The Love We've Made

Chapter 11 - Clues and Complications

Chloe's POV

The soft rays of the morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. I stirred, feeling the gentle weight of Dylan's arm draped over me. Smiling, I turned to face him, my heart swelling with happiness. Dylan's eyes fluttered open, and he greeted me with a sleepy smile.

"Good morning," he murmured, his voice husky from sleep.

"Good morning," I replied, kissing him softly. Our lips met, and the kiss deepened, filled with the tenderness and passion of a sweet morning embrace.

Mabilis na naging mas malalim ang halik namin, ang aming mga kamay ay nagsimulang gumala sa isa't isa. Pero bago pa lumala ang aming paglalambingan, bigla kaming napatigil dahil sa tunog ng aking telepono. Napabuntong-hininga ako at kinuha ang telepono mula sa gilid ng kama and it's almost 10am.

"Hello?" I said, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

"Good morning, ma'am. This is the receptionist from the resort," the voice on the other side said. "I'm calling to inform you that we've sent the security footage you requested to your email. Additionally, we found an item that we believe belongs to your friend. Can you provide us with a location to deliver it right away?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Thank you so much! Please send the item to our campus address. I'll forward you the details."

"Very well, ma'am. We'll arrange for the delivery immediately," the receptionist confirmed before ending the call.

I quickly turned to Dylan, my excitement palpable. "They've sent the footage and found something that might belong to Liam or maybe to the guy!"

Dylan's eyes widened with interest. "Let's check it out right away." sagot ni Dylan, lumapit siya sa akin.

"Dylan, ikaw na magbukas ng laptop at i-play mo yung video," utos ko. Binuksan ni Dylan ang laptop at pinlay ang video.

The footage showed Liam at the party, clearly intoxicated. We saw him bump into a guy, and they exchanged a few words before the guy leaned in and kissed Liam deeply. The two of them then disappeared into one of the rooms. Unfortunately, the lighting was poor, making it difficult to identify the guy.

"Ang labo ng video," Dylan muttered in frustration. "It's too dark to see his face. Pero parang pamilyar sa akin ang katawan niya, eh."

Napatingin ako kay Dylan at tumawa. "You gay!" biro ko, hindi masyadong sineseryoso ang sinabi niya.

"Wait, pause mo diyan," sabi ko, itinuturo ang kamay ng lalaki sa screen. "May suot siyang bracelet. Baka makatulong 'yan."

Pinindot ni Dylan ang pause at tinutukan ang bracelet. "Yeah your right!"

Without wasting another moment, I called Liam and forwarded the video to his email. "Liam, we have the footage," I said when he answered. "Hindi clear enough to see his face, pero 'yung guy may suot na bracelet. Check your email, I've sent it to you."

"Thanks, Chloe," Liam said, his voice a mix of anxiety and hope. "I'll take a look right away."

Nang matapos ang tawag, binalingan ko si Dylan. "Hoping makatulong ito para makilala na niya kung sino yung guy. And I'm so curious kong ano yong item na natagpuan nila."

"Yeah, and maybe that item could be a clue too," sagot ni Dylan, hinila ako pabalik sa kama.

I nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. The mystery was far from solved, but we were one step closer. And with Dylan by my side, I knew we could face whatever came next together.

Liam's POV

Saturday meant mall time for me. Ito na ang pagkakataon ko para mag-unwind at makalimutan ang stress in the whole week. I sat down and watched the video on my phone. The footage showed me at the party, clearly intoxicated. I saw myself bump into a guy who leaned in and kissed me deeply. The two of us then disappeared into one of the rooms. Unfortunately, madilim ang video kaya mahirap makilala ang lalaki.

I replayed the video over and over, trying to make out any details that could help me identify him. Each time, the bracelet on his wrist caught my eye. It was unique and might be a crucial clue.

"Sir, excuse me?" isang staff ng mall ang bumalik sa akin sa realidad. "Kailangan na po ninyong bumaba. May naghihintay na sasakyan para sa inyo sa labas. Your family is expecting you for dinner."

I sighed, at inilagay ang phone sa bulsa. "Alright, thank you."

Making my way to the exit, I couldn't shake off the feeling of frustration and curiosity. Who was that guy? And why did he leave me alone?

The car ride to the restaurant was short, but it gave me enough time to ponder over the footage. Pagdating sa restaurant, napansin kong kakaiba ito, hindi tulad ng mga nakainan ko na dati. As I approached the entrance, the door was opened by a handsome man—the same one I bumped into at school. He looked annoyed and walked away quickly, leaving me wondering what his deal was.

"Wow," I thought to myself. "Ang gwapong gwapo nya talaga."

Shaking off my daydream, I asked the hostess where my family was seated. She led me to a private room. Inside, I saw my mom, dad, sister, and two unfamiliar faces—a man and a woman.

"Liam, there you are!" my mother greeted me warmly.

"Liam, these are the Rodriguezes," my father introduced. "They will be our business partners soon, and this dinner is to get to know each other better."

The Rodriguezes smiled warmly at me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Liam."

"The pleasure is mine," I replied, though my mind was still partially on the mysterious guy from the footage.

"We have a proposal that will benefit both our families greatly," Mr. Rodriguez began. "We are considering a union between our families through marriage. Our son and your daughter."

Tiningnan ko ang kapatid ko na mukhang nagulat. Alam kong mayroon na siyang boyfriend at seryoso sila sa isa't isa. This arrangement would complicate things for her.

"But where is your son?" tanong ko, pilit na nagpapakalmado.

"He just stepped out," Mrs. Rodriguez said. "He's not too happy about this arrangement either."

I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and worry. I was relieved their son might not be interested, but worried about my sister's future.

Habang nagdidinner, hindi ko maiwasang maramdaman ang bigat ng sitwasyon. Ang kapatid ko ay halatang hindi komportable, at ako naman ay naguguluhan kung paano susuportahan siya at ang pangangailangan ng negosyo ng pamilya. At habang iniisip ko iyon, patuloy pa ring gumugulo sa isip ko ang misteryo ng lalaki sa footage.

After dinner, I excused myself and stepped outside, needing fresh air. My phone buzzed again—it was Chloe. She had sent another message, reminding me to wait for the item to be delivered to our school. 

I took a deep breath, hoping that the item would bring me closer to the truth. The night was far from over, and there were still many questions left unanswered. But with each step, I felt a bit closer to solving the puzzle of that unforgettable night.

--END OF CHAPTER ELEVEN--

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Author's Note:

What do you think about this chapter? Do you think the bracelet will help Liam identify the guy? And can you guess what item is it? Let me know your thoughts!

Votes and comments are highly appreciated! ↖(^ω^)↗

~naelee223~