Emancipating The Love (On-going)

Chapter 36

Glimpse of the Truth

"My brother, Aidiel. Your husband, Aga."

Thick with tension, the distance between the two women stretched shortly—2 meters at most—the mansion massive enough for their conversation to be unheard by anyone else, but it felt like it was compressing Lea in suffocation.

"W-what?" She stuttered in a dubious tone, her question gliding off her mouth in almost an instant, making sure she had heard it right the first time.

"I'm here to explain everything. As his sister, I am the living testimony of his love for you, Lea. How it flourished from what I thought was infatuation to actually dreaming a future with you."

Instead of reiterating her statement, Adhira thought it would be better to actually start explaining and take advantage of the steadiness of the situation.

Lea's eyes darted on the pregnant woman as she moved knowingly, reaching for the throw pillows behind her, and stacking two on top of each other, placing it right behind her back as a support.

With a glare—heavy, piercing, darting—Lea firmly kept her sight on Adhira as though thoroughly observing every move. She was looking with irritation and judgement, one that was lingering in criticism and disapproval as she remained still in her position while the other party shifted in search for comfort, unaware of the petty stare Lea was giving her.

Finally settling herself, Adhira triumphantly clasped her hand with a clap, the whacking sound that her palms created as it slapped against each other echoed in an annoying timbre, it was adding infuriation to Lea's short-temper.

The noise reverberated in such an annoying pitch that it made her eyebrow flick upward in astonishment, subtle and fast but Adhira noticed it.

Though she knew that behind the poker face, the irritation in her eyes, and the slightest scowl on her lips, Lea was curious and interested. If she weren't, then she would've casted her out as soon as she found out her relationship with Aga.

But she didn't.

So in confidence and found enthusiasm—caused by Lea's cooperation and the fact that she hasn't ticked off in madness yet—Adhira leaned a little forward in a final preparation as she placed her hands on her bump, sitting in ease like she was a confident interviewee—willful and informed.

"Let me tell you from where it all started." She cleared her throat with intention as her mouth gaped open and there comes the portal to the truth of the past.

The night was just starting to descend, the bustling city of Manila was floors beneath him, ever busy with the infamous traffic—a muffled sound that played like an unwanted-endless tune.

He sat alone in the vastness of his office, accompanied by the convenience of his laptop partnered with mounds of paper works he had to analyze. He was buried deeply into his work until his phone flared open, a 'ting!' following its glow.

It was an interruption to the deafening sound of near silence, a disturbance to his hyperfixed attention as he lifted his cellphone a little, taking a peek on the notification.

'Whatever you're doing, leave it. Go home the moment you read this. We have to talk.'

It was from his father. Ever authoritative, the command that was innate in his voice echoing in his head as though he was hearing him, his eyes hastily passing through the text message.

Then, an identical ding reverberated once more, overpowering every faint sound that filled the silence in his office. It was now from another contact, one that was saved as 'mama' with an emoticon heart beside it.