A concerned expression of a man appeared in her vision, “That was a pretty awful bump you have there, here use this to ease the pain.” He stretches his arm towards Valencia with an item in his hand, it was a soda can. His worried gesture is insisting her to take the cold beverage.
Valencia pondered in a jiff before she decided to take the can in his hand, “Thank you” she replied with a meek tone and presses the cold can against her slightly swollen forehead. She elevated on the ground and gave the man a quick head bow before leaving the building in a flustered state.
She crosses the pedestrian lane that is laid out in front of the entrance door of the condo after waiting for the cars to pass by and stood under the shade of the Pine trees to wait for a taxi. She stops pressing the cold bottle on her forehead after she felt the pain slowly subsiding and wipes the excess water on her frons with her free hand.
She lifts her right arm mid-air with her thumb sticking up, sending a signal to the taxi drivers that are available, a couple of taxis passed her by until a yellow cab halts in front of her. She peeks through the window checking the front seat and the back seat if there are any passengers before she went inside the vehicle.
“Please take me to the-“while she was fastening her seat belt her eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the rearview mirror, “Wait, It’s you again from yesterday isn't it?” She uttered in surprise, the driver of the yellow cab is the same man who drove her to Jenna’s Liberia shop.
“Nice to see you again, Ma’am! I thought that it wasn’t you from afar, but my guess was right.” The man chuckled and continued, “So where are we headed to Ma’am?” he asked as he steal glances through the rearview mirror.
“Can you take me to Urban Café?” Valencia replied, The man tilted his head, addled by her order “There are two Urban Café, Ma’am, Which specific place do you want me to take you?” Valencia’s eyes widen in enlightenment from the man's statement, she almost forgot that there was a newly open branch on 13th Street, District 4 "I forgot that there's a new branch".
“The Urban Cafe on 8th Street the one in front of a parking lot building.” Valencia apprises.
The driver bobs his head with a grin on his lip, “Alright! Got it” he enthusiastically replied. The car left the condominium and drove to Valencia’s designated destination.
Valencia dazed through the window car with empty thoughts and placid stature with her back nestled on the seat but her tranquil moment was disrupted by a vibration coming from her bag. She motions her vision on her coffee-coloured sling bag and took out her phone.
She taps her phone screen twice and the mobile’s screen lit up revealing a notification message, she taps the screen once more unveiling a text from her friend, Cherry. “Damn, 3 months in waiting? That’s going to take a while, but did you search for other shops after that? Anyways, I’m going to your house later this evening to tell you the news because I’m not available at the moment. See ya!” the message implied.
“Hmn, since when did she become so busy all of a sudden? It’s quite odd, she always slacks off most of the time.” Valencia was sceptical of Cherry’s unavailability because it only happens once in a blue moon. One time, when Cherry told her that she was going to be gone for a few days she came back with a warrant of arrest because she was accused of human trafficking, but later on, after Valencia hired a lawyer for her, she was declared innocent after they found the real suspect, however, this was a recent situation.
She took a deep breath before exhaling to calm herself from the anxiety her friend is giving her, “I hope she doesn’t bring trouble upon herself like last time, I swear.”
“What are you busy with this time? Getting involved with the country’s most wanted criminal? Give me a break, Cherry, you better come back with your hands clean, or else I’m letting the police put you behind bars so you won’t get yourself in trouble.” She pressed the screen, sending the message to Cherry before tapping her phone repeatedly deciding to continue her text.
“I’m still busy searching for shops that have it, and fortunately this time I hope there’s at least one out there.” Valencia clicked the green circle with an arrow pointing upward and sent the text before a voice took her attention, “Ma’am, we're here.” The young man spoke, Valencia flicked her head to the driver before turning her head to the window beside her to confirm his statement.
The taxi was parked in front of a seemingly busy shop named ‘Urban Café’ based on the sticker sign plastered on the window of the store, “That’ll be 20 Neta, Ma’am” he declared.
Valencia darts her attention to the man and said, “Come again? sorry, I wasn’t paying attention" The man tittered, “It’s alright, Ma’am." He assured, "you have to pay 20 Neta.”
She opens her bag and placed her phone inside before taking her wallet out of her little satchel then Valencia gave the driver her payment before pulling the door handle to exit the vehicle, “Wait, Ma’am, you forgot your change!” He called out, with a visible frantic in his voice.
Valencia turns her head at the young man, “The extra is my tip for you, so keep it.” She sent a smile at him before she pushed the door, however, she failed to heed the red hue creeping on his cheeks after turning her back against the car and walking towards the store.
Valencia pushes the glassed door and a chiming bell rang in her ears as it echoes in the semi-busy shop, “Good Morning Madam, Welcome to Urban Café! Is there anything you would like to order?” a short woman with red-coloured tips wearing a brown beret hat appeared beside her with an affiliative smile.
Valencia grins in return “Yes I would like to order a take-out.” The girl took out a paper and a pen from her apron pocket hoisted on her hips, “2 corn muffins, 3 cinnamon buns and an Americano, please”
“Copy that, May I Know your name, Madam?” The girl looks at her.
“Valencia.” She stated, “Alright Miss Valencia, please take a seat first, your order will be ready in a few moments” The girl left and Valencia began to search for an available seat to rest while waiting for her takeout until she saw a table in the far corner on the left beside the window.
She stroll towards the unoccupied seat and sat on the soft cushion of the armchair, she laid her back on the seat and pulls out her mobile device from her bag, she opens her phone and went straight to Wh@tsapp to message her younger brother.
“Hey, where did you park my car last night? I asked the guard yesterday and they didn’t see my car entering the parking lot at the condominium.” after she sent the text a couple of seconds passed her phone vibrated in her hand, “Relax big sis, I parked your car in the parking building in front of your favourite café shop and I paid for the fee as well before my friend, Neil took me home.” Her younger brother explained.
“Why did you park it in a different place and not near my condo? Did you know how anxious I was yesterday when I asked Mr Hale?” Valencia Answered before turning off her phone and placing them back in her satchel.
Her eyes wandered around the shop while inhaling the relaxing aroma of brewed scented coffee and newly baked pieces of bread and pastries that engulfs the place with a calming yet nostalgic feeling. She watches the crowd from her seat with a visible tranquil grin carved on her lips but her smile faltered when her pairs caught a glimpse of a familiar figure sitting across the room.
“Hold on, is that….” she leans forward with her eyes narrowing, assuring that her vision is not fooling her for a brief moment, "No way...." she scoffed.
Valencia’s heels echoed with a steadier rhythm now, each step a deliberate note against the hollow silence of the underground lot. The confrontation had ended, but something still clung to the air—like the aftertaste of wine left too long in the glass. She turned the final corner of the corridor, and there it was: her car, sleek and understated, a charcoal silhouette crouched beneath the dying fluorescence.She opened the door with a subdued click, the cool leather scent greeting her like memory. Sliding in, she let the silence settle again, closing the door with a firm push. For a moment, she didn’t move—just sat there with the burner phone resting in her palm like a weight disproportionate to its size.With a soft exhale, she placed it on the passenger seat beside her. It looked too clean. Too new. It didn’t belong here, in her space. Still, she didn’t feel right throwing it away. There was a responsibility in finding something lost, even if it wasn’t hers to lose.She started the e
Elise was mid-sentence—firm, measured, entirely unwilling to be interrupted—when the shrill ring sliced through the silence of the parking garage like a dagger in a ballroom. “Being civilized—” she said, one hand raised as if to underline her point. But the rest was lost in the sudden, piercing blare of a ringtone that had all the charm of a fire alarm and none of the purpose. Her mouth snapped shut. Valencia’s expression didn’t shift, but her eyes cut to the side, scanning the concrete emptiness like the sound offended her personally. Elise exhaled, slow and sharp, as if holding back something between a sigh and a growl. “Really?” she muttered, turning her head toward the echoing walls. “Is this the part where we both pretend this isn’t happening?” Valencia didn’t dignify the remark with a reply. She simply turned and walked, her long, deliberate strides heading toward the far left of the garage. She didn’t say a word, didn’t offer a plan. Just… moved. Elise watched her for a bea
Dion crouched low behind the cold concrete pillar, the rough, dust-caked surface biting into the shoulder of his blazer as he tried to make himself as invisible as humanly possible. In his palm sat the soft, knitted flower keychain—slight and fragile, stitched in dusky lavender threads. It looked painfully out of place here, in the stale underbelly of the city’s parking complex, surrounded by oil stains, faded parking lines, and the metallic tang of old exhaust. He clutched it tighter, not out of sentimentality, but out of sheer instinct—as though the object, delicate as it was, might somehow ground him while chaos erupted just a few yards away. Valencia’s voice rang out sharp and clipped, every syllable laced with the particular kind of contempt that could only come from old wounds and unresolved scorekeeping. Elise’s tone, cool and exacting, bit back with surgical precision. They didn’t yell over each other so much as take turns slicing. It was less a fight, more a duet in venom. D
The figure turned their body around and showed a visible annoyed look on their face, her amber eyes trailed my body from head to toe with a scowl plastered on her face, It took me aback when I realised who bumped into me, It was Elise Crawford, Daughter of one of the Michelin star Chef and my High school batchmate, “Wait, is that you…hold on, what was your first name again? Was it Valkyrie, wait, was it Valerie?’’ I rolled my eyes when I heard her familiar snobby tone, ‘’It’s Valencia, VA.LEN.CIA, Elise.” I sighed in distress, “I feel like I just aged 30 years, after seeing her.’’ I grumbled underneath my breath, however, Elise noticed the grimace I had on my face and spoke, “Right, I think I remember who you are, You’re the second eldest child of Mr. Charles Rhys, Valerie Rhys”I clenched my jaw before I uttered back at her statement, ‘’For the last time, It’s Valencia, Valencia Rhys.” I seethed, “Right, right, whatever, What do you want? And can you make it fast, I have somewhere el
“Take out number 38! Take out number 38! Please, take your order here at the counter.” I feigned no ambivalence when I scampered at the counter after checking the paper in my hand, I took a swift keek at the man before I averted my sight elsewhere when I saw him staring at me with an evident frown on his face “Why does he look upset?”Sweat began forming on my forehead while striding at the claiming area, “Number 38, pl-” I unintentionally slammed the paper on the counter out of a rush that surprised the employee.A faint hue of red crept on my cheeks from feeling abashed by my actions, “Sorry for the scare, I didn’t mean to do that, but here's the number.” I started embarrassingly, I noticed her charring look while taking the paper that has my takeout number printed onto it “Alright…here you go, Ma’am, hope you enjoy.’’ she said with a stilted voice before she pushed the brown tray towards me.I bobbed my head and gave her a sheepish smile before I uttered, “Ah, yes thank you.” I hast
“Take out number 38! Take out number 38! Please, take your order here at the counter.” I feigned no ambivalence when I scampered at the counter after checking the paper in my hand, I took a swift keek at the man before I averted my sight elsewhere when I saw him staring at me with an evident frown on his face “Why does he look upset?”Sweat began forming on my forehead while striding at the claiming area, “Number 38, pl-” I unintentionally slammed the paper on the counter out of a rush that made the employee shriek out of surprise.A faint hue of red crept on my cheeks from feeling abashed by my actions, “Sorry for the scare, I didn’t mean to do that, but here's the number.” I started embarrassingly, I noticed her charring look while taking the paper that has my takeout number printed onto it “Alright…here you go, Ma’am, hope you enjoy.’’ she said with a stilted voice before she pushed the brown tray towards me.I bobbed my head and gave her a sheepish smile before I uttered, “Ah, yes