Love Persist

Kabanata 48 - The edge-of-your-seat encounter of shared ties.

The sun shone brightly overhead as I left the car, keys clinking in my hand, making my way towards the office. This wasn't part of my initial plan, but I had just finished a hearing. I had intended to head straight to the university to leave a notice for my class, as I couldn't attend later, and Javi was unavailable due to an appointment. However, with all these legal documents in tow, I couldn't just go there without stopping by the office first. Grunting with exertion, I hauled my heavy briefcase up the steps and through the imposing glass doors, finally reaching the familiar environment of my workplace.

As I navigated the maze of cubicles, a voice called out, "Attorney Gil, got a second?"

I paused, turning to face one of the paralegals, who was gesturing me over to his desk. "What's up, Joe?"

"Edward's team just dropped off some new information for the Castro's case. They're requesting a meeting with you this evening to go over the changes." He handed me a stack of documents, which I immediately began rifling through.

"Alright, let's set it up. Tell them 7 works for me."

Joe nodded, already typing away on his keyboard. I continued on to my office, closing the door behind me and sinking into my chair with a heavy sigh.

The Castros case had been a nightmare from the very beginning. What was supposed to be a straightforward real estate dispute had quickly spiraled into a tangled web of legal issues, with both sides digging in their heels and refusing to budge. Just as I was getting a handle on it, the other side seemed to find some new angle to exploit. The amount of paperwork and time-consuming negotiations involved was enough to make my head spin. Looking over the additional information, I could already feel a headache coming on.

I had been working around the clock for days, pouring over mountains of evidence and witness statements, preparing for the hearing that was just a few days away. It was exhausting, both mentally and physically. Leaning back in my chair, I rubbed at my temples, trying to stave off the impending migraine.

Suddenly, it hit me—today was the day I had promised to bring Cerise to meet Leona. In the whirlwind of events, the thought had nearly slipped my mind.

I reached into my pocket for my phone and dialed my mother's number. She picked up after a few rings. I quickly told her that I would pick up Cerise after my work and ended the call promptly, as there was still quite a bit of work to be done. Despite my body's plea for a brief rest, there was no choice but to leave my office and get on my way.

Upon arriving at the university, I made my way to the lecture hall, weaving through the throngs of students gathered outside. I slipped into the back of the room, quickly surveying the faces until I spotted the class president with her friends, Heaven and Cervantes.

"Mr. Vergel," I called out, the group looking up at me.

"Yes, Professor Gil?"

Vergel, together with his friends, approached me. My eyes automatically flickered to Heaven as she flashed me a warm smile. I did my best to ignore the flutter in my chest and focus on the task at hand. I instructed Vergel to collect the papers I had assigned and hand them over to the teaching assistant on his way out. As for the rest of the class, I told them I would not be able to teach the lecture as planned, but they were to review the assigned readings and prepare any questions for the next session.

After giving my instruction, I gave one last look to Heaven before I turned to leave, already making my way to the exit. However, upon reaching the door, I sensed someone trailing behind.

"Why are you following me?"

Heaven appeared by my side, her expression full of sunshine. "Wala na kaming pasok since you just canceled our class, at wala 'yong ibang prof."