He was at the Gonzalez mansion now. He had spent the night there, knowing he would undergo a DNA test the next day. Yet, what weighed heavier on his mind was the looming confrontation with his cousin—someone who had long distanced himself from the Gonzalez family.
How should I respond? Justine found himself asking internally. He needed space to think, to be alone. He was also gathering evidence—proof he could use against Santiago. But the real question nagging at him was why he now felt the need to move in secret.
What is that man planning? He wondered as he took a sip from his glass of mild wine. He planned to leave early the next morning to meet with Lawrence and discuss their next steps.
By dawn, he was at the hospital, picking up an envelope from a doctor he trusted—an old acquaintance.
"Oh, it's so early," he casually remarked.
The doctor merely stared at him, amused. Justine chuckled quietly. He had used his own hair sample—since his father and uncle were both gone—and compared it with the one belonging to the girl he suspected to be his cousin.
The results confirmed what he had hoped.
She is my cousin. My uncle's only daughter.
"The hair samples matched. She's your closest paternal relative," the doctor explained.
"Thank you so much, Doc," he replied earnestly.
"You're always welcome, Drake. I need to go now," the doctor said as he walked away.
Justine sighed deeply.
What's your next move, Justine? he asked himself again. Ashley... she's my niece. Should I help and support her? But how do I even explain this? I need advice.
Finding his cousin lifted a great burden from his chest, but it only gave rise to a new one—how to explain it all.
His phone vibrated, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Are you coming here?" Lawrence asked.
"Yeah, I'm on my way."
"Well, you better be. We've got an unexpected guest waiting," Lawrence sighed over the line.
Unexpected guest? Justine wondered.
"I'll call you when I'm close," he said before ending the call.
When he arrived at the Salazar mansion—their agreed meeting place—he immediately noticed a car parked outside. Curiosity tugged at him. Who was this visitor?
Inside, in a private room, he found Lawrence waiting… along with someone else whose back was turned.
"Hey, Lawrence," he called out.
"Take a seat, Drake," Lawrence said.
He glanced from Lawrence to the visitor, then sat down at the round table.
The man turned, and when Justine recognized him, he furrowed his brows.
Martin.
Lawrence cleared his throat. Justine looked between the two.
"I thought it was just going to be us talking today, Lawrence. Why do we have a guest?" he asked.
"I thought so too," Lawrence replied with a sigh as he took a seat.
Martin turned to Justine with a piercing stare.
"Explain the situation to me now, Justine Zach Madrigal."
Justine raised a brow. "Didn't expect you to be here too, Martin. This is a meeting with my client, Lawrence. I prefer to keep my clients separate."
Martin smirked mockingly. "Can you explain your relationship with Sheila?"
Justine shook his head. "So you're here to interrogate me about that woman?"
"And why were you at the hospital visiting Sharlene?" Martin added.
"Oh, you're very territorial over your women," Justine teased, shaking his head. Lawrence simply exhaled in the background.
"Tell me directly," Martin pressed, pulling out some photos.
Justine smirked. "You're really something, Martin. Digging into my past?"
"What's your relationship to the Gonzalezes?" Martin pushed. "Are you Justine Zach Madrigal or Justine Drake Madrigal-Gonzalez?"
Justine leaned back and laughed. "So it's not about punching me over your women."
"Yeah, I'm Justine Drake Madrigal-Gonzalez," he admitted. "Guess I'm the last Gonzalez standing… No—wait. There are actually two of us." He chuckled.
"Drake, have you found your cousin?" Lawrence asked, shocked.
"I have. That's why I'm here," he said, looking at Lawrence, then at Martin. "To ask how I should talk to her. You're her childhood friend and…" He paused, eyeing Martin. "Her ex-husband."
Martin's face registered shock. Lawrence only sighed.
"Hey, Lawrence, why weren't you surprised?" Justine asked.
"I've known," Lawrence said. "Even with her memory issues, Sharlene still remembers her name and her parents. I didn't tell you because I promised her I wouldn't."
Justine sighed. "Geez, I thought I'd shock someone today."
"Where's your evidence?" Martin challenged. "That Sharlene is part of the Gonzalez family?"
"You want proof?" Justine said, handing over the DNA result. "There you go, Mr. Francisco."
Martin's eyes widened as he read the report.
"No way," he whispered.
"By the way," Justine added, "I'll speed up your divorce papers. I'll have her sign them. She doesn't deserve you."
Martin scoffed. "Look who's talking. Do you think I don't know you and Sheila are together?"
Justine burst into laughter. "You really think that? I'm not interested in Sheila. You want to know why I've been seen with her? It's a cover—for both of my lives."
Then, he turned serious.
"By the way, Martin," he said, sliding over a set of photos. "Do you know her relationship with Raymundo Santiago?"
Martin looked down as Justine continued.
"She has this twisted desire for that old man. And the funny part? Her sister Angely does too. Some sibling bond, huh?"
Lawrence frowned as he scanned the photos. "I always had suspicions…"
"Don't deny it, Martin," Justine said. "Santiago's poison runs deep."
"Everything's clear now," Lawrence said quietly. "Thank you for explaining it, Justine."
Justine stood up, looking at the two men. "We're all here now—Martinez, Gonzalez, and Francisco. Let's put an end to this."
He turned to Martin. "The Francisco family knows what Santiago's hiding, don't they?"
Martin remained silent.
Justine didn't care if things escalated now. No more secrets. He would keep fighting—until his uncle and aunt received the justice they deserved.