"There you are, my husband's mistress!" the woman accused, her voice sharp. "No, no, it's not what you think," Serenity began to defend herself, but the woman cut her off when she saw her holding tencho's clutch bag. "Give that bag! Your tencho won't be showing up anymore. Your affair with him is over!" The tencho's wife furiously said. Before Serenity could clear up the misunderstanding, the woman grabbed her phone and called the police. Panic gripped Serenity as she protested, "Why are you calling the police? I haven't stolen anything!" The woman's anger flared, "You're overstaying, go back to your country!" Serenity argued, "I still have three months left on my visa!" "Your visa has expired!" the woman insisted as she spoke to the police officer on her cellphone. After a short while, the police arrived, and they demanded Serenity's passport and decided to take her to the station for further verification. In the station, Serenity's world crumbled as she discovered tencho and Lavinia's betrayal. He had only extended the visas for Lavinia and Candy and the tencho told the owner that Serenity had run away, but unbeknownst to the owner, Serenity was still in the club with no visa. The police informed her, "We need to take you to immigration to send you back home, in your country." Overwhelmed by disbelief and betrayal, Serenity realized that Lavinia and Tencho had framed her, leaving her fate in the hands of strangers. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, and as she sat in the cold police station, she couldn't help but wonder how everything had gone so wrong in a matter of hours. The trust she had placed in her friends had been shattered, and now she faced the consequences of their deceit. Alex's eyes fluttered open, the light of the sun filtering through the curtains of the hotel room. As he turned to his side, expecting to see Serenity curled up beside him, his heart quickened in alarm. The space next to him was empty, the sheets cold where she should have been. Panic rising in his chest, Alex sat up, scanning every corner of the room with frantic eyes, but Serenity was nowhere to be found. His gaze landed on her phone, abandoned on the bedside table. "Where is she?" Alex whispered; the worry evident in his voice. Maybe she had gone out to grab some breakfast, he reasoned, trying to calm the tumult of questions swirling in his mind. "She didn't even wake me up," he mumbled to himself, slipping out of bed and padding over to the window. Pulling back the curtains, he gazed out at the city below, searching for any sign of Serenity, but the streets were empty. Just then, the shrill ringing of the hotel telephone broke through the tense silence of the room. Alex practically lunged for the receiver, thinking that Serenity was calling, only to be met with the voice of a clerk from the lobby, informing him that his time in the hotel was running out. A strange feeling settled in the pit of Alex's stomach as he hung up the phone, a sense of foreboding creeping over him. With a sense of urgency, Alex dressed quickly, the weight of uncertainty heavy on his shoulders. He grabbed Serenity's cellphone; thinking that she went home, he decided to go to her apartment to give it to her. As he made his way to Serenity's apartment, each step felt like a journey into the unknown.
Riding the elevator up to the eighth floor, Alex's mind raced with possibilities, each more troubling than the last. When he finally reached her door, he took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell. Lavinia was the one to answer, her expression a mix of surprise and confusion. "Alex, why are you here so early?" she inquired, a hint of suspicion in her tone. Alex's heart pounded in his chest as he asked the question that had been consuming him since he woke up. "Is Serenity here?" "Why are you looking for her at this hour?" Lavinia's eyes narrowed, a flicker of concern crossing her features. Ignoring the questions, Alex pleaded with her to fetch Serenity, his tone urgent and pleading. Lavinia's curiosity was piqued by the sight of Serenity's phone in Alex's hand, and she couldn't help but ask, "Why do you have Serenity's phone?" Lavinia asked as she took it from his hand. In that moment, a wave of realization swept over Lavinia. She knew that Serenity had not been entirely truthful about her whereabouts the night before, and now seeing Alex with her phone only confirmed her suspicions, she was with Alex that night. But she kept her thoughts to herself, not wanting to reveal the truth that she had contacted Serenity before she vanished. "But she is not here." The words uttered by Lavinia echoed in his mind, "That's impossible I know she was there, Serenity, please come out!"
Determined to prove Lavinia wrong, Alex's voice quivered as he called out Serenity's name. "Serenity, please come out! I know you're here!" But all that greeted him was the silent indifference of the empty room. Lavinia, standing close by, placed a restraining hand on his arm, her voice laced with a hint of exasperation, "What is going on with you, Alex? Serenity is not here, okay? I don't know where she went." Despite Lavinia's words, Alex's heart refused to accept the truth. He still continued to search desperately, his calls for Serenity growing more fervent and desperate with each passing moment. It was then that Candy emerged from the shadows, looking disoriented from being abruptly awakened by Alex's cries. "What's going on?" she questioned, glancing at him. Alex turned to Candy, a flicker of hope in his eyes as he asked, "Where is Serenity?" Candy, rubbing her eyes sleepily, shook her head and replied, "She's not home yet. Ever since our work finished, she hasn't been here." Lavinia, with a sly grin on her lips, interjected, "You see, Alex, she's not here. This isn't the first time, you know." With a sinking feeling in his chest, Alex finally began to grasp the reality of the situation. "I told you, Serenity always disappears. She sleeps with the customers, not here where you think she is." Lavinia uttered, but Alex doesn't believe in her. Frustrated and heartbroken, Alex slowly started to walk away. Lavinia, not one to let an opportunity slip by, chased after him, her desperate voice filled with longing, "Why don't you love me, Alex? I'm the star of the club now. Be with me." But Alex ignored her advances and continued on his path, determined to unravel the mystery surrounding Serenity.
As he reached the exit, Lavinia's voice pierced through the air once more, filled with a menacing undertone, "You will be mine too, Alex, no matter what!" Her eerie smirk sent shivers down his spine as she went inside the unit. Alex just shook his head.
Alex trudged back to their apartment, the weight of loneliness dragging his steps down. The early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the living room where Mel and Leo lay still in slumber. With a heavy heart, Alex sank onto his bed, thoughts of Serenity's sudden disappearance clouding his mind. The minutes stretched into hours as Alex drifted in and out of a restless nap. When Leo and Mel finally stirred awake, they noticed the somber expression etched on Alex's face. Concern laced Leo's voice as he asked, "Are you okay?" "I will go to the club now," Alex announced abruptly. Leo gently reminded him, "But it's still early, you have two more hours before our shift." "I want to go early. I'll wait for Serenity," Alex insisted, his eyes reflecting a mixture of worry and determination as he hurried out of the apartment, leaving Mel and Leo bewildered by his sudden urgency. Upon reaching the club, Alex made a beeline for the dressing room, his heart pounding in anticipation. A pang of sadness washed over him when he saw Serenity's costumes and clothes still neatly hung in the closet, a stark reminder of her absence. With a heavy sigh, he settled down to wait, the minutes ticking by slowly. As the staff and talents began to trickle in, Alex retreated to the sanctuary of the kitchen, seeking solace away from prying eyes. Peeking out from behind the curtain, he spotted Candy and Lavinia bustling about, but Serenity was nowhere to be seen. Frustration and worry gnawed at him as he approached Candy with a desperate plea, "Is Serenity coming yet?" Candy's reply was tinged with uncertainty, "I don't know. She hasn't returned home yet." Without further explanation, Candy hurried off to the dressing room, leaving Alex to grapple with his growing unease. At the dressing room, Candy asked Lavinia, 'Why Serenity isn't here yet?' she asked. "I'm not interested. I don't care if she's late or not," she said dismissively, her focus unwavering as she touched up her makeup. As the night wore on and the club filled with eager patrons, Serenity remained conspicuously absent. Unable to bear the suspense any longer, Alex mustered up his courage and sought out the Tencho, his heart racing with apprehension. "Where is Serenity, Tencho?" Alex inquired; his voice laced with urgency. Annoyance flickered in Tencho's eyes as he scolded, "We're in the midst of our work. Get to your duties!" But Alex persisted, his desperation palpable. Finally relenting, Tencho sighed heavily, "You want the truth? Serenity has run away. Her visa expired, and she didn't want to return to the Philippines." Alex's disbelief was evident as he defended, "But she still had three months left on her visa." he defended. "The owner refused to extend her visa because of you." Confusion etched deep lines on Alex's face, his eyes widening in shock when Tencho presented him with a photo of himself and Serenity. "She ran away to avoid the consequences, the monetary penalty and deportation," Tencho continued.
"And you, Alex, will face a severe penalty. No salary, you might even be deported." Panic seized Alex's heart as he pleaded desperately, "But I need the money for my mother. And please don't send me home." Tencho's laughter rang hollow as he delivered his verdict, "No going home for now, Alex. Work off to pay the penalty. That's your only way out." Alex was left reeling, his mind a whirlwind of fear and remorse. The weight of his actions now bore down on him. Desperation clawed at his chest as he grappled with the harsh reality of his choices, the consequences looming ominously ahead. And in that moment, as the club buzzed with life around him, Alex felt more alone than ever before. The night was draped in a soft glow, buzzing with the murmurs of patrons and clinking of glasses at the bustling bar. Alex saw Lavinia with laughter mingled with the lively chatter of the customers. Lavinia suddenly glanced at him and gave him a grimly smile. Alex stood at the far end of the bar and thought nothing about Serenity. He longed to find her, to escape the shadows that loomed over him, but uncertainty gripped him like a vice. Why hadn't Serenity asked him to run away with her? The question tormented him, stirring a storm of emotions within. Leo noticed the lines of worry etched on Alex's face and approached him, concerned about shadowing his features. "Alex, you seem troubled. Is it something to do with your family back home?" Leo's voice was laced with genuine worry, his eyes reflecting the flickering mirror ball. Turning to Leo, Alex's voice was heavy with emotion as he revealed, "Someone betrayed me and Serenity." Leo's brow furrowed in confusion, prompting Alex to recount the events that had led to their current predicament. "They captured a picture of Serenity and me together, and now they believe we are a couple. They refused to extend her visa, and they said she ran away. I'm not sure if what I've been told is the truth." Leo's expression morphed into one of shock and sympathy. "So, you're facing penalties as well?" he inquired, his voice laced with concern. Alex nodded, the weight of his circumstances pressing down on his shoulders. "I'll have to stay and work to pay off the penalties. Once that's done, they'll deport me," his words hung heavy in the air. Leo's anger simmered as he considered the gravity of the situation. "Lavinia is the culprit behind this. She's a vile woman," he spat. Just then, Mel joined the conversation, his features mirroring the shock and empathy that flickered in Leo's eyes. "What's your plan now, Alex?" Mel's voice was gentle, a beacon of support in uncertainties. "I don't know," Alex admitted, his voice tinged with weariness. "You are a son of a Japanese person, they can't deport you?" Mel said. "I was Filipino by birth, and I don't even know where my father is," Alex said with a hint of sorrow in his eyes. As the club went on, the trio was interrupted by a staff member urging them to attend to their duties. They dispersed. After a long night, in their dimly lit apartment, exhaustion hung heavy in them, seeping into Alex's bones despite the weariness of his body. His mind buzzed with a restlessness that forbade him from finding solace in sleep. Leo and Mel, hovered nearby, and they tried to ease the weight on his shoulders.