Justine accompanied Sheila to her mansion. Despite his weariness, he had no choice but to take care of her.
"Hey, I need to rest for a while," Sheila muttered sleepily.
"Okay. The day's still long," he replied softly.
Justine helped her upstairs, making her laugh a little as he supported her toward the bedroom.
"Get some rest," he said tersely.
"Yeah," Sheila nodded before closing her eyes.
They were the only ones in the grand mansion now. The silence around them deepened as dusk approached. Sheila had mentioned the mansion had been inherited from her older sister.
Justine scanned the place slowly.
Welcome back. How many decades has it been since I last visited here? he thought, holding a drink in one hand.
His phone vibrated. It was a message from his client, but he ignored it for now—his body was still exhausted.
Alright, Justine. Since you're already here, let's see what secrets this town is hiding. He whispered to himself.
His mission was deeply personal. He needed to return to San Mateo to investigate the disappearance of his father's brother—his uncle—who had married into the Santiago family and vanished with his wife and child.
Initially, everyone believed the couple had chosen a quiet life away from San Mateo. The wife had just given birth when they disappeared, and they stopped all contact. But according to the documents his father left behind, something darker lurked behind the silence. His uncle wasn't the type to go off the grid.
Eventually, tragedy struck. Two bodies—a man and a woman—were discovered in a grassy, hidden field by a garbage collector. They were presumed to be the missing couple. The child, however, was nowhere to be found.
Devastated, Justine's father had vowed to find his brother's child, believing with all his heart that the child was still alive. He spent the rest of his life searching.
Now, Justine had picked up the trail.
Back in his room, he reviewed the papers he'd brought with him. Only one person knew his true identity—he had to be cautious.
He read through reports again, many of them suggesting the Santiago family was involved in the couple's disappearance. However, it remained unclear whether the only woman in the Santiago family had any involvement.
Four powerful families dominated the town: Martinez, Francisco, Gonzalez, and Santiago.
Martinez-Santiago… where Leah used to belong, he thought. Then she was replaced by that woman—Angely Atienza.
Justine smirked.
Santiago and Gonzalez fought over this in the past. It all traces back to my uncle's death.
He turned his attention to the Francisco family—neutral amidst the feud. Martin Chris Francisco, he remembered, had quietly sought the truth. Perhaps he could learn something from him.
I won't let my father down. I will find my missing cousin, he thought, sighing heavily.
But he couldn't do it alone.
He'd long been observing the Atienza family. To get the information he needed, he was prepared to use every method at his disposal.
Even if it means hiding behind a dirty mask…
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a strange feeling—like someone was watching him. He turned around quickly, but no one was there.
He rubbed his eyes.
Aside from his personal mission, he also had a client—the case of Leah Martinez's disappearance.
Decades have passed… Do they still have any leads? he wondered.
He was critical and cautious in his thinking. But some truths required dirtier methods.
Forgive me, Martin. I have to do this—for the good of others.
He had no feelings for Sheila—what he shared with her was nothing more than physical.
Sometimes, you have to get close to your target, he told himself bitterly.
As the room darkened, he reached for the switch when something moved quickly across his vision. Too fast to be seen clearly.
He shook it off.
Then the maid arrived, startling him again.
"Sorry, sir. We forgot to turn on the lights here," she apologized.
He nodded silently and walked toward Sheila's room. She might be awake by now.
He opened the door—it was unlocked.
Take a deep breath, Justine.
Sheila smiled at him.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied simply, sitting beside her.