My Soul Will Find Yours : The Fulfillment of the Promise

Countless Photos Of Me

Inside the box were countless photos of me. They were of me doing random things and, based on how my belly size has progressively changed with each one, my stalker's activities started when I was still not pregnant with the twins and is still continuing as there were a couple from last night at the company's lobby. Each one documented various activities I did, usually very mundane ones like sitting at the café in our office building while sipping a drink (there were several taken at different times), eating at restaurants, queueing at the bank, laughing with colleagues, combing or playing with my hair, shopping with mum, getting into my car, talking to Kuya Rene, and just carrying my bag going somewhere. What struck me the most was that all the photos that were taken with Kaname obviously with me were either cropped or were taken with him purposely cut from the frame. I know I should be panicking but I was oddly calm. I couldn't say the same for the man who was sorting through them though.

Kuya Rene's lips were formed into a tight line as he went through each photo. The hand he was using to flip through the pictures stopped when they changed from images of only me to photos of me and Brandon. There were only a few of them but the photos looked like I was having an intimate moment with him. There was the time when he was checking me for injuries during the accident at the mall, the time he saw me waiting in the car while Kuya Rene bought bottled water, and lastly the one from last night. The angles the images were taken painted the encounters differently, as though I was having a rendezvous with my secret lover. The photographer's intent was clear: to make me look like a cheating wife blatantly moseying with her paramour in public.

"These weren't altered," Kuya Rene said, trusting his trained eyes. "The images are raw."

"Ah, but I didn't—"

"This stalker is good. Whoever he is, he managed to follow you without my noticing."

I stared at the man before me. The longer I stared, the more convinced I was that he didn't believe what the last few photographs were trying to portray. Judging by his deeply furrowed brows, he was more disturbed and a bit annoyed that someone managed to evade his watchful eyes.

"I will show these to Mr. Kirishima later," he said while putting back the pictures inside the box.

At the mention of Kaname, my calm broke and I grew tense. He was not going to like this. In fact, I have a feeling he will be furious.

"Is that a good idea?" I asked, extremely concerned that Kaname will go on a rampage.

"Keeping him in the dark will not help. Don't worry, even I could tell these photos were taken to incite trouble in your marriage. I was with you in two of these so I can vouch for your innocence. Mrs. Kirishima, I know your husband isn't blind."

"I'm not afraid that he'll misunderstand and think that I cheated on him. What I'm afraid of is that he might go ballistic because I was being followed," I clarified.

"He'll be even more ballistic if we hide these from him. He's especially protective of you, he'll have my neck if I don't improve on my job." His eyes gave the street one final yet thorough sweep then motioned for me to head inside.

I know he was only saying those words figuratively, but knowing my husband and his history of cutting people's body parts as punishment whenever he believes they deserve it, I was afraid Kuya Rene just might end up with that fate if we were to push through with hiding stuff from the shogun. As adapted as Kaname may seem in my world, I know that his habits and principles never changed. I am also not blind to his secret struggles to adjust.

"All right but please leave the matter of bringing up the subject to Kaname to me," I told Kuya Rene as I followed his wordless request.

~~~