There was a car parked not far from the Greatech gate that afternoon. The driver, wearing sunglasses, sat alone inside. There were no passengers, only himself. The man's eyes stared at the rearview mirror, which had been positioned to directly face the office gate. He gazed intently, wanting to make sure who entered and exited from there. A vibration in his jacket pocket interrupted his surveillance. He picked up his phone and was not surprised to see who was calling. “Hello, Sir.” “Boy.” The greeting came from the other side. His voice conveyed impatience. “Are you in position now?” It was Boy, the man assigned by Ricardo, who was currently waiting to spy on Velia, just as instructed. “I've been here for half an hour already, Sir,” Boy replied calmly. His gaze remained focused. “You don't need to worry. This isn't the first time you've used my services. Velia won't escape.” “Of course, and that's why I entrusted this task to you. Just to make things easier for you, today Veli
Boy acted quickly. He immediately started the car and drove it. He did not know the exact location of Velia's family's house, but at least he would try to find it. The neighborhood where Velia used to live was in a narrow area. It would not be difficult for Boy to find Velia. That should have been the case, but what happened did not match his expectations. Boy spent almost an hour searching the area. He even waited in front of an alley. Boy should have been able to see Velia's arrival since she usually used public transportation. Could she be hanging out with her friends? That possibility could happen, although Boy still remembered Mecca's return earlier. But there was no harm in trying. Boy waited again. He was patient, but his phone rang impatiently. “Hello, Mr. Bell,” Boy answered the call. “I'm sorry, but I lost Velia.” * Uncontrollable anger surged within Ricardo upon hearing the news from Boy. He slammed the table and asked to confirm. “W-What did you say, Boy? You lost
A naked woman wriggled as her sleep was disturbed. It was caused by a middle-aged man who woke up beside her. He was Ricardo. He had no other choice but to hire the services of a sex worker to satisfy his desires that night. Ricardo turned his head. His sweaty face grinned. His hand reached out and repeatedly patted the woman's buttocks. The woman moaned. Her face lifted from the pillow. She displayed a seductive expression while teasing Ricardo. Her bright red lipstick-covered lips smiled mischievously. “Again, Daddy? There's a discount if you choose the all-night option.” Ricardo's grin widened. He leaned down and playfully nibbled on her buttocks. “What's your name?” Ricardo asked to confirm his memory. “Angel?” Angel nodded. “Yes, Daddy. Angel. Your angel who's ready to accompany you all night long. There was a reason why Ricardo chose Angel among the many women offered. It was undoubtedly related to Velia. The name Angel reminded him of Velia Angelica Howell. Of course, V
Velia furrowed her brow as Lucas passed through the kitchen door. It was his neat appearance that caught her attention. The reason intrigued her enough to momentarily pause her activities. There was a freshly baked whole wheat bread waiting for Velia's touch. A sunny-side-up egg lingered in the air, seemingly reluctant to leave the skillet. Lucas smiled faintly upon meeting Velia's gaze. He walked past the table and kitchen island, approaching Velia in front of the stove. Lucas's embrace greeted Velia's waist, accompanied by a fleeting kiss he planted happily on her forehead. Velia blinked. Lucas stepped back to give Velia a chance to prepare breakfast. “You look sharp,” Velia commented as she placed Lucas's breakfast plate. “Do you have plans?” Lucas picked up the plate with a tempting portion of filled bread. He nodded. “On a Saturday morning?” Lucas, who initially wanted to dive right into his breakfast, paused his movements. His hand lowered and landed on the table. A hint
Boy closed the bottle of mineral water he had been drinking, then threw it onto the passenger seat while keeping his gaze focused. His eyes were directed and unblinking as he observed each face entering the Greatech building that morning. According to the plan, Boy was already in position on Monday morning. He wanted to confirm the truth behind a nagging suspicion. Boy waited calmly and patiently. However, he did not see Velia's arrival until the office gate became deserted. The answer was obtained. Boy grinned meaningfully and accelerated the car. This might be a little challenging, but that's okay. The harder the job, the bigger the payoff. I just need to find a loophole. She won't be under surveillance forever. * Velia and Mecca had just finished enjoying their lunch when they heard a ringing sound. It came from Velia's phone. The name displayed on the screen prompted her to answer immediately. Mecca remained silent but listened to the brief conversation that took place. When
Velia ran. She hurried when the clock struck seven, but she could not anticipate the unexpected traffic jam that made her late to the apartment. The elevator seemed to move slower than usual. Velia panicked, with all the worst possibilities spinning in her mind. Is Lucas looking for me? Velia checked her phone. Strangely, there were no messages or calls from Lucas. Not like before when he would always inquire about her whereabouts. Her anxiety escalated. Velia could not calm down and immediately rushed out when the elevator door opened. With trembling hands, Velia entered the password. She quickly entered and spontaneously called out Lucas' name. “Luc?” There was no response for Velia to hear. She rushed to the workspace, but it was empty. There were no signs of Lucas being there. Now Velia headed to the bedroom, but it was the same. The room was silent. “Lucas hasn't come home yet?” The oddity followed Velia. As she placed her bag and shoes in their respective places, an une
Maybe Velia is not feeling well. Lately, she seemed more tired than usual. At least that's what Mecca noticed. “Are you okay, Ve?” Velia smiled and nodded. “I'm fine, just feeling a little tired. Well, maybe a bit low on energy.” “Tired? Have you been working too much lately?” Velia rubbed her neck and rotated it a few times. She considered that possibility, but she was not too sure. “Maybe. It seems like I've been working more than usual.” Mecca sighed softly. She gently patted Velia before returning to her desk, not forgetting to give her a piece of advice. “You should get enough sleep, Ve. Don't let yourself get sick.” Enough sleep? Velia paused. It seemed that she could not achieve that. Getting enough sleep was beyond her reach. Isn't Lucas acting a bit strange? Thanks to Mecca's words, Velia realized that there was something different about Lucas. These past few days, Lucas had been initiating intimate moments with her more frequently. Before, there would be breaks of
Velia's eyes widened. The words Lucas uttered successfully brought a blush to Velia's cheeks. Along with the stiffness and annoyance that never failed to silence her. Silence. Velia could only stand there, stunned, as she gazed at the increasingly changing Lucas. The air around them seemed to be affected as well. No words were spoken. Lucas could not find any response. However, he interpreted Velia's silence as an alternative for the word 'yes.' Lucas could prove that his prediction was correct. As if he could foresee the future, he found Velia's fingers welcoming his hand. Little by little, the distance between them diminished. The gap grew narrower with each passing moment. Two gazes locked in a straight line, leading them to meet at a single point. They paused momentarily in the falling warm water. Droplets poured and landed, seeping through and leaving moisture. They imprinted and left traces on their clinging clothes. Lucas blinked once. The water droplet hanging from his e