Third Person POV
Naiiritang inalis ni Lucien ang kamay ni Shanna sa braso niya ngunit binabalik din naman nito kaagad ang pagkakakapit sa kanya kaya sa huli ay sumuko na lang siya at hinayaan na ito. Padabog na nilapag niya ang kubyertos dahil hindi rin naman siya makakakain nang maayos.
Kinuha na lang niya ang telepono niya at tinext si Marco na siyang kapalit niyang magbantay kay Astraea. Dapat ay siya na ang nandoon kung hindi lang niya kailangang samahan si Shanna sa event na ito.
Lucien:
How is everything there?
Marco:
ALl good, boss. Hindi naman lumalabas si Ma'am Astraea, nasa kwarto lang niya siya.
Lucien:
Okay. Update me if anything unusual happens.
Nilapag ni Lucien ang telepono niya at nilibot na lang ang paningin sa mga taong nasa loob ng venue, and then his eyes caught a familiar figure na kahit anong tinagal na panahon, at kahit malaki na ang pagbabago dito ay kilalang kilala pa rin iyon ni Lucien. Hindi siya pwedeng magkamali.
"What are you doing here?" Bulong niyang tanong sa sarili, at simula non ay ilang beses niya itong pinagmasdan, at hindi nga siya nagkamali. Kahit na may suot itong maskara he knows that it was Astraea.
His mind is occupied on how and why Astraea was there. Naglagay sila ng CCTV sa paligid ng bahay nito, they were monitoring their place for twenty-four hours, there is no way that she could escape.
'And why would she escape? Why is she here?'
And his questions were answered when the eighteen roses started. Hindi madaling mapapansin ng tao ang ginawa niyang pag-alis at walang makakaalam na nagtago ito sa parte ng hagdan kung saan eksaktong walang makakakita sa kanya, unless someone watched her every move, but no one was watching her, everyone is too focused on the debutante, aside from Lucies who's all attention is on her.
Nang mapalitan ang video sa screen na nasa stage, walang pagdadalawang isip na iniwan ni Lucien si Shanna but he also stopped from walking towards Astraea when he heard a gunshot, atnang magsimulang magkagulo ang mga tao ay hindi siya kumilos mula sa pwesto niya at hinintay na lumabas si Astraea at sumabay sa daloy ng tao and when they both were able to exit the venue, he grab her by the hand and took her to the fire exit.
"What are you doing here?"
He couldn't believe. No, he doesn't want to believe all the conclusions he's thinking.
"What do you think?" Malamig na balik na tanong ni Astraea sa kanya, the tension on her body from being pinned down on the wall loosen at sumandal na lang siya doon.
"Who are you with?"
Hindi siya sumagot, instead, she kept her eye contact with him while slowly lifting her leg and trailing her hand to her holster. Masyadong pokus si Lucien sa pagtitig sa dalaga kaya hindi niya napansin ang maingat na oagkilos ng babae, but if he wasn't too drowned in her stare, hindi makakaligtas ang pagkilos ni Astraea.
This is why in their line of work, emotions should not be carried. Dapat ay lagi iyong isinasantabi, because if you let emotions take over you, you will lose your guard.
But with Astraea involved, mahirap para kay Lucien na kalimutan na lang ang emosyon niya, because she is all that for him.
"Who are you with?"
"I'm sorry, Ares..." Saad ni Astraea at mabilis na kinasa ang baril niya at pinutok iyon sa binti ng lalaki.
