Blood Between Us

CHAPTER 29

“ESTHER?” Mira smiled seeing Esther in her condo. “Dumating ka na pala. Pasensiya ka na. Sumabay ako kay Lucien na bumaba. May binili kasi ako sa convenience stores sa tapat.” Ibinaba niya ang kaniyang pinamili pero natigilan siya nang makita kung ano ang hawak ng kaibigan.

Mira swallowed hard. Kakaibang kaba ang pumasok sa kaniya. “Sh*t.”

“Yeah,” Esther said, her voice cracking. “Sh*t.”

The silence hung between them like smoke.

“Sasabihin ko palang sana sa ‘yo,” sabi ni Mira habang pinaglalaruan ang kaniyang mga daliri dahil sa kaba. “Hindi ko lang alam kung paano, o kailan. You’ve been through so much—”

“Don’t,” Esther snapped. “Don’t make this about protecting me. My parents died, Mira. Namatay sila. And all this time, you had proof that it wasn’t just some tragic accident.”

“Kailangan kong makasiguro.”

“I needed to know,” maydiing saad ni Esther. “Not when it was convenient and not when you felt ready. Ngayon na habang matino pa akong kausap, Mira.”

Mira moved closed but stopped short. “I was trying to find more. Akala ko… well maybe if I could trace the money trail deeper, or connect the legal department—”

“It was Celestine Vireaux.” Humina ang boses ni Esther nang banggitin niya ang pangalan na ‘yon. “She signed off on containment. At pinalabas nila na aksidente ang nangyari kahit plinano nila ito.”

Nagbaba ng tingin si Mira.

Esther’s hands trembled at her sides. “Tell me something, Mira… did Ciaran know? Alam ba niya ang plano ng nanay niya?”

Hindi agad sumagot si Mira. Nag-aalangan siya pero tumingin siya kay Esther. “Hindi ko alam,” bulong niya.

Esther took a step back, breath stolen from her lungs.

“No,” Esther said. “You don’t get to say that. You don’t get to stand there and tell me you don’t know when you’re the one who always knows everything.”

“I’ve been looking into it behind his back—even Lucien, just to make sure they won’t play with me,” sabi ni Mira. “Because I wanted to believe he was clean, that he didn’t know about his mother’s plan. Pero ang mga koneksiyon ng Vireaux Global at sa kaniya, hindi ako sigurado.”

Umiling si Esther. “Hindi ko alam, Mira. Sinasabi ng isip ko na may alam siya sa nangyari. Na alam niya ang plano ng kaniyang ina pero hindi niya sinabi sa akin. Hinayaan niya na mamatay ang magulang ko.” Tumulo ang luha niya.

Mira stepped forward. “Esther, listen to me. Hindi natin alam. And if there’s anyone capable of loving you for real, without playing the Vireaux game, that’s him—Ciaran.”

Tuloy-tuloy ang pag-agos ng luha ni Esther. “Kahit wala siyang kinalaman, Mira. Pero nanay niya ang dahilan kung bakit namatay ang magulang. Kung may mas makapangyarihan pa kay Ciaran sa Vireaux Global na kayang paikutin ang lahat, ang nanay ‘yon si Ciaran at wala ng iba.”

Hindi makapagsalita si Mira dahil hindi niya alam kung ano ang sasabihin niya. Ang tanging magagawa niya sa mga oras na ‘yon ay i-comfort si Esther.

Mira had known that it was Celestine Vireaux—the Vireaux matriarch who was behind everything that happened, but the evidence was gone. Ang mga hawak niya ngayon ay hindi sapat—hindi ito matibay na ebidensiya.

Celestine can say that the evidence they hold was fake, and with money, Celestine can manipulate everything and get away unscathed.

TODAY IS CIARAN’S BIRTHDAY. Esther was not in the mood. Nakatitig lamang siya sa mga ingredients ng cake na gagawin niya. Hindi niya ito sinimulan at hindi na niya gagawin.

Hindi mawala sa kaniyang isipan ang mga nalaman niya.

Vireaux Global.

Sorrell subcontract.

And the collapse that made her world fall apart.

Until her phone glowed and a message popped in.

Her heart stopped when she saw who messaged her.

‘Good morning, Sweetheart. Can I call?’

Napatitig na lamang si Esther sa message sa kaniya ni Ciaran. Sa pagkakaalam niya, ngayon ang balik ni Ciaran mula sa dalawang araw na business trip. Hindi niya alam na may business trip na dalawang araw lamang ang itatagal.

Esther sighed. So many things wanted to escape her heart right now—rage, sorrow, confusion. But nothing came out, only silence.

Namalayan na lamang si Esther na nagta-type siya.

‘I’m fine.’

But she wasn’t.

Lalo na at ang lalaking mahal niya ay may koneksiyon sa taong nagpapatay ng magulang niya.

Esther turned off her phone and placed it on the counter.

She buried her face in her hands, trying not to fall apart all over again.

Hindi niya alam kung papaano niya harapin si Ciaran. Hindi niya kasi alam kung sino ang kakampihan nito—kung kanino ito maniniwala. Celestine is Ciaran’s mother. And she was just a girl he fell in love with.

Malalim na napabuntong hininga si Esther.

She was enraged, but even if she was enraged to the core, wala itong magagawa para sa kaniya, lalo na at buntis siya. She needs to be calm to keep her baby safe.

“Baby…” Esther swallowed hard. “Hindi ko alam kung papaano kami ng Daddy mo ngayon. But I promise that I will protect you. Hindi ko hahayaan na mapahamak ka.”

Ang baby na lamang ang pinanghahawakan niya ng lahat. Parang dito na lamang siya humuhugot ng lakas ng loob.

A few minutes later, she stood and moved to the kitchen, forcing herself to do something normal—wash the used plate and mug and then boil water.

Esther was pouring hot water into the mug when she heard a noise—a strange noise from the door.

Nagtaka si Esther saka dahan-dahang naglakad patungo sa may pinto. She peeked out the peephole, just as someone stepped into view.

It was a man, unfamiliar, wearing a dark cap and gray jacket. Then he tried the doorknob.

Mabilis na napahawak si Esther sa pinto. Kumabog ang dibdib niya at bumilis ang pagtibok ng kaniyang puso dahil sa kaba.

“Calm down, Esther.”

Nanlaki na lamang ang mata ni Esther nang makita niyang naglabas ng baril ang lalaki.

Unti-unting napaatras si Esther. Huminga siya ng malalim upang kalmahin ang kaniyang sarili. Then she didn’t want. She grabbed her phone, keys, and bolted through the back door leading to the emergency stairwell.

She didn’t scream or wait for her death. She just ran.

Sa pagmamadali muntikan pa siyang madulas sa hagdan mabuti na lamang at nakawak siya ng mahigpit sa railing. She was breathing hard and praying while her other hand was holding her stomach.

Nagtataka siya sa lalaking nasa labas ng condo niya. Pero isa lang ang ibig sabihin nito. Whoever it was… they were coming for her.

Do they want to kill her?

Esther burst out into the alley behind the condo, panting.

Mabilis niyang tinawagan si Mira.

“Esther?” Mira answered the call after two rings. “What’s wrong?”

“Mira,” nanginginig na boses na saad ni Esther. “I think someone was trying to kill me,” she said as she could barely breathe. “He was outside my door.”

Nagising si Mira mula sa pagkaka-antok nang marinig ang sinabi ng kaibigan. “Nasaan ka?” tanong niya.

“Back alley. I ran down.”

Mira is already grabbing her laptop, her phone, her wallet, and everything she needs to rescue Esther. “Okay. Stay there. Hintayin mo ako.”

A few minutes later… Mira drove like hell. Hindi na siya nag-abalang magsuklay o magsuot ng sapatos. Basta na lamang siyang tumakbo palabas ng condo dala ang mga kinuha niyang gamit habang naka-loudspeaker ang cellphone niya.

She also checked the pistol in the glove compartment of her car—just in case. The pistol was given to her by Lucien when they went to the shooting range three weeks ago.

Tahimik na lamang si Esther sa kabilang linya pero naririnig niya ang mabigat nitong paghinga.

“Esther, kalma ka lang, okay? Think of your baby.”

“Mira,” Esther’s voice cracked suddenly, “why did someone want to kill me?”

Mira gritted her teeth. Wala na siyang ibang maisip. “Because they want to silence you. They wanted to silence everyone who holds the evidence against them.”

“Pero wala naman akong hawak na matibay na ebidensiya. Bakit?”

Natahimik si Mira. Kapagkuwan sinabi niya, “Hindi ko alam, Esther. Pero kahit ano pa man ang rason nila, kailangang makalayo ka. You need to be safe and the baby.”

Mira turned to the corner, and there she saw Esther, curled up beside a trash bin with wide eyes in fear.

Mira stepped on the brakes, jumped out of the car, and opened the door. “Get in.”

Hindi na nagtanong pa si Esther. Tumakbo siya palapit sa kaibigan saka pumasok sa kotse.

As soon as they were buckled in, Mira sped off.

“Do you want me to tell this to Ciaran?” tanong ni Mira.

“No.” Sagot ni Esther habang nakahawak sa kaniyang tiyan.

Sumulyap si Mira kay Esther. “But why?” tanong niya. Si Ciaran na lamang ang tanging naiisip niya na pwedeng makatulong sa kanila sa mga oras na ‘to.

“I lost my trust in any of the Vireaux, Mira.”

Deretso ang tingin ni Mira sa daan. Hindi na siya nagulat sa salitang binitawan ng kaibigan. Hindi niya ito masisisi. Sa lahat ng mga nangyayari, this was already too much.

They have killed Esther's parents. And now they also want to silence her.

“Then let’s go somewhere safe.”

Esther nodded and closed her eyes. She was praying for their safety. But it lingered in her mind, the betrayal… even if Ciaran didn’t know about his mother’s plan. Still, he was part of the Vireaux Global—the one who took her parents' lives.