CHAPTER 15
1725 Words
REESE had just finished signing all the documents Artemis had given her when Artemis came back. Pagpasok nito, agad nitong isinara ang pinto ng kaniyang opisina. When she saw her assistant locking the door, she immediately knew something was going on.
At hindi nga siya nagkamali.
“Young Lady.”
Reese leaned on her swivel chair. “Yes?”
Huminga nang malalim si Artemis. “We confirmed it.”
Napatigil ang kamay ni Reese sa pagpirma. She looked up.
“Magnus Rourke was behind your two assassination attempts.”
Reese closed her eyes, just for a second. Then she opened them again. “I assumed as much.”
Inilapag ni Artemis ang isang folder sa harapan ni Reese. “We traced the funding through three shell companies and two offshore accounts. Ginamit ang account na ‘yon upang mag-transfer ng pera sa mga taong gustong manakit sa ‘yo.”
At the Rourke’s Estate, she was also assassinated. Alaric had told her that it was a stage act of Magnus. The second assassination, akala niya ibang tao ang gumawa no’n, pero ito pa rin pala. Looks like she already knows who wanted her gone.
The first attempt… hindi niya alam kung bakit kailangang magpanggap si Magnus na tagapaligtas niya ang dahilan upang mag-utos ito ng pagpapatay sa kaniya. But in the end, it was Alaric who saved her.
What could be his reason for targeting her?
Was it because of the Sinclair System?
Mahinang bumuga ng hangin si Reese.
“Young Lady, he wants to marry you, that’s why he staged an act on the Rourke’s estate, but Mr. Volkov saved you. So, his plan failed. His second attempt was to kill you by sending a sniper, but he failed again.”
“I’m afraid he will do it again until he succeeds.” Sabi ni Reese. Kumuyom ang kaniyang kamao. “And that confirms his intent,” she said. “He doesn’t want negotiation. He wants control.”
“Young Lady, anong gagawin natin ngayon?” tanong ni Artemis.
“Magnus Rourke and the Volkov had been fighting for power. But Alaric’s wealth and connections were vast, surpassing the Rourke. Alam kong hindi masaya doon ang mga Rourke. By marrying me, he can use the Sinclair System—I’m afraid that’s what the Rourke was after. They want the Sinclair System. To get it forcefully, they want me dead.” Sabi ni Reese.
“Young Lady…”
“Artemis, our spy from the board. Tell him to be more vigilant and careful. Don’t do anything reckless.”
Tumango si Artemis. “Yes, Young Lady.” Then she cleared her throat and spoke in a lower voice. “We tried again with your brother.”
Reese stiffened.
Nagpatuloy si Artemis. “We pulled archived traffic feeds, hospital intake records, and border movement logs. We even accessed private security backups from the district.”
“And?”
Umiling si Artermis. “I’m sorry, Young Lady.”
Napabuga ng hangin si Reese. And she concluded it. “Someone manually deleted it.”
Tumango si Artemis.
Umigting ang panga ni Reese. “Whoever killed him didn’t just erase evidence. They erased his last moments.”
Mabigat na bumagsak ang mga salitang ‘yon mula sa mismong bibig ni Reese. She turned her swivel chair to the glass wall. She stared at her masked expression. She knew she was masked and unbreakable on the outside, but inside, something fractured quietly.
She had dismantled criminal networks.
Collapsed arms syndicate.
Outplayed corporate assassins.
Kaya niya ring hanapin ang isang tao sa isang pitik lamang ng kaniyang daliri.
Yet her brother’s death remained a black hole in every system she touched.
There was no witness.
No trail.
It was as if he had simply vanished.
Humugot ng malalim na hininga si Reese bago siya nagsalita. “Find out his connection with my brother.”
“Magnus Rourke?”
“Yes.”
Tumango si Artemis. “You suspected him, Young Lady?”
“But it’s not him.”
Artemis said nothing.
Reese closed her eyes.
Her brother had always been careful.
He had known danger.
Which meant whoever took him had been smarter.
Or closer.
“Someone powerful protected this,” bulong ni Reese. “Magnus doesn’t clean this well. And according to what I found out about him, he was aggressive.”
Artemis frowned. “May naiisip ka bang iba, Young Lady?”
Reese sighed. “I think Magnus is just a scapegoat.” Aniya at muling humarap kay Artemis. “Whoever erased my brother knew exactly what to remove.”
Hindi nagsalita si Artemis.
“By the way, I’ll put you in-charge for daily operations of the company.” Sabi ni Reese saka ngumiti.
“Young Lady?”
“Alaric had just wanted to have a honeymoon.” Ani Reese. Sa iba, mukhang romantiko ang dating, pero sino ang mag-aakala na ang ‘honeymoon’ na tinutukoy niya ay trabaho ang aatupagin nilang dalawa?
“Aren’t you a contract couple?” Nakakunot-nuong tanong ni Artemis. “Is the honeymoon still needed to be done?”
Umiling si Reese at hindi na sinagot ang tanong ni Artemis. “Just prepare me the memo, and I’ll sign it now.”
“Gaano ka katagal mawawala, Young Lady?”
Sinulyapan ni Reese ang kalendaryo na nakapatong sa kaniyang lamesa. “About two weeks.”
“That long?”
Nagkibit lang naman ng balikat si Reese.
Artemis bowed her head. “I’ll prepare the memo right now.”
Tumango si Reese. She dismissed her, and after Artemis closed her office, she leaned back on her swivel chair. Tinanggal niya rin ang suot na maskara.
Someone powerful was behind Magnus Rourke. Alam niyang makapangyarihan ang mga Rourke sa Asya, pero may mas makapangyarihan pang gumagalaw sa likod nito.
“Volkov? No,” Reese muttered.
Rourke and Volkov are nemesis.
She sighed deeply and massaged her temple. Sumasakit ang ulo niya sa kakaisip kung sino ang nasa likod ng taong pumatay sa kaniyang nakatatandang kapatid.
Napatitig si Reese sa kaniyang mga palad. For years, she developed her power overseas and vowed to seek justice for her brother.
“But why?”
“Why?” she asked again.
Before, she thought power could answer all her questions and give her what she wanted. Now, she was stuck in a jump footage and couldn’t see how her brother died.
“Was I too hasty to seek justice?”
Magnus Rourke was now marked, but her brother’s ghost still hovered beyond reach.
Tiningnan niya ang kaniyang repleksiyon sa salamin. Her silver mask was removed. “Should I go out and have some air?”
Napatango si Reese sa sarili.
Tiningnan niya ang oras sa suot na wristwatch saka tumayo. Nagpalit siya ng kasuotan. She undressed her white suit, heels, and silver mask and replaced them with casual jeans, sneakers, and a shirt—her typical Rica Agnes.
Lumabas siya ng gusali. She adjusted the strap of her laptop bag over her shoulder. The cool afternoon air brushed against her cheeks.
She took a deep breath as she pulled out her phone, already scrolling through Alaric’s messages—when a familiar black sedan caught her eye, and parked across the driveway.
Nakita niya si Alaric na nakasandal sa hood ng sasakyan at mukhang may hinihintay. She facepalmed, seeing Alaric’s message, too late already.
Mabilis siyang pumihit upang bumalik sa loob ng gusali, pero tinawag na ni Alaric ang pangalan niya.
“Ms. Agnes.”
She let out a small sigh and put a smile on her lips, then turned to face Alaric, who was already walking towards her.
“You’re here?”
Tumango siya at tinanong ito. “Anong ginagawa mo rito?”
“I’m waiting for my wife.”
Reese looked at Alaric’s message. ‘I wait for you downstairs.’
But then she smiled like she was not nervous. “Good for her.”
Alaric studied her face. “You didn’t come to my wedding,” he said.
Kumurap si Reese. “Oh.” She shrugged. “There’s no need for me to go there. Hindi naman ako importanteng tao.”
“You are important to me.” May diing sabi ni Alaric.
Rica froze. “Anong ibig mong sabihin?” Her fingers tightened slightly around her bag strap.
Alaric exhaled slowly. “Hindi mo ba talaga maalala?”
“Ang alin?” tanong ni Reese. Her brows knitted together.
Alaric stepped closer. Three years ago. abroad. He could even still smell the scent of gasoline, hear the metal clanking, and see the blood on his hands. Hindi niya makalimutan ang pangyayaring ‘yon sa buhay niya. “You saved my life three years ago abroad.”
Her expression shifted—confusion at first, and then faint recognition painted her face.
Alaric continued. “You dragged me away from the wreck before the car exploded. You called for an ambulance and didn’t think of your safety.”
Reese blinked. “Oh.” Then she tilted her head. “Ah, iyon ba? Wala na sa akin ‘yon.” She waved lightly. “I was just saving you.”
“Just saving you…”
Napatitig si Alaric sa kaniya. She said it like she had helped someone cross the street. And not like she had run into a burning crash site.
“But that saved my life,” he said. “And I vowed to look and repay you.”
Her eyes softened. “People don’t save others to be remembered, Alaric. They do it because it’s the right thing to do.”
Natahimik sila.
“You disappeared after that,” sabi ni Alaric.
She shrugged. “I move around a lot.”
Alaric almost laughed. That was an understatement.
She checked her watch. “I should go.”
Tumango si Alaric. “Miss Agnes.”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you,” Alaric said.
Natigilan si Reese. Bilang si Rica—her alter ego—hearing ‘thank you’ from a person like Alaric was unbelievable.
Then she smiled. “You’re welcome, Mr. Volkov.” And she walked away.
Alaric watched her retreating figure. Kapagkuwan, napahawak siya sa tapat ng kaniyang dibdib. Sobrang bilis ng t***k ng kaniyang puso. “I think I was in trouble.”
But, unbeknownst to Alaric, the one who was in trouble right now is Reese.
- Writer
