Today, the morning sunlight filtered gently through the window of his hospital room, marking the end of Rafael's treatment period. After four days of treatment, he was finally allowed to go home. Aurora was packing a small suitcase containing Rafael's clothes and belongings. Her movements were slow and neat, but her mind drifted to many things, especially their conversations over the last few days that seemed increasingly confusing.
From behind his cell phone, Rafael suddenly said flatly, "You go home first. I've ordered a taxi for you."Aurora stopped folding her shirt, turning her head slowly with a raised eyebrow. "Why? Aren't we on the same page? We live in the same house."Rafael looked at her briefly, then replied without emotion, "I have to go to the office."Aurora frowned. "But you just got out of the hospital, Rafael. You should go home and rest. Your heart just had a problem-""Don't manage my life!" Rafael cut in sharply, his cold voice piercingThe damp morning air filled the small inn room. Aurora walked slowly, carrying a basin of warm water she had just fetched from the bathroom, along with a small towel rolled neatly. Her breath came slightly ragged, not from exhaustion, but from the heaviness in her heart as she looked at the little boy on the rickety bed.Renaldo lay weak, his small body wrapped in a thin blanket, his face pale with sweat soaking his forehead. His fever hadn’t gone down despite Aurora and Marissa taking turns through the night pressing wet cloths to his head. Aurora crouched at the bedside, dipping the towel into the basin, wringing it out, and placing it gently on Renaldo’s forehead.But only a moment later, Renaldo’s body began to shake. His lips trembled, his eyes half-closing as his body convulsed uncontrollably. Aurora gasped in shock, while Marissa, who had been sitting nearby, immediately screamed in panic.“Reynaldo! Oh God, he’s having a seizure!” Marissa cried, he
Rafael paced back and forth in his dark living room. The lights were off, only the moonlight streaming through the large window, casting long shadows across the marble floor. His hand still clutched his phone, the screen repeatedly flashing Aurora’s name with failed call status. Her number was dead. Completely unreachable.“Why are you doing this to me, Aurora?” he hissed, his hoarse voice scraping from his throat. His breathing was ragged, his chest thundering with anger he tried to suppress, but failed.Rafael tried dialing the number once more. Silence. Then the dead tone. His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened. He had never felt this betrayed before. Everything he had done wasn’t enough to keep Aurora by his side.Harshly, he threw his phone onto the sofa, then stepped to the table, grabbing an empty glass and smashing it to the floor. The shards scattered, reflecting the pale glow. His hand reached for a picture frame on the shelf, a portrait of him wit
Aurora and Marissa stopped in front of the wooden door of the modest inn. Their hearts were both pounding; their weary bodies and worn-out faces made every step feel heavy. Reynaldo was already asleep in Marissa’s arms, his breathing labored and his skin burning with fever. Aurora knocked on the door hesitantly, hoping for a bit of luck on that exhausting morning.Not long after, the door creaked open. A middle-aged woman appeared, wearing a shabby house dress with her hair tied carelessly. Her gaze immediately scanned Aurora and Marissa from head to toe.“Who are you looking for?” she asked curtly, her eyes narrowing as if she had already judged them to be unwelcome guests.Aurora tried to smile politely. “We… would like to rent a room, ma’am. If there’s one available.”The woman snorted, folding her arms across her chest. “This inn is not a shelter for vagrants. Have you seen yourselves? Dirty, shabby. The villagers will be suspicious if I let you stay here.”Marissa stayed silent,
Rafael stood at the edge of the pier, his gaze empty, piercing through the dark, rolling sea. The night wind cut to the bone, carrying with it a thick salty scent. His breath was still ragged after the failed chase. From a distance, Haris’s hurried footsteps drew near.“Mr. Rafael…” Haris’s voice was heavy, weighed down by exhaustion and pressure. He stopped right beside him, his uniform damp with sweat, his face grim.“Edgar… he jumped into the sea. The men have already combed the area, but his trail just disappeared. The police will call in a SAR team so the search can be widened.”Rafael closed his eyes briefly, his jaw tightening. “So he managed to escape,” he muttered under his breath.Haris nodded, his face equally somber. “For Marissa and Aurora…” His words hung in the air, stuck in his throat. His gaze wavered, afraid of touching the wound that was clearly etched in Rafael’s eyes.Silence fell for a moment. The crashing waves agai
The sound of sirens tore through the night. Red and blue lights reflected off the calm waves of the sea. Police swarmed in from every direction, surrounding the harbor. Aurora froze, her steps stiff, her eyes wide as she stared at the scene that had suddenly become all too real before her.Edgar Marvelo glanced around in panic. “Impossible…” he muttered under his breath, his pale face showing a fear Aurora had never imagined seeing in him.Marissa clutched Reynaldo tighter, her body trembling. “Edgar, what do we do? They’ve surrounded us!”Aurora could only stand there, paralyzed. Her gaze shifted from her father, to Marissa, and finally stopped at Reynaldo. The boy coughed violently, his frail body shaking. His face was pale, cold sweat dripping down his temple. Aurora felt as though her chest was being crushed.“Aurora!” Rafael’s voice carried from a distance. He pushed forward, weaving through the line of armed police. His phone was still in hi
The streets were already dark as the taxi carrying Aurora kept moving through the city traffic. The streetlights blurred into faint lines passing by the window. The watch on her wrist showed eight in the evening. Two hours had passed since she left home, and every minute felt like a weight pressing down on her chest.Aurora leaned back, her hands trembling as she gripped her phone. Over and over, she dialed her father’s number. The ringtone echoed… once, twice, three times. But no one answered.“Dad… please pick up,” she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. But there was only silence, the call ending on its own.The ride felt endless, her mind spinning further out of control.“Am I too late? Does Father really want to leave me just like that, without a single word?”The taxi finally stopped in front of the large harbor. The sound of waves and the shouts of dockworkers mixed with the rumble of ship engines. Aurora stepped out hesitantly, lo