with you?"

"Ah, I know exactly what you mean. It's at the back of the house—I've been keeping it well-lubricated. Come on, let's go," he said, leading the way immediately.

"All right, let's hurry—they might follow us here."

"Why? Who's after you? What happened?"

"Regor is chasing us."

"Huh? How? Isn't he your boss?"

"Yes, he was—but not anymore. He's done so many wrongs to me, and now he's added to them," she replied angrily.

"Hey, by the way—who's that handsome man with you?" the old man asked curiously, smiling.

"Ah, don't ask questions right now—just focus. Drive us to the shore. We need to escape immediately," she said sharply. She wasn't actually angry with him—she was just in a rush, and she knew the old man would understand. She felt like she was rambling like crazy.

"All right, ma'am," he replied at once, fetching the car from the back and driving them away quickly.

They reached the shore in no time and immediately looked for her friend Karding, who was also Mang Isko's friend.

"Karding? Where are you? Amore needs to use your yacht—open up!" Isko called out to his friend.

"Just a minute!" came the reply from inside the house.

"Mang Karding, where's my yacht?" Amore asked as soon as he appeared.

"Ah, it's you, ma'am. It's moored near the shore—don't worry, it's in good shape, and there's plenty of fuel. I even kept extra on board just in case. The interior is clean too. Why do you need it? You haven't used it in so long," he asked curiously.

"My friend and I have to go somewhere important," Amore replied, gesturing to Liam, who was standing beside the car.

"All right then—go on, ma'am," Karding said.

"Here—this should be enough to help you both," Amore said, handing each elder an envelope with ten thousand pesos.

The two men accepted the money gratefully.

"We're leaving now, Mang Isko and Mang Karding. Thank you so much—be careful, and if you need anything, just call me. And if anyone asks about us, please don't tell them we were here. Mang Isko, please explain everything to Mang Karding. Goodbye," she said, then left with Liam immediately.

"Be safe!" the elders called after them. They weren't sure if Amore and Liam heard, but they saw Amore wave before the yacht pulled away.

Liam took charge of sailing the yacht. He hadn't spoken much since they left—perhaps he was still shocked by everything that had happened, or maybe he was still feeling unwell after earlier being dizzy.

They crossed the ocean quickly and reached another island as night began to fall. Liam decided to stop sailing and spend the night there—it wasn't safe to travel after dark, especially with just the two of them on the yacht. The waves were strong, and continuing would be too risky.

He docked the yacht and tied the rope to a large tree near the shore. Amore looked up, alarmed when they came to a stop.

"Did something happen to the yacht? Is it damaged?"

"No—sailing at night isn't safe. We don't know the area well, and it could be dangerous. We don't want to escape Regor's bullets just to drown," he joked, easing her worry.

"Oh, all right then. Let's rest first. Tomorrow, when we reach the next town, you can leave."

"All right—but are you sure you're not hungry?"

"No," she said—but her stomach rumbled loudly, giving her away.

"Just wait here—I'll be back with some fish. We need to eat to keep our strength up."

"Okay—I'll go gather dry wood for a fire."

"Sounds good."

Liam headed to the water while Amore collected dry wood from the nearby forest. She gathered a large pile and brought it to the beach, then lit a fire—fortunately, her time as a Girl Scout had taught her survival skills that came in handy now.

Soon, Liam returned with several fish he had caught.

"Here—I've already cleaned them. They're ready to grill."

"Great—I'll handle the grilling. Wait, let me check the yacht first to see if there's any salt left. I sailed here three months ago and brought some because I love fishing. Even just salt will make them taste better than nothing."

"Okay."

Amore hurried aboard and found a container of salt with plenty left. She brought it back and seasoned the fish. Even with just salt, it would be better than eating them plain.

"Wow—these are done. You go ahead and eat first. I'll finish grilling the rest," Liam said, handing her a cooked fish.

"Thanks, Liam. My life is really full of thrills—even though this is the path I chose, I'm proud of myself for surviving so many times. Things used to be even harder—I'd hide anywhere just to lay low from enemies. I think I'm like a cat with nine lives," she joked.

Liam laughed. "Really? So why did you join Regor's group? You know they can't be trusted, and they kill anyone who betrays them—he even tried to kill me."

"I have my reasons, but I'm not ready to talk about them yet. What about you—why does he want to kill you? What did you do to your brother?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's money and power—he wants to take everything my real father left me. We're half-brothers; our mothers are different, so we have different last names."

"Hmm—he's truly terrible. I used to do everything he asked, but now I'm going to take him down piece by piece. I know all about his illegal businesses and his people—he'll see what my revenge tastes like!" she said, giving a killer smile that somehow still looked playful.

"Wow—so you're planning revenge? But how? You're alone, aren't you? Let me help you."

"I'm not alone. I have people working for me secretly—girl assassins who act as my eyes and ears. They don't know everything about me, though—I keep my true self hidden so the enemy can't use it against me."

"Is that so? Girl power—how exciting."

"Exciting? Our lives are like soldiers'—one foot is already in the grave. One mistake, and we're gone forever. This path is dangerous, so tomorrow when we reach town, you need to leave and hide. You won't be safe coming with me to Sulo. I'll lie low there while Regor is still searching for me. I have relatives on the island who know me by an alias, so no one will suspect anything. Go abroad—Regor won't bother looking for you there. I know how angry he gets."

"All right. Here—have more fish. I'm still trying to process everything you said... I can't believe my own brother would do something so evil just for power, money, and whatever else he wants."

"Thanks. I'm glad you understand—I don't want anyone else caught up in my plans."

"Why, Am? What's your reason? You know you could forget revenge and live a normal life, right?"

"Don't call me Am," she insisted. "Only one person is allowed to call me that."

"Who? Your boyfriend?"

"No—my only real friend, Lysander. We grew up together. He'd play with me and comfort me when I was hurt, and he protected me whenever someone picked a fight with me. He promised he'd never leave me, and even said he'd marry me when we grew up if I didn't have anyone else. Isn't it annoying? I believed him—and now I'm 25, and I haven't seen him since."

"I'm sorry. Have you tried asking about him? Maybe his parents know something?"

"No—they never came back to the Philippines. The last I heard, 15 years ago, his parents were in an accident. I don't know if he was involved, but I hope not. I'm still waiting for him to return and keep his promises."

"Why do women believe in promises so much? Out of a million promises, maybe only one gets kept. You shouldn't hold on to something so uncertain."

"Tsk—what do you know? I'm still hoping we'll meet again someday."

"Okay. It's getting late—we should get some sleep. We need to rest."

"All right—the fire is dying down, and it's getting cold. Let's go inside the yacht."

They boarded the yacht, which was well-built and fully equipped with a private room and a mini-library. Amore's father had given it to her for her debut—he had it customized because they loved sailing together. Sometimes she'd fall asleep during trips, so he added a room with a bed, and since she loved reading novels, he included a mini-library with a folding bed for extra space. It was one of her most precious memories of her father, who had passed away years ago.

"Liam, I'll sleep in the room. Where will you stay? You can use the mini-library—there's a folding bed there. It'll be warmer than sleeping on the couch out here; it gets windy at night."

"Don't worry about me—I'm fine right here."

"All right, suit yourself," she said, then went into the room.

 

Liam woke up as sunlight hit his face. He went to check on Amore, who was already awake.

"Good morning! Are you ready? I'll go untie the rope so we can set off."

"Good morning. I'm just packing the things I'll need for my uncle's place in Sulo."

They sailed again until they reached the island and docked at the pier. Amore left the yacht in the care of an acquaintance—she knew people everywhere she went, and she trusted them all.

"All right—this is as far as we go together. Here's ten thousand pesos to help with your fare. I have to go now," she said, handing Liam a white envelope. It wasn't a bribe—just help.

"Wait—are you really sending me away? I don't want to leave. If I go, Regor will find me. Please let me come with you."

"No—you'll be a burden, and what will my uncle think when he sees you? He's like Mike Enriquez—he investigates everything. I've done all I can to help you; I hope it's enough."

Amore turned and walked down a narrow path without looking back. It hurt her to leave him at the pier, but she thought it was the best choice. She didn't want him caught up in her revenge. Even though she didn't know him well, she felt a strange closeness to him.

She was heading toward the shore to take a small boat to her uncle's house on a nearby island when she noticed someone following her. She quickly hid behind a tree, pulled out her small knife, and waited.

"Who are you?" she shouted, pointing the knife at the figure. "What—you?" She was shocked to see it was Liam.

"Yes—it's me. I'm sorry I followed you, Am. I don't have anywhere to go, and I'm scared. Please take me with you—you're the only one I can trust," he begged, sounding like a child.

"Good grief—are you crazy? You look like a kid, Liam! What story am I supposed to tell my uncle? How will I explain you if you come with me to the island?"

"Say I'm your friend."

"No—that won't work. Unless..." Amore sighed. "Unless you pretend to be my husband."

"What!" Liam's eyes widened in shock.

He was stunned by her words, but he had no other choice if he wanted to stay with her.

When Amore said this, she turned and kept walking. Liam followed close behind, deciding he would go along with the plan—he could act when he needed to.

 

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