Alluring Mask

CHAPTER 44

CHAPTER 44

VALENTINA IMARA MEADOWS

"What else did they do?" Atlas asked me with a furrowed brow.

"They whipped me when I didn't answer their questions, and sometimes they pulled my hair, punched, or slapped me. Kung anong ginawa nila gano'n din kay Oceanus," I quickly replied.

Oceanus and I had already recovered from what happened to us at the Zevallos mansion. Ilang buwan na rin ang nakalipas simula noong nadukot ako, at ngayon lang kami kinausap ni Atlas tungkol doon. Perhaps he chose to wait until we had fully healed before asking about it.

"Don't worry, Atlas. I couldn't have told them your real name even if I wanted to because I honestly don't know it," pagsisinungaling ko.

Napansin ko ang paglingon ni Oceanus sa akin nang marinig 'yon. Kapansin pansin talaga ang malaking peklat sa mukha niya—a diagonal line starting from his left eyebrow down to his right cheek.

Nagkibit balikat agad ako sa kan'ya dahil alam ko naman kung anong klaseng tingin 'yon.

We were currently in the first-floor basement of Atlas' place, sitting in the cozy living area of the lobby while recounting the events that transpired in the torture chamber. I sat alone on the long, soft sofa while Oceanus was on a single-seater chair, and Atlas was seated on another single-seater across from him. Their seats were positioned at opposite ends of the center table in the living area.

"Are you sure that's all they did to you?" tanong ulit ni Atlas at lumingon pa kay Oceanus para makasigurado na wala na akong ibang tinatago pa kung anong ginawa ng mga tauhan ni Perses sa akin.

"Is there anything she hasn't told me, Oceanus?" Atlas asked him before turning his gaze back to me. "Did they touch you? You know what I mean..."

I quickly shook my head. "No, they didn't do that to me."

"Okay, that's good."

Pinanood ko siyang tumayo sa kinauupuan niya. He dusted off his clothes and walked to the side of the laboratory door, retrieving a white folder resting on a small drawer.

"Thanks for the info, Hexia. Don't worry, this won't happen again. And I'm sorry it took us so long to save you," Atlas said, his back turned as he faced the closed laboratory door.

"It's alright. What matters is that Oceanus and I got out safely. Anyway, what's happened has already happened."

Isang tango lang ang binigay ni Atlas sa akin bago tuluyang pumasok sa loob ng laboratory. Kaya ngayon ay naiwan kaming dalawa ni Oceanus sa living area. We exchanged glances, and I gestured for him to come closer.

"Halika ka nga rito, may sasabihin ako sa 'yo," mahina kong sambit sa kan'ya na para bang may makakarinig sa amin kahit wala namang tao rito bukod sa aming dalawa.

Oceanus furrowed his brows slightly before moving to sit beside me. He looked eager, na para bang hindi mabubuo talaga ang araw niya kung walang napapakinggan na chismis. I shook my head and chuckled under my breath.

When he finally sat next to me, I cleared my throat. "I haven't told you this. You know Helios, right?" I asked.

He nodded slowly. "Yes. He's Perses' right-hand man. Bakit?"

"Natatandaan mo pa ba yung matalik kong kaibigan na matagal ng patay? The one named Rafael that Atlas mentioned when I overheard your conversation? They're the same person. It's not just a coincidence that they share the same name—they're one and the same," I whispered firmly.

"Okay... so what's the connection between Rafael and Helios? And between Rafael and Atlas?" kunot noong tanong ni Oceanus.

I glanced around to ensure no one was nearby. There were CCTV cameras in the lobby, but they didn't record audio, so I wasn't worried about Atlas overhearing us.