"What" -Xaviers narrowed his eyes- "exactly are you doing in my room, Miss Valdez?"
"I chose to stay in this room," I replied with a fairly straight face, trying my best to not stutter due to the nervousness that was building inside me.
"You can stay in June's room," I added.
"Oh wow! First, you barge into my house, and now you even want the liberty to choose your own room. How cool is that?" he snapped.
I was taken aback at that. I had no comeback for it.
"Xav Bro, isn't your bed too small for the both of us? How can we stay here?" Jonas entered the conversation in my support.
"My room has a double bed, we two can share that," he continued.
Xaviers made a short groan to express his annoyance at being defeated. He merely glowered at Jonas with a look that said 'Why have you even brought this shit here?'
Jonas turned his head around in the opposite direction, pretending that he didn't see anything.
"Your Uncle Josh had called," Xaviers informed, shifting his gaze back at me.
A sudden apprehension crawled inside me, alarming all my senses at once.
"You didn't inform him that I'm here-"
"Oh yes I did," he answered even before I could finish my question.
I wanted to burst out at him for this but controlled myself and asked almost calmly, "What did he say?"
I couldn't risk getting myself kicked out of his house at that moment.
"That you're a disgrace to the family and that you've been disowned from the Valdez legacy the moment you stepped out of the house and blah blah,' he replied nonchalantly.
"Well, your uncles don't really care where you stay as long as you transfer the property to their names, that's the real fact you know," he continued.
That direct bitter statement seemed to stab me with a knife from the back.
I tried my best to shove off all the emotions prevailing over me because I knew it was time to act practically now.
I asked Mr. Xaviers to let them know that I would hand over the property once the real culprit received his deserved punishment. I also added the message that I would contact the cops and reveal about the recent attacks if they forced upon taking me back home. My voice was sharp and determined this time.
Xaviers considered a little before inquiring, "And how exactly are you going to find out the culprit?"
"You and Jonas will help me-"
"No I won't," he answered sharply. "Mr. Joseph has dismissed me from this case because you decided to come and settle in my house, so I'm out of it."
"Mr. Xaviers, you can't do that...I'll pay you for it-"
"Miss Amyra Valdez, I've about four to five cases pending. Trust me, it won't matter anything to me if I don't solve yours," he stated with an expressionless face.
"And don't forget that I'm already doing you a great favor by letting you stay here despite being aware of the possible consequences."
He marched towards his cabinet, took out a pair of clothes and looked back one last time before leaving the room.
Before departing, Jonas patted me on the shoulder and assured me that he would put his best efforts into helping me in this case even if Xaviers didn't.
YOU ARE READING
If She Knew
Mystery / Thriller[The Wattys 2021 Shortlisted Finalist] One case, two detectives, three friends, and a thousand emotions. Sometimes nothing is a coincidence, but then again, everything is. After the mysterious deaths of Amyra Valdez's eldest Uncle followed by her...