“THIS is all your fault, Hero! If you weren’t stupid because of that woman, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” said the man from the center.
Everybody was ready to fire up, pointing the gun at each other. Einille was puzzled because Hero was at their side this time.
Einille’s body was shaking involuntarily because of exhaustion. It was Hero whom she saw at her side the moment she opened her eyes after the ambush. She thought it was her end. But she found out that Hero was also the reason she was still alive until now.
“It’s not my fucking fault! I never betrayed the organization.” Hero’s eyes glowed in anger.
Einille felt the firm touch of Vale in her hand. She gave a furtive glance to her gun. She had not reloaded yet!
The man from the center went berserk. He pulled the trigger aimed at Vale.
Vale jumped on the side, and the bullet landed on his right thigh. He fired back, and t
PEOPLE were funnily arguing with whom to babysit the son of Vale and Einille. It was his first birthday, and his godparents wanted to play with him. They named him Viel.“Aw, my nephew is so cute!” Shari pinched Viel’s chubby cheeks. She was with Kyler, and they were officially engaged. Their love story was no joke, too. But her cousin beamed in joy now. They were getting married next month.“Guys, let’s take a picture!” Rab caught the attention of the photographer. He was being bullied for being single, but he just laughed at it.Einille quit her job. She chose to be a full-time mom to Viel. She helped her husband with his business. She would never bargain her happy family to the job she left behind.“Okay, let’s have a family picture!” Vale got the attention of their official photographers. He held Viel, and he snatched a kiss from her when the camera flashed.&ldqu
EINILLE concealed the amazement in her eyes while gently staring at her boyfriend—Hero. She thought how lucky she was for having him in her life. Hero was the type of man she prayed and dreamed of—a total package of his kind. He was articulate, funny, and a natural charmer, plus his lean muscular body that can protect her anytime. He appeared like an angel sweetly talking with her.Hero discussed his newly built business in line with gold mining in the province, and he looked so proud of his milestone. They were currently eating their lunch together in their favorite restaurant in Sorsogon.“Babe, you are extra pretty today,” his eyes dreamy while observing her face.Einille grinned and playfully rolled her eyes, “I know.”They were dating for almost one year. She loved him so much even though there were times that he couldn’t give her time. But she didn’t mind, because she knew that Hero was a very busy per
VALE shook his head as he gazed at Einille walking away. She was too hard on him for these past two months.His jaw flexed, and he exhaled sharply. He firmly believed that Einille would be considerate to date him soon. He only needed to be more persistent.“Intermittent fasting, my ass,” he chuckled, “Darn! This is ridiculous.”Rab heartily laughed, “You’re timing is off. Besides, you look too smug. Take it easy, man! You know Ein is dating someone.”“I really want to regret this assignment. If only the General didn’t choose me. That girl is impossible! I never experienced wooing a woman before. You know what I mean.” He lightly scratched his clean-cut hair.Well, it was true that he had never tried pursuing women before. Usually, it was the other way around. Besides, he had no plans of being into a serious relationship. With the nature of his job, it would take a rare woman
AT the restaurant, Einille arrived thirty minutes earlier. She was feeling uneasy while waiting for Hero. And from time to time, she would look at her reflection on a small round mirror that she always brought inside her bag. She had to look perfect when her boyfriend arrived.She glanced at her gold wristwatch. It was nearly the time of their tryst. She played her phone in hand in a circular motion while thinking that Hero might encounter a minor accident on the way, the reason he took so long. She dismissed the thought of calling him because he might be driving.Einille was interrupted when a waiter came to her table, giving the menu card. Maybe he noticed she had been waiting for quite some time.“I’m waiting for someone, thank you.” She beamed at the young man, and he politely smiled back at her.She looked at her watch again. It had been an hour. But Hero told her he was on the way before. She started to worry more. What if somethin
“WHY are you home this early? I thought you had a date.” Shari greeted Einille with a perplexed look.Even Einille was dumbfounded to see her at home, too. She thought Shari had a twenty-four hour duty today.“Hero didn’t arrive.” She didn’t hide her sadness. She put her handbag to the glass center table and slumped down to the couch.Until now, her chest was still heavy in disappointment with Hero. She wanted to blame him and repeatedly cursed in his face, but she didn’t want to start a quarrel. All she wanted was peace of mind.“You mean he does not show up?” Shari gaped in disbelief. She sat near her, “This is too much, Couz. What happened?” her voice softened.She shrugged, “He said he was on in a way, but suddenly his stomach went upset.”Shari rolled her eyes, “Just wow! I’m impressed with his reasons. He’s busy all the time, and every time
“YOU’RE HERE!”Vale turned his head, and he saw Rab walking in his direction. He had a teasing smile on his face, probably because he had witnessed him and Einille earlier.“Hey!” He tapped his shoulder, “Actually, I’m about to go home. What the hell happened to Einille? She looks like a damsel in distress.”Rab’s expression softened, “I pity her, honestly. They’ve broken up. But it’s for her own good. She’ll get over it soon. Now, it’s your time to shine!”Vale chuckled, “I hope so. Let’s wait until she processed everything.”“Be there for her. At least she is safe under your watch.”“Of course!”“By the way, what happened to your sponsorship in the coming shoot fest?” Rab asked, changing the topic.“Yeah, I’ve talked to Sergeant Marquez earlier. Everything is settled. Are
EINILLE filed a five-day mandatory leave to rest her mind. She planned to go hiking in the North to ease her sadness. She had to make herself busy and regain her normal life after what happened. She couldn’t sulk forever.She readied her things for her hiking adventure. And the only thing she was not prepared for was the coming of an unwanted visitor. Valentino, her overconfident suitor, came unannounced just now!“Hi! Oh, I see that you’re ready.” He flashed out his signature teasing smile. He was comfortably sitting on the sofa. Beside him was a sixty-liters black mountaineering bag, with a folded trekking pole on the side pocket.“What are you doing here?” She gaped at him. She just came out of her room with her hiking bag.“Oops, sorry. I let him in!” Shari shouted from the kitchen. She wore her uniform and appeared ready to go out for her duty.Shari even winked at her before leaving, “I&rs
THE two have met their tour guide for today’s activity, a young man who introduced himself as Greco.“The traverse would take six hours at a normal pace, and if slow, eight hours,” Greco explained. He also gave trivia about the place, and Einille was fascinated while she listened.Vale was quiet at her back, and his eyes traveled around the mountainous area“Ein, I suggest you leave your things here. I’ll bring your tumbler and other important things. You might find it hard carrying that much on your ascent.” Vale sounded worried.Her eyes rolled upward. This man was really belittling her! Although she didn’t train lately, she was sure her knees could take the load of her hiking bag. She had been taught like this before, and she didn’t see any reason to fail.“Why don’t you leave your bag to Rudy? If you think you can’t make it, just wait for me here. I’ll be quick.”