Loving in Despair (CEBU SERIES #2)

Kabanata 27

Last 5 chaps before epilogue

Kabanata 27

"What?!" I exclaimed, completely flabbergasted by his words.

"Nangangalay na iyong kamay ko, 'o." He pouted, making me roll my eyes before finally reaching out to take his hand.

"At your service, ma'am." He grinned, flashing his perfect set of teeth.

I blinked at him, still in disbelief. "Totoo ba?! A-abogado ka talaga?"

He chuckled softly before pulling something out of his wallet.

"I'm a licensed attorney, mon amour." He held up his ID for me to see.

"Bakit hindi ko alam?" nakaawang pa rin ang labi ko.

Napabuntong hininga siya bago ako sagutin. "Sorry, hindi ko rin nasabi. Mas nakatutok ako sa negosyo namin kaya nawala rin sa isip ko."

I reached for his hand on the table, giving it a light squeeze. "It's fine."

A small smile touched his lips as he squeezed back.

"Paano mo pala nalaman na hindi aksidente ang lahat?" tanong niya sa akin.

"May anonymous witness na lumapit sa amin ni Logan," sagot ko. "No'ng una, hindi ko pa rin pinaniniwalaan. Pero paulit-ulit siyang nagpapadala ng mensahe, kaya napilitan kaming muling buksan ang imbestigasyon."

"Ikaw paano mo nalaman na hindi aksidente ang nangyari?" tanong ko sa kanya.

His expression darkened. "When you mentioned the accident, I immediately asked the police about it. They showed me the crash photos, and that's when I realized something was off."

He placed the pictures in front of me, and I hitched my breath.

"Oh gosh..." I whispered, my lips parted.

"Look closely," he instructed. "The car your mom was in was only hit from the back. That's not how typical accidents happen-it was deliberate."

I stared at the images, my mind struggling to process the truth.

"I did some digging," Cloud continued, his voice low and serious. "Where is your driver?"

I hesitated, suddenly feeling uneasy. "He... he left. Last month."

Cloud shook his head, his gaze never leaving mine. "Maaring may alam siya sa nangyari,"

"P-Paano?! Ang tagal na naming siyang driver!" My voice rose slightly, the panic evident in my tone.

"At saka wala naman kaming kaaway o ginawan ng masama, ah?" I grabbed the glass of water in front of me and took a sip, my hands trembling.

Cloud sighed, watching me carefully. "Wala nga. Pero may mga taong nagkikimkim ng galit o inggit."

My hands balled into fists on the table, but before I could speak, Cloud reached for my hand.

Sino naman kaya iyong gagawa no'n sa amin? Wala talaga akong maalala na nakaaway ko o ng pamilya namin?

He gently reached for my hand, his thumb brushing against my knuckles. "Don't worry, I've got this."

I swallowed hard, looking at him-really looking at him. He wasn't just saying it to reassure me. He meant it.

Slowly, I nodded. "I trust you."

"Let's win this case," I told him, determination lacing my voice. "Tutulong ako sa makakaya ko."

His grip on my hand tightened. "I will win this for you," he promised. "I would burn the world for you."

My heart raced-not just because of his words, but because of the way he looked at me.