Lethal Lilac

CHAPTER 11

Silent fury

Tahimik ang paligid, at ramdam ko ang bigat ng bawat hakbang ni Grant. I stayed hidden behind the corner, watching him from the shadows, his back rigid with tension.

Pumasok ako kanina ng dahan-dahan, making sure no one would find me, and I triumphed.

While looking at him, I titled my head, he was pacing, his hands clenched in fists, his jaw tight, as if the rage inside him was about to explode.

Ang galit na hindi ko kayang intindihing, hindi ko alam kung anong nangyayari, pero ramdam ko ang bigat ng kanyang galit na kumakalat sa hangin. His entire body was shaking, as if holding back an explosion.

Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know. But I knew that something had pushed him to this point, something that made him lose control.

Ang bawat galaw niya, bawat hakbang, puno ng pagkamuhi—it felt like everything around him was caught in the storm of his emotions.

And then, someone appeared. I didn’t see who they were—just a glimpse of someone stepping into the room. I heard their voice, low and calm, like a grounding force that immediately shifted the atmosphere.

Hindi ko naintindihan ang mga salitang binitiwan nila, but it was enough to make Grant stop. He froze in his tracks for a moment, his back to me, his muscles tense as if resisting an urge to turn and lash out.

The voice spoke again, and this time, I saw his shoulders drop ever so slightly. His fists loosened, and although the anger still lingered in the air, it wasn’t as oppressive as before. His breathing slowed, and with a single movement, he reached under his coat. For a brief second, I saw the handle of his gun. The metal glinted coldly in the dim light.

But then, with a fluid motion, he placed the gun back inside his holster. Hindi ko alam kung sinasadya niya, or if it was just instinct, but he did it without hesitation, hiding it so smoothly that no one would have noticed—except for me.

I caught the briefest glimpse of it before he made sure it was tucked away, as though to shield me from the sight. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, but that action made me feel a sense of relief, though it didn’t quite reach my heart.

He turned slightly then, and our eyes met. Hindi ko alam kung anong nararamdaman ko, but for a split second, it felt like time stopped. There was something in his eyes—something that wasn’t anger. It was there and gone so quickly.

His expression change just the slightest bit, in an expression I didn't know . Hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin ito, but it felt like he was telling me something—without saying a word.

He didn’t approach me. Hindi siya lumapit. But he didn’t leave either. It was like he was holding himself back, controlling something inside him he wasn’t ready to share. He stood there, just a few feet away, facing away from me. But his presence was enough.

“Stay in the shadows,” he muttered, his voice rough.

He didn’t yell, didn’t demand. It was more of a warning. But the way he said it—I don’t know how to explain it—there was concern hidden under his words. Like he didn’t want me to get hurt, like he didn’t want me to see what was about to unfold.

I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I was paralyzed, stuck in this state of confusion and numbness that kept me from reacting. Maybe it was because I was too lost in my thoughts or too afraid to acknowledge what I was seeing.

The way his voice softened, the way his posture wasn’t as rigid as before—it made me feel something I couldn’t explain. But I still didn’t respond.

I saw the way he carefully, almost instinctively, checked around him—making sure no one else was near before taking a breath. His shoulders relaxed for just a moment. He turned his head, his eyes scanning the room. And then, just as silently, he started walking away.

But before he fully turned, I saw it again—the faintest glint of something softer, a shift in the way he held himself.

He wasn’t the same person from a few moments ago, but he wasn’t soft either. His movements were deliberate, calm. He wasn’t in a rush. It felt like he was waiting for something—like he was waiting for me to move, to do something.

I stayed hidden in the corner, my heart pounding but my body still as stone. I didn’t know why I didn’t move.

Maybe it was because I felt like I wasn’t supposed to. Maybe it was because his presence was enough to make me freeze in place, unable to do anything but watch. Watch as he took one last breath, his body still trembling with barely-contained energy.

And then, he was gone. He didn’t speak another word, didn’t look back. But in the silence that followed, there was something undeniable in the air. Something that made me feel like he wasn’t as distant as he seemed. That maybe, in his own way, he was still looking out for me.