Dialing Alice's phone number...
"The number you have dialed is currently unattended. Please try your call later."
Beep.
"Tita, her phone is still off," Oliver said, frustration clear in his voice. We had been trying to reach her for hours. We were gathered at Alice's house the moment we heard she had disappeared again.
"Tita, what happened? Why did she leave?" I asked Tita Suzette. She was trembling, the worry for her daughter etched deeply into her face.
"I think she found out the truth," Camille interjected, sauntering toward us with an indifferent shrug.
"What truth?" I demanded. She took her time sitting down before answering.
"The truth that she's adopted. That's why she chose to leave. Maybe she wants to find her real parents. You know how it is—that's what people do when they find out they're just an 'addition' to a family," she answered.
I was stunned. I didn't know whether to believe her; I knew Camille's reputation for weaving lies against Alice. But Tita Suzette remained silent, her quiet sobs the only sound in the room.
"Seriously? Alice is adopted? Stop joking around," Kianna said, having just arrived.
"I'm serious about every letter of that word. She is A-D-O-P-T-E-D. Adopted. Right, Aunty Su?" Camille said, a cruel smile playing on her lips as she looked at Tita Suzette.
"Aunty, you're free to tell them. Time is running out, hello," she added, her voice dripping with disrespect.
"What are you saying, Camille?! Shut up, you're not helping!" Oliver snapped, standing up to face her.
"Don't act tough with me. Who even are you? We aren't close, Tss," Camille shot back. Oliver looked offended but chose to sit back down rather than argue further.
"Stop fighting," I commanded, breaking the tension. "Finding Alice is more important than your petty grudges."
"Tita, we'll take care of finding her. We'll update you the moment we know where she is." I stood up and took Tita Suzette's hand, trying to offer some comfort, though her tears showed no signs of stopping.
Alice, where are you?!
"Pakiusap hanapin nyo ang anak ko, Bryle. Hanapin nyo si alice," she sobbed.
"We will, Tita," I promised. Oliver, Kianna, and I headed out, leaving Camille behind. She clearly didn't care if anything happened to her stepsister.
"Bryle, Oliver—you guys take this area. I'll search somewhere else," Kianna said, splitting off from us. I didn't realize then that she had a secret of her own.
The Secret Call
"Hello, Bess? Nasan ka? They've started searching for you," Kianna whispered into her phone after making sure she was alone. "Humiwalay ako sa kanila so they wouldn't know na I'm talking to you. Tita is won't stop crying."
"I'm sorry, Bess, but I can't come home yet. I need space to think," I replied from the cabin. I was lost, not knowing who to trust or what the truth even was.
"I get that, but what about Tita? Don't you feel bad for her? At least talk to her so she stops worrying like this."
"I can't. She won't let me stay away. I'll come back when I'm okay. Please... just look after my mom for me." I hung up before Kianna could protest.
I knew running away was wrong, but wasn't it more wrong to keep the truth from me all these years? I wasn't a child anymore; I could have understood if she had just explained it.
I set my phone aside. Ruoxi had left for an important appointment, leaving me alone in the cabin. The silence was beginning to feel heavy, so I decided to sleep the boredom away.
*The Mastermind*
"Nice job. Keep it up until you have her full trust. Soon, that company will finally be mine! WAHAHAHAHA!"
A demonic laugh erupted from the other end of the line. Rou—not her real name—listened silently.
His life had been a series of debts. His father's illegal gambling had buried their family so deep that even selling all their properties wasn't enough to pay it off. Rou had been forced into this life, working for years under a shadow just to break the chains that bound him.
*Flashback*
"Is killing my parents still not enough to pay you back?! You are heartless monsters!!"
A young girl screamed, struggling against her ropes. She refused to cry; she had promised herself to be strong. She stared defiantly at the cruel men in front of her.
A heavy blow to her stomach stole her breath, knocking the strength from her legs.
"No, it's not enough. Their lives aren't worth the money I lost. They were just pests in the eyes of a god like me! HA-HA-HA!"
"You're a demon, not a god! You'll pay for everything you did to my family!"
The girl's scream echoed until the world went dark. She would suffer for years before finding a way out from under the men who murdered her parents. She believed that one day, justice would prevail over evil.
"I'm sending you to Canada to prepare for the task I have for you. Don't worry, it will be easy for someone like you. HAHAHAHAHA!"
"I understand," Rou replied calmly, ending the call.
He set the phone down and stepped out to continue the mission that had been years in the making. The pieces were finally falling into place.