Game Over

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Napa-tingin ako kay Lui nang abutan niya ako ng baso ng tubig. We were in his condo. Sa isang araw na iyong schedule ng unang cross-examination. The pre-trial was done the other week. It was brutal. I already expected Iñigo to put up a fight, but you'd think his family's being threatened with the way he was trying to fight every evidence that I submitted.

At that time, when Iñigo was trying to get almost all evidence thrown out and declared inadmissible, did I appreciate all the groundwork that Lui did for this case... Kasi tama naman siya. Itong ginagawa ko? It was one thing. It's one thing to fight this inside the court. Iba pa rin iyong nangyayari sa labas. He had to work magic para makuha lahat ng ebidensya na meron kami—and not only that—ebidensya na admissible sa korte.

"I'm fine," I told him.

He didn't say a word. Tumingin lang siya sa baso ng tubig na inabot niya sa akin. I gave in at saka ininom ko iyon. Naramdaman ko iyong panunuyo ng lalamunan ko. I'd been grilling the witness for hours. Kailangan ko na walang butas sa magiging testimony niya. Alam ko na magkaroon lang ng kaunting butas, Iñigo would kick the door wide open. I would not grant him that opportunity.

"Do you wanna roleplay?" I asked.

Agad na napa-tingin siya sa akin.

Agad na natawa ako dahil sa reaction niya.

Pero agad din akong napa-tigil dahil sa tingin niya sa akin.

"Not what you're thinking," I told him, straightening my back. "I mean, you play Iñigo's role as the opposing counsel."

I didn't know if it was relief that I saw on his face. Ewan. Ayokong mag-overthink. There's a space and time for that and that obviously wasn't now. There were far more important things that we had to focus on.

But... with the amount of time we're spending together, it was so tempting to slip back in the nostalgia and sense of familiarity.

The walls were slowly breaking.

Nakakapagjoke na nga ako—no matter how morbid and dark they sometimes were.

With no one talking, sabay kaming bumalik sa kwarto kung nasaan iyong witness namin, si Noel. Ni hindi man lang siya tumingin sa gawi namin nung buksan namin iyong pinto. He looked so tired—kami rin naman. Sino ba ang may gusto nito? Parang lahat ng buhay namin ay naka-binbin sa era hanggang hindi natatapos ang kaso na 'to.

"One more round," sabi ko kay Noel.

Imbes na tumingin sa akin ay kay Lui siya tumingin. "Iyong pamilya—"

Lui cut him off with a single nod. "Basta sabihin mo 'yung totoo, wala tayong magiging problema," simpleng sabi ni Lui. Those were just his words... it could've come off as friendly, but I knew better. Those simple words were laced with threats. And as Lui told me that push comes to shove, he definitely would be shoving.

Noel nodded, but even with a simple nod, I felt the fear that was swallowing him alive. Minsan, hindi ko talaga maintindihan... Mukhang mahal na mahal naman niya iyong pamilya niya. Ang mga Villamontes din ay halata na mahal nila iyong pamilya nila to the point na pagtatakpan nila ang isa't-isa. Pero hindi ba nila naisip na may pamilya rin na nagmamahal sa mga taong pinatay nila?

I would never—never—understand.

"From the top," sabi ni Lui habang naka-upo sa may upuan sa harap ni Noel. It was like I was thrown back in the past. Ganito iyong itsura niya kapag nasa korte kaming dalawa. Dati, iniisip ko kung paano kung kaming dalawa ang magkalaban sa korte. Nung na-experience ko na, hindi pala masaya. Kahit pa gaano ko sabihin na trabaho lang, pagdating sa aming dalawa, nagiging personal talaga.