Astonishing Us

XXXVI

RIDGE

My heart started pounding loud and fast the longer it takes for Aether to pick up the phone, nervousness is starting to take over my self-control as my hands started to tremble and feel cold.

I feel like something is really wrong, I have been here for almost two hours when she should've been here waiting for me before I could even arrive, I was already a half-hour late sa usapan naming oras na dapat pagsundo ko sa kaniya.

I bite the insides of my cheek when she did not answer the call, I was about to dial her number again when a notification popped on my phone.

I felt at ease for a second when I saw it was a text message from Aether a smile crept on my lips as I opened to read her message when a sharp pain assaulted my heart, her message immediately erased the smile on my lips.

Bubbles <333:

"I'm sorry... I tried to make myself believes I still love you, but I realized I just don't anymore... Stop looking for me, please just let me go."

Mapaklang pagak akong natawa at napailing habang pahigpit ng pahigpit ang hawak ko sa cellphone kong hawak. I grit my teeth and clench my jaw.

Something is really wrong.

Whoever sent me this message is an idiot for believing I'll believe a stunt like this after all that happened, nagtatagis ang bagang kong sumakay ako ng kotse ko at nagmaneho pabalik sa opisina ko.

Whoever is behind this, if something bad happened to Aether and our child will pay with his or her life.

Humigpit ang kapit ko sa manubela habang ang isa kong kamay ay abala sa pag-type ng numero at tawagan iyon. Nagtatagis pa din ang mga ngipin ko ng sumagot ang nasa kabilang linya.

"Montegara, need a hand or a gun?" Axel D'carpio the PMM Brotherhood's founder said on the other line chuckling.

"I need someone to track my Fiancé's phone, someone tries to play hide and seek with me hiding my girl. I might as well take the gun. Just in case of a fight," I answered without breaking my eye contact on the road.

Axel whistled, "Cool, come to PMM tower, I'll be there in thirty, Drew is there and the gang."

"On the way," I answered with my jaw tightening in anger.

I ended the call and throw my phone to the passenger's sit. Harshly gritting my teeth, I stepped on the gas and drove my car towards the PMM tower as fast as my car could.

I STARED at the sea in front of me as I was standing on the edge of the port. My jaw is moving as clenches my fists.

"This is where the coordinates lead us, the phone is thrown somewhere in the seaside, I cannot locate if the phone's died because of the water— "

"Found it!" Putol ni Jander kay Andrew at patakbong umakyat ng port mula sa baba non, hawak-hawak ang cellphone ni Aether na kinadagungdong ng dibdib ko.

Ang kanina ko pang salubong at nakakunot na mga kilay ay naunat kasabay ng mariin kong paglunok, inabot ko iyon ng iabot iyon sa akin ni Jander. I stared at Aether's phone, that is just threw away without any scratch, someone who've thrown this away is neither an idiot or did it on purpose.

"There are three islands on the other side. Look," lumapit sakin si Andrew at pinakita sakin ang screen ng laptop niyang bitbit-bitbit niya.

"These islands aren't that far from each other; one is owned by a foreign billionaire who got married to a Filipina and the other two is neither owned by the government or Philippines private sector."

Napabaling akong muli sa dagat.

So, there is only one island where Aether could be brought unto. I clenched my jaw again when I thought of Aether's afraid reaction, my Bubbles...

Humigpit ang pagkakakuyom ko sa aking kamao at akmang tatanungin si Drew kung sino ang may-ari ng isang isla ng lumapit sakin si Lion.

Lion is my cousin who happened to be part of PMM Brotherhood.

"I guess your girl aren't kidnapped at all, Caz. Look, she posted a minute ago, looks like she's enjoying the company of whoever you think kidnapped her," he showed me the screen on his phone and with the photo he just showed me my grip on Aether's phone loosened that it fell on the ground and broke.

It was a picture of Aether, in bikini running on the seaside as someone so familiar chases her.

I gulped and looked back at ocean; I rolled my tongue between my lips as I shut eyes when I took a deep breath. I blow it out harshly and took a step back.

"Let's go back," I said almost a whisper.

"I need to do something for a while, I need to ask someone for a minute..."

Andrew, Jander and Lion who's behind me exchanges glances at each other. "...who?"

I balled my fists to knuckles again, at may diin na sinagot ang tanong nila, "Snow."

SNOW HAS HER teary eyes as she welcomed me with a hug when the warden opened her jail.

I went ballistic with her dramatic way of welcoming me as if she missed me so much.

Nangdidiring tinulak ko siya palayo pero parang sawang mabilis din siyang muling lumingkis sa akin na kinatagis ng aking mga ngipin, I grabbed her jaw to make her face me, gritting my teeth and with my darkened eyes burning in anger I talked to her with threatening tone on my baritone voice.

"tell me everything you know, or I'll break your neck here and now woman. I don't have time to play with your nasty game, tell me everything, who else is with you on planning on ruining me and my relationship with Aether?"

Fear was written all over her thin face as she tried to freed herself from my grip.

"I-I have different plan I swear I'm not part of it I t-thought I was the one who's playing you and everyone b-but I ended up being a spoon in h-his game. I-I swear I was shocked too— "

"Who is he!?" I shouted impatiently.

"... Jaime."

____

THENAUGHTYGRAY