BOOK 1 | ESOTERIC

Chapter 21

| CHAPTER XXI |

"The Warmth Inside Chaos"

STELLAN

Ngayon ay nasa isang cafe ako and the doctor is already here. Halos sabay lang din kami nakarating. He is on his suit. May pasok siya ngunit breaktime niya ngayon kaya may oras siya para sa akin.

"I want to know if it is still worth it to help her."

His eyes are staring into mine. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang tumatakbo sa kaniyang isipan. "There is a doctor-patient confidentiality," he said after his long silence. "If you want to hear the truth, I believe you will have to hear it from Eris herself."

Pero ayaw nga niyang sabihin? How am I supposed to know?

"You will have to decide on your own, Mr. Speranza. Whether to help her blindly or leave and have a peaceful life."

"I do not know Eris nor am I related to her. I have no reason to exchange our peace, only to help her in her chaos."

The doctor sighed. "Then leave, Stellan. No one is forcing you to stay. You accepted her hand willingly. You can let go of that anytime."

"She needs me," I countered. "She would not ask for my help if she doesn't need me."

"And your point?"

"I need to know the truth...!" I tried to contain my voice as low as I could. "But Eris refuses to tell me what I need to know—what I deserve to know."

"Do you think I learned the truth in just a snap of a finger?" I backed down with my furrowed brows. "I could not talk to her for one year since I became their family doctor. It took me that long to gain her trust and convince her to speak up."

Just like what Sherry said? Earn her trust?

How am I supposed to do that? It took him a year...paano pa ako? Do I have to get her heart for a year? Baka baliw na talaga ako niyan!

"I worked so hard to gain her trust. I worked so hard to understand her and to know how she thinks and what she thinks. This is not only about doctor-patient confidentiality. This is also about my relationship with her. If I tell you what you need to know, it would damage what I worked so hard for. On top of that, it would hurt her."

I fell silent. I did not know what I was asking until now. I underestimated him as well. I thought he only sees that information as doctor-patient confidentiality but looks like he treats Eris's case more than that.

"Do you really need a reason to help her?" My eyes went up, confused. Of course? That is why I am here, to begin with. "Alright." He sighed, accepting his defeat. Wait, for real? "Do you want me to prove that it was not her fault that Mr. Antonio confessed the crime?"

Yes?

"It was me."

Him? What him?

"I am the one who asked him to confess."

"You?!" My shock is beyond my expectation that I unexpectedly raised my voice at him in a public place, gathering everyone's attention.

"Calm down, Mr. Speranza. Some of these people know me." I do not care about that anymore! I need him to explain! Elaborate what he just confessed and prove to me that I completely misunderstood it! "Mr. Antonio came to me, and dropped a call. He heard what Officer Jacinto told Eris—that she will be convicted soon."

What is this nonsense? Ang galing niyang gumawa ng kwento! Why would Mr. Antonio do that? That is insanity!

"He wanted to protect the kid. He wanted to take the blame because he truly believed himself that she did not kill her own parents."