Chapter 5

Pagkatapos makita ni Keila ang mensahe sa papel, ang kanyang puso ay tila huminto ng ilang segundo. Hindi niya matukoy kung anong klaseng takot ang kanyang nararamdaman—isang malalim na kaba na nagmumula sa kanyang kaibuturan, na para bang may malupit na mga mangyayari. Tinitigan niyang mabuti ang papel na may nakasulat na *"Stay out of this if you want to stay alive."* Hindi ito isang simpleng babala. Wala sa mga kaharian ng negosyo ang mag-iiwan ng ganitong mensahe sa isang tao na walang malalim na layunin.

Napansin ni Keila ang tahimik na paligid sa opisina. Ang usual na ingay ng mga keyboard at tawanan sa malalayong cubicles ay tila nawala, ang lahat ng tunog ay natabunan ng tenso at kaba sa kanyang dibdib. Para bang ang bawat galaw niya ay pinapanood—ang bawat hakbang ay may kaakibat na panganib.

Isang malamig na kilig ang dumaan sa kanyang katawan. Hindi na siya makapagsalita, parang may kung anong pwersa ang pumipigil sa kanya na gumawa ng anumang hakbang. Inilagay niya ang papel sa ibabaw ng kanyang desk at dahan-dahang naupo. Habang ang utak niya ay patuloy na nagbabalik-tanaw sa lahat ng nangyari, isang bagay lang ang malinaw sa kanya—hindi na siya pwedeng umatras.

Inisip ni Keila na kailangan niyang makipagkita kay Clyde, at sana ay makuha niya ang mga sagot sa lahat ng mga katanungan na tumatakbo sa kanyang isipan. Tila natatakot siya, ngunit ang pagmumuni-muni sa papel na iniwan sa kanya ay nagbigay ng lakas para ipagpatuloy ang pagtuklas ng mga hindi pa nasasagot na mga tanong.

Pagdating sa opisina, agad niyang nakita si Clyde na nakaupo sa harap ng kanyang desk, nakayuko at abala sa pagsusuri ng mga reports. Nang makita siya ni Clyde, nag-angat ito ng tingin at tumayo mula sa kanyang upuan.

"Keila, anong nangyari?" tanong ni Clyde, tila may nararamdamang pagkabahala sa tono ng kanyang boses.

Lumapit si Keila, bitin ang bawat hakbang, at inilabas ang maliit na papel na may nakasulat na mensahe. "Sir... Ito po ang iniwan sa akin sa desk ko kahapon." Inabot niya ito kay Clyde. Nagsimula siyang mag-alala, at ang pagkabahala ay muling umakyat sa kanyang dibdib. Hindi na ito simpleng usapan tungkol sa dokumento—may kinalaman na ito sa kanyang buhay, sa kanyang seguridad.

Hinawakan ni Clyde ang papel, at agad na tiningnan ito nang maigi. Tumagal ng ilang segundo bago siya nagsalita. "Keila, may mga tao na hindi mag-atubiling gumawa ng anumang bagay para protektahan ang kanilang mga sikreto."

Pakiramdam niya'y may malaking banta na humahabol sa kanya, nagsalita siya nang malakas. "Sir, hindi ko kayang mawalan ng sagot."

Nakita niyang tila nagbago ang ekspresyon ni Clyde. Ang kanyang mata ay parang nagdalawang-isip, at medyo nanlaki ito sa takot. "Ano ang ibig mong sabihin?" tanong ni Clyde, ang boses ay puno ng pagka-kritikal. Matagal na pinagmamasdan ni Clyde si Keila, at tila hindi siya makapagdesisyon. "Keila, hindi mo kayang ipaliwanag ang lahat ng ito sa ngayon," sabi ni Clyde, habang tumayo at naglakad palapit sa bintana. "Hindi ko kayang magbigay ng lahat ng sagot na gusto mo. Pero ikaw mismo, kailangan mong isipin kung handa ka na bang harapin ang mga tao na may kapangyarihan sa likod ng mga kumpanya. Hindi lang ito tungkol sa negosyo. Huwag mong gawing personal."

Habang tumatawid si Keila patungo sa kanyang bahay, hindi siya mapakali. Bawat hakbang niya ay may dalang kabuntot na tanong. Bakit nga ba nasama ang pangalan ng ama niya sa mga financial transactions na ito? At anong ibig sabihin ng mensahe na iniwan sa kanya? Lahat ng mga detalye ay nagkakabit-kabit sa isang malupit na palaisipan, at kahit na anong gawin niyang pagninilay-nilay, walang ibang sagot na lumalabas kundi ang mga katahimikan ng kanyang pamilya.

Pumasok siya sa kanyang apartment at dumiretso sa kanyang mesa, iniwan ang bag at mga gamit. Pinagmasdan niyang mabuti ang mga dokumento, ngunit ang mukha ng kanyang ama ay patuloy na bumangon sa kanyang alaala. Sa isang sulok ng kanyang isip, naramdaman niyang may kasagutan na marahil ay matagal nang nakatago. Marahil hindi lahat ng bagay ay aksidente.

Habang binabalikan ang mga reports, napansin niyang may mga detalye na hindi kayang mapansin ng isang ordinaryong tao. Ang mga pangalan sa likod ng bawat transaksyon ay may mga koneksyon sa mga kumpanya na malapit kay Mr. Velasco at kay Clyde. Wala itong ibang ibig sabihin kundi isang malupit na lihim na itinatago sa ilalim ng kanyang ilong. Kung magpapatuloy siya, tiyak ay lalabas ang mga kasinungalingan at kung sino-sino ang kasangkot sa madilim na negosyo. 

Habang siya ay nag-iisa sa kanyang apartment, may kumatok sa pinto. Agad siyang tumayo mula sa kanyang upuan at binuksan ang pinto, ngunit wala siyang nakitang tao. Ang kanyang mga mata ay agad na napako sa isang maliit na kahon na iniwan sa harap ng pinto. Kinuha niya ito at tiningnan ang nakalagay na label—ang pangalan ng kumpanya, Vellore Industries.

"Para kay Keila Santiago," ang nakasulat sa kahon.

Binuksan ni Keila ang kahon, at sa loob nito ay may isang maliit na flash drive na may nakalagay na isang dokumento. Pagkabukas niya, nakita niyang may isang liham na nakasulat.  

“I hope you understand now. Everything is connected. Be careful, Keila. Some truths are better left untouched.”

Ang huling mensahe ay nagbigay ng labis na pangamba kay Keila. Sino ang nagbigay nito? At anong ibig sabihin ng *“be careful”?* Ngayon ay may bagong misteryo na kailangang lutasin—at wala nang pag-urong pa.

Keila sat at her desk, her mind racing with the implications of the message she had just received. Every word weighed heavily on her chest, and her thoughts spiraled as she tried to come to grips with the dangers she was facing. Whoever had sent the warning was watching her—closely—and it was becoming clearer by the day that her investigation into Vellore Industries wasn’t just about corporate fraud. It was about something much darker.

She opened her laptop with shaky hands and stared at the file from the flash drive. *Dominic Santiago*—her father’s name continued to haunt her. It was no longer just a name on a piece of paper; it was part of a labyrinth of shady transactions that stretched across borders and businesses. How could her father, the man she thought she knew, have been involved in something so vile?

Keila took a deep breath and closed the laptop for a moment. She had to think. She couldn’t let fear control her. She needed to gather her thoughts, but at that moment, a knock on the door interrupted her.

"Keila," Clyde’s voice came through, cold and deliberate as always. "We need to talk."

The way he said it made her stomach tighten. It wasn’t a request. He wasn’t asking for a casual conversation; he was giving her an ultimatum. She nodded and stood up, pushing the chaotic thoughts to the back of her mind. 

"Sure, Clyde. Let’s talk," Keila replied, trying to keep her voice steady as she followed him into his office. 

The air in Clyde's office felt thicker as she walked in. The blinds were closed, casting the room in an oppressive gloom. He was sitting behind his desk, his hands steepled together, eyes dark and unreadable.

"I’ve been noticing your behavior, Keila. You’ve been digging into things you shouldn’t," Clyde said, his voice sharp and authoritative. "You’re getting too close to the edge, and I don’t think you realize just how dangerous that is."

Keila swallowed hard. She didn’t want to show fear, but the tension in the room was suffocating. She had already crossed a line by continuing her investigation, but she wasn’t about to back down now. "What are you talking about?" she asked, feigning ignorance as best as she could. 

Clyde didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, studying her. His eyes seemed to pierce right through her, and for a moment, she could have sworn he was reading her mind. 

"You’re asking questions you shouldn’t be asking," Clyde finally said. "You’re digging into my business now. Into *our* business." His voice dropped, becoming more menacing. "That’s something I can’t allow."

Keila’s pulse quickened, but she remained composed. "I’m just following the documents you gave me, Clyde," she replied, but the words felt hollow. She could see the warning in his eyes. He wasn’t concerned about protocol or procedure; he was worried about what she had uncovered.

Clyde stood up from his desk, pacing slowly in front of her. "You think you can handle this? The truth you’re after isn’t something you want to find, Keila," he said with a hint of mockery in his tone. "You’re in way over your head."

Keila’s heart was pounding, but she refused to let him intimidate her. "What do you want from me, Clyde?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Clyde paused, a slight smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "I want you to stop. I want you to forget about everything you’ve seen. You’re not ready for this kind of game. People like us… we don’t get to ask questions."

The coldness of his words hit Keila like a slap to the face. She knew he wasn’t just talking about the corporate world; he was talking about something far darker. Something more dangerous than she had realized.

Keila’s mind raced. She knew that Clyde was connected to the shady dealings she was uncovering. The pieces were starting to come together, but the more she discovered, the deeper the danger became.

"You think I’ll just stop?" Keila asked, her voice growing firmer. "You don’t scare me, Clyde."

He chuckled darkly. "I don’t need to scare you, Keila. The truth is scarier than anything I could ever do." He turned toward the window, his back to her now. "If you keep going, there won’t be a way back."

Keila didn’t say anything for a moment. She had heard the threat in his voice. She knew it was real, but she also knew she couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when she was so close to uncovering everything. 

"I’ll take my chances," Keila replied, her voice steady. "I’m not afraid."

Clyde turned to face her again, his expression dark and unreadable. "You will be," he muttered under his breath.

After the tense exchange with Clyde, Keila returned to her desk, her mind reeling with what she had just learned. The conversation had only confirmed what she already suspected—that Clyde was involved in the conspiracy in some way. But how deep did his involvement go? Was he just a pawn in someone else’s game, or was he the mastermind behind it all?

As she sat down, her eyes caught the flashing icon on her laptop. It was a new email, one she hadn’t seen before. Hesitant, Keila clicked it open.

The subject line read: *"Your Father’s Legacy."*

The email was short, but the contents were chilling.

"You’re close, but you’re not there yet. Your father’s connections run deeper than you know. What he was involved in is bigger than you can imagine. But if you keep digging, there’s a price to pay. Someone is always watching."

Keila stared at the screen in disbelief. Whoever had sent this email knew more than they were letting on. They knew about her investigation, her father’s involvement, and the dangers she was about to face. 

But more than that, the message confirmed what Keila had been afraid of all along—her father had been part of something far more dangerous than she had imagined.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her office door. Mira walked in, her expression worried. "Keila, we need to talk. I found something—something you need to see."

Mira handed Keila a folder, her hands trembling slightly. "This was in my inbox. I’m not sure who sent it, but it’s all about your father."

Keila’s heart sank as she flipped through the papers inside. It was a series of documents detailing her father’s financial dealings with several offshore accounts. The same ones she had seen on the flash drive, but with new information—detailed transactions, wire transfers, and receipts. The most alarming part, however, was a series of names. One of them stood out: Clyde Suarez.

Keila’s breath caught in her throat. Clyde’s name was on the same documents as her father’s. This was no coincidence. Clyde was more involved in this than she had realized.

Mira looked at Keila, her face pale. "Keila, I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m scared. If Clyde’s name is on these papers... it means he’s been involved from the very beginning."

Keila nodded slowly. The pieces were finally falling into place, and she realized that what she was uncovering was bigger—and more dangerous—than she had ever imagined. But there was no turning back now.

As Keila and Mira stared at the documents, the door to Keila’s office creaked open. A figure stepped inside—a figure Keila wasn’t expecting to see.

It was Clyde.