"Help Manuel now—bury Leah alive." That was the command after Raymundo called his son.
Angely furrowed her brow, uncertain if she had heard it right.
Suddenly, Raymundo wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You know what happens if you don't follow orders, right?" he whispered.
"I'll go now," she replied simply, quickly getting dressed. They were to meet Manuel at the abandoned lot.
The equipment was already in place, and several men accompanied her.
"Manuel," she called as soon as she saw the unconscious Leah.
"I'm here to help you," she said, though the confusion on Manuel's face was clear.
"You won't go to jail," she assured him.
"Put that woman in the coffin," Angely ordered swiftly.
The men obeyed in silence.
"Angely… Are we really doing the right thing?" Manuel whispered, eyes fixed on Leah as she was gently lowered into the coffin.
Angely approached the casket, Manuel close behind, watching Leah as she slept soundly.
"Look—this is better. She won't suffer. You don't want that, right? It's more merciful this way," she reasoned, eyes meeting his.
"T-This isn't right, Angely. There's still another way. I'd rather turn myself in than kill Leah. My conscience won't let me live with this," Manuel said, shaking his head.
Angely let out a sigh and rolled her eyes.
"We're already here, Manuel. We have no choice. I don't want to end up in jail either," she said firmly, locking eyes with him.
"No. I'd rather go to prison."
That was all Manuel managed to say before attempting to lift Leah from the coffin.
Angely panicked and quickly signaled the men.
"Angely! Don't stop me!" Manuel cried out, struggling as the men tried to restrain him.
"Hurry, lock it. Make sure it's sealed before Leah wakes up," Angely instructed the others, who gathered near the coffin.
Manuel broke free for a moment but was quickly blocked again.
"Don't mind us," one of the men muttered, confused.
"This is for our safety, Manuel. I'm not ready to die, and I won't let my sister suffer under him either," Angely said, pulling Manuel into an embrace to stop him from reaching Leah. She couldn't afford to fail. Her father's orders were clear—their lives were at stake.
Manuel could only stare at the coffin as it was lowered into the pit. Just then, Leah woke up. Her muffled cries echoed from beneath the soil.
"Leah…" Manuel whispered, full of regret.
Angely's heart ached. Leah had been her friend. It still hurt—knowing they buried her alive.
I was just following orders, she told herself.
Manuel remained by the grave, tears falling silently as the others restrained him.
Then Raymundo called again.
"How did it go, Angely?" he asked.
She turned away, feeling as if someone was watching. But when she looked, no one was there. She shook her head.
"The task is done. Deposit double the amount into my bank account," she said coldly.
She could hear Raymundo laughing on the other end.
"Don't worry, dear. You'll get it. How's my son?"
"Full of regret," she answered quietly.
"Get out of there," he ordered before she ended the call.
When Manuel finally calmed down, they left the site—as if nothing had happened.
Angely was headed home when a sudden heavy rain began to pour. Not long after, Raymundo contacted her again.
"Good job," he said.
She received a reward—a land title.
"The lot where Leah Martinez is buried—that's yours now," Raymundo added.
She stared in disbelief. The place where Leah died and was buried… belongs to me?
"The dead don't rise. What are you afraid of?" he asked.
She didn't respond.
"Oh, and you and Manuel should get married soon," he said.
And so they did. The burial ground was turned into a luxurious mansion—now belonging to her sister Sheila.
Back then, Sheila was still naive. She didn't know she was just a mistress. Manuel had remarried after his wife's death.
But Manuel remained unaware of the full extent of his father's crimes. Raymundo was a major figure in the syndicate. And Angely didn't know how much longer she could hide the dirt she and Raymundo shared.
She admitted she felt guilty. But it was too late. She was in too deep.
She thought things would finally quiet down. But then Felicia arrived.
Angely hadn't believed in Felicia's abilities. But someone had seen them kill Leah. Her soul was crying for justice.
"What should we do? We need to surrender," Manuel told her one day.
But Angely couldn't go to prison. She sensed the weakness in the woman before her—and smirked.
"How much did Leah pay you?" she asked Felicia, who was digging for evidence.
"Why? Can you offer more?" the woman shot back.
Leah's parents weren't dead yet. They were still searching for answers about their missing daughter.
Angely had to act. She reached out to Raymundo, who merely laughed and supported her.
Felicia eventually met Raymundo. She insisted on revealing the truth—but her life was threatened.
Raymundo still came out on top. A strange bond formed between them, as Felicia held a grandchild her family had once abandoned.
Felicia believed in her power.
"Angely, I know where Leah's grave is," Felicia told her one night.
"Let's work together. He's holding my life, my sister's life—and yours too," Angely said.
She saw Raymundo's granddaughter—one of the children who had witnessed Leah's burial.
Now, Angely vowed she wouldn't let everything she'd done go to waste.
They each carried secrets they would take to the grave.