“Call Laura now,” mariing utos ni Paul kay Stephen. Zyrone watched as the pathetic coward called his crazy wife using the bastard’s own phone.Nasa police car sila ni Paul kung saan nakalulan si Stephen. He was on the passerger’s seat while Paul was with Stephen at the back of the car. The car was parked behind the bushes just a few hundred meters away from the Laura’s old family house in Bulacan. Si Stephen ang mismong nagdala sa kanila roon matapos ang interrogation.Wala sa sarili niyang hinayon ng tingin ang bubungan ng bahay kung saan dinala nina Laura at Grace si Belle.The old house was sitting alone in the middle of an abandoned property. Ikinukubli iyon ng makakapal na ligaw na mga damo at halaman na nakapaligid doon. Malayo rin iyon sa mainroad at wala ring halos katabing bahay. One wouldn’t really think that a house is there if one really doesn’t know the place. Making it a perfect hide-out for any atrocity.He huffed as he restrained his emotions.He’s not supposed to be

Mabigat ang bawat paghakbang ni Belle papalapit sa ICU unit ng ospital. Nagtatalo ang isip niya kung tutuloy ba siya o hindi dahil hindi niya alam kung anong madaratnan niya sa loob ng ICU suite. Her grandfather had reassured her over and over habang nasa loob sila ng lift na stable si Zyrone for now. But then again she knew death like the back of her hand-- it comes when one least expects it, leaving grief and many tomorrows filled with uncertainty.That happened with her mom. That happened with Grandma Eve. At kahit na anong gawin niyang pagpapatatag sa sarili niya ngayon, she just can’t help but feel weak.But she has to see Zyrone. Kahit na puno ng takot at kaba ang d*bdib niya, she needs to see him. She wants to be there with him, go through that critical 48-hours with her by him side. And so she continued to walk that long hallway going to the ICU unit. She’s doing it afraid because there was just not other way.Nasa labas pa lang sila ng ICU unit subalit tanaw na niya agad sin

Ten days. Ten lonely days.It has been that long since Zyrone was shot and yet… he is still unconscious. Doctors kept reassuring her though that he is stable and that they are confident that he will make a hundred percent recovery. But still, her worry will only stop when her husband will finally open his eyes and envelope her in his familiar warmth.Husband.She smiled bitterly. Tatlong araw na mula nang malaman niya kay Richard na hindi pinirmahan ni Zyrone ang divorce papers nila. And honestly, she doesn’t know what to feel about it. She’s happy that she’s still married to him and yet… the guilt that’s overtaking her was too much.She had spent three years hating Zyrone for the many things she thought he did but actually didn’t. She had deliberately hurt him several times but he stayed quiet and patient—telling her how much he loved her still despite of everything. She used to wonder where was his confidence was coming from. Ngayon alam na niya kung bakit.He really stayed true t

Nagising si Belle na nakahiga sa isang hospital bed. At first she was confused. Why wouldn’t she? The last thing she remembered was she just arrived at the hospital together with Marco after her secret visit with Laura and then…She gasped when the events came back to her all in one go. Nahilo siya sa parking lot. It was not long before that when everything around her went black. And now this… she’s waking up in a hospital bed, which she can surmise, based on the noise and curtains surrounding her, is located at the emergency room. Unti-unti siyang bumangon. Sakto namang nahawi ang kurtina na nasa may bandang paanan niya. Nagulat pa siya nang biglang lumitaw doon ang bulto ni Eliseo. His face was contoured with worry. She saw a glimpse of Leon and Marco outside the cubicle she was in nut they didn't come in with her grandfather. “I came as soon as I can. Itinawag ni Marco sa akin ang nangyari,” anang lolo niya nang tuluyan itong makalapit sa kanya. Marahan nitong hinaplos ang buhok

Panay ang kabog ng dibdib ni Belle habang binabaybay niya ang hagdan patungo sa rooftop ng hospital. She took the stairs because the elevator on the floor were Zyrone’s hospital suite was in, suddenly was not working. And so she took the stairs instead. She’s actually quite thankful that the lift was not working because she had more time to think things through. She wanted to buy some time to think. She wanted to take careful steps on how she would handle the situation all by herself.Yes, by herself. Dahil apparently, wala siyang makontak sa mga kaanak niya—not Miranda nor Richard. Not even Eliseo! She had tried countless times to call their phones but her calls just won’t go through. Mukhang sabay-sabay na nag-off ng cellphones ang mga ito. Which is just so freakin' weird! Maging sina Marco at Leon, hindi rin niya matawagan. Not even Willa and Marie!At first she was having second thoughts about the note. Why wouldn’t she? She had just survived a kidnapping incident two-weeks ago. A