Blood Between Us

CHAPTER 30

LUCIEN was watching his brother, who was standing by the glass counter. His brother’s expression softened than he had seen in months. Nagulat na lang siya nang dumating ang Kuya niya sa condo niya, he just put his bag on the couch and pulled him out. Akala naman niya kung saan sila pupunta, dito lang pala sa isang jewelry boutique.

Ciaran was not in a suit—just a white button-down with sleeves rolled up and his hair slightly tousled from the flight. Pero kahit naka-casual look lamang ito, his eyes held the same intensity, but not for the boardroom. It was for something far more dangerous.

Love.

But that word makes Lucien sigh. Nakatingin na lamang siya sa Kuya niya habang namimili ito ng singsing.

“This one?” the boutique manager offered, laying out a delicate ring with a rose-cut diamond and twisted platinum band.

Ciaran tilted his head, studying it. “Too sharp,” he murmured. “Give me an earthy and warm-themed ring.”

Ngumiti ang boutique manager saka tumango.

Nakatayo lang naman si Lucien sa likod ng kapatid habang nakalagay ang kamay sa magkabilang bulsa ng suot na pantalon.

“For whom?” Lucien asked, already knowing the answer.

“Para kay Esther,” tugon ni Ciaran nang hindi tumitingin kay Lucien. “Sino pa ba?”

Hindi sumagot si Lucien.

Sumulyap naman si Ciaran sa kapatid mula sa pagtingin niya sa mga singsing na naka-display. “Too much?” he asked. “Too fast?”

Lucien let out a small sigh, and he forced a smile. “You’re asking the wrong person, Kuya. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that sure about anyone.” Though he has someone in mind pero hindi niya ‘yon sasabihin sa kapatid niya. Ayaw niyang matukso ng Kuya niya.

Ciaran chuckled. “Bakit? Hindi mo pa ba nililigawan si Mira?” tanong niya na may halo ng mapang-asar na tono.

Hindi sumagot si Lucien saka tipid na lamang na ngumiti. His chest tightened. He wanted to tell his brother about the fragments Mira had uncovered… about the Vireaux Global’s buried internal memos and about their mother.

Pero hindi niya kaya.

Huwag muna sa ngayon. Not when his brother looked like that—hopeful, softened, and in love.

Pero nakokonsensiya si Lucien. But, besides, there was still no concrete evidence. Mira had told him that someone had already cleared everything. As in… it wiped out all the evidence. So, ibig sabihin ay may nakaalam na may nag-iimbestiga sa nangyaring collapsed.

Lucien looked at his brother. Sa pagkakaalam niya, nag-iimbestiga rin ang bodyguard nitong si Drake sa nangyari. Hindi niya alam kung may nakuha bai tong impormasyon? Pero sa tingin niya malabo na itong makakuha lalo na kung si Ramon Paz ang makatapat nito. Ramon Paz was his mother’s right-hand man. At ito rin ang pinagkakatiwalaan ng kanilang ina sa lahat ng bagay lalo na kung may ipapayos ito.

Malamim na napabuntong hininga na lamang si Lucien. Nagdadalawang-isip kasi siya kung dapat na ba niyang sabihin o manahimik na lamang siya.

He glanced down at his phone, buzzed in his pocket.

There was a message from Mira. He swiped it open under the glass counter, hiding the screen from view. ‘Esther knew about the collapse. She saw the memos in my condo. She knows everything.’

Lucien’s blood ran cold. Agad siyang tumingin sa Kuya niya na tumitingin pa rin ng mga singsing, smiling a little like a man about to change his life. Napahigpit ang pagkakahawak niya sa kaniyang cellphone.

Esther didn’t tell him yet. Lucien thought.

That means two things. Esther didn’t trust Ciran anymore, and things were about to fall apart.

Naipikit na lamang ni Lucien ang kaniyang mata.

“Kuya…”

“What?” Ciaran asked.

Bumuka ang bibig ni Lucien pero walang salita ang lumabas kaya naman tumingin sa kaniya si Ciaran.

“Ano?” tanong ni Ciaran.

“Kuya, happy birthday pala.” Sabi ni Lucien at gustong kutusan ang sarili. Iba ang nasabi ng dila niya sa salitang nasa kaniyang isipan na dapat niya sanang sabihin.

Ngumiti si Ciaran pero hindi abot hanggang mata dahil ang inaasahan niyang babati sa kaniya ay wala. “Thank you, Lucien.”

Kapagkuwan napatitig si Ciaran sa mensahe sa kaniya ni Esther sa cellphone kanina, ‘I’m fine’.

That’s his cue. Esther was not okay. Kaya naman pagkatapos niyang mamili ng singsing para sa kasintahan agad niyang sinabi kay Lucien na ihatid siya nito sa condo ni Esther.

Looking at the ring in a small velvet box.

He smiled.

He planned to propose to Esther right on his birthday.

He wanted to be with her.

Nakangiti pa si Ciaran habang naglalakad siya patungo sa pinto ng condo ng kasintahan. But his smile was lost when he saw that the door was open.

Esther always locked the door.

He ignored some possible thoughts in his mind and entered the condo.

“Esther?”

“Sweetheart?”

The echo of his voice bounced off the walls of the condo, too loud in a space that had always been warm and alive with her presence.

But now, it was quiet.

Tinignan ni Ciaran ang paligid. Wala namang nagbago sa condo ng kasintahan. Pero parang walang natulog rito. But the lights were on, and the curtains were open. Sketchbook is on the table, and her favorite sweater is still on the coat rack by the door.

Kapagkuwan natuon ang tingin niya sa mug na nasa counter. Nilapitan niya ito at hinawakan. Malamig ito. It’s not Esther’s habit to leave a mug with water at the counter.

“Sweetheart?” he tried again, his voice lower, unsure.

Nakaramdam ng kaba si Ciaran.

He went to the bedroom, and it was empty, but the pillow and blankets were neatly arranged—just like how Esther arranged them after waking up in the morning.

Sinubukan niyang tawagan ang dalaga pero nakapatay ang cellphone nito.

He tried again, but Esther’s phone was unreachable.

Meanwhile, Lucien was pacing back and forth at the parking lot in front of the condominium. Hindi siya umalis pagkatapos niyang ihatid ang Kuya niya sa condo ni Esther. His phone pressed tightly to his ear.

Come on, Mira. Pick it up.

But the line kept ringing.

“Damn it,” he hissed, redialing again.

But still, no answer.

Hindi niya alam kung ano ang mangyayari ngayon.

Pumunta na ang kapatid niya sa condo unit ni Esther. At siguradong magkakaroon ng…gulo? O magtatalo ang dalawa.

Lucien sighed.

“Mira, where are you…” He muttered, tapping rapidly.

Sunod niyang tinawagan si Esther pero nakapatay ang cellphone nito. He also called Esther’s studio, but no answer.

Tumingin si Lucien sa condominium na nasa harapan niya. His eyes darted on the condo unit—Esther’s condo. Hindi niya alam kung ano na ang nangyayari pero parang nakikita na niya.

Napabuga ng hangin si Lucien. He was about to step to enter the condominium, but his phone buzzed—but it wasn't from Mira.

It was from his brother. Parang alam na niya kung ano ang nangyayari.

Agad na sumagot si Lucien. “Kuya?”

“Lucien, she’s gone. Esther was gone.”

Nahigit ni Lucien ang hininga. “Gone? What do you mean gone, Kuya?”

“The condo was empty. I’m trying to call her, but she is unreachable.”

Lucien closed his eyes.

This was it. He thought.

CIARAN sat behind his desk, unmoving and looking straight to the wall. Hindi niya maisip kung bakit biglang umalis si Esther. He had the CCTV of the condo check. A man came with a gun, but Esther managed to escape.

Pero bakit hindi ito tumawag sa kaniya?

Why Esther didn’t ask for help from him?

Ciaran looked at the door when he heard a knock. “Come in.”

Bumukas ang pinto at pumasok si Drake.

“What is it?” Ciaran asked.

“Boss, the collapse…” Drake pause. “It was designed by Ramon Paz.”

Nahigit ni Ciaran ang kaniyang hininga. “Ramon?” His voice was dangerously calm. “You mean, my mother’s bodyguard?”

Tumango si Drake. “Yes, Boss. The man who’s been by her side for over two decades. He supervised the altered foundation schematics. The original files are gone, but we managed to trace one encrypted copy to his secure drive. The dates match the week before the project broke ground.”

Napahawak si Ciaran sa gilid ng lamesa. “And my mother?”

Nag-alangan si Drake.

“She ordered it, Kuya,” Lucien said quietly from the corner.

Lumingon si Ciaran. Hindi niya narinig na pumasok si Lucien.

Isinara naman ni Lucien ang pinto. “Mira and I dug deeper about the collapse. The trail led to Ramon, but every time we got close to something concrete, it disappeared. Like smoke. So, we are being watched.”

Kumuyom ang kamay ni Ciaran. “You mean to say…”

“It’s mom, Kuya,” Lucien said in a firm voice. “She’s the mastermind. The collapse that killed Esther’s parents wasn’t just a negligence. It was deliberate, targeted and planned. It was a calculative move from a cunning woman.”

Ciaran sand into the chair behind him, the weight of the revelation was pinning him down like iron. “I asked Drake to investigate but the files are gone like they never existed.”

Humakbang si Lucien palapit sa kaniyang kapatid. “Kuya, she destroyed every trail that could implicate her. Ramon took care of the dirty work, but Mom planned it. As for the reason why he did it…” umiling siya. “Iyon ang hindi ko alam.”

Silence stretched the room, thick and cold.

“Walang kwenta ang mga papel na hawak ni Mira,” Lucien added quietly. “Because it was circumstantial and fragment. Not enough to convict and not enough to go public.”

Hindi makapagsalita si Ciaran dahil hindi niya kaya.

Because for the first time in his life, the lines had completely blurred.

His mother had blood on her hands.

And the woman he loved was bleeding from it.

“Lucien, alam ba ‘to ni Esther?”

Tumango si Lucien. “She knows, Kuya.”

Ciaran closed his eyes. “No wonder, she didn’t ask for my help.” Aniya. Napatingin siya sa velvet box na nasa ibabaw ng kaniyang mesa.

Kinuha niya ito saka binuksan. The diamond on the ring gleamed when the light illuminated it.

Now that he knew that truth, paano niya haharapin si Esther?

Knowing that his mother was the reason why Esther’s world fell apart.