Flashback...
"If you ever lay a hand on my wife and my daughter, you'll never like the taste of my wrath. At ikaw ang uunahin ko," it might be prohibited to Alzini to violently threaten someone, but I can't let my family be in danger.
I might not have a fix and stable relationship with my wife, but it doesn't simply mean that I can live a life losing my precious gems.
I was still pointing the gun at him, desperately wanting to pull the waiting trigger. Lucky for this man. He should be kneeling in front of the Alzini's rule not to kill an enemy, unless needed which is why I can't kill him right now, maybe some other time.
"Kaya kung ayaw mong umabot tayo sa punto na madadamay ang mga walang alam, ibibigay niyo ang gusto namin. Therefore, I won't insist if it wasn't a command from the El Nostra's boss. Sumusunod lang ako sa utos. You know how powerful Liam is, right now," Caze uttered.
Can't help but to laugh a little. El Nostra's really pushing Alzini to their limit. Yet despite of everything, my father never breaks the rule. Alzini can harm anyone through actions and words, but not to the point of killing them. My father's different above all Godfathers, just like how my mom usually described him to everyone.
That rule is better for the good of all, but never been good for us to become better in this underground world. Threatening is forgiven, but killing is not.
The moment I got a tight grip on my gun, something suddenly came up, "Pardon, Mr. Aendriachhi, please let me have a word with my boss," kinuha ni Caze ang telepono sa bulsa nito at sinagot, "Olá?" the moron even had the chance to sarcastically draw a smile from his atrocious face. I gave him a smirk, deciding to put down the gun.
Baka hindi ako makapagpigil.
"O que você acabou de dizer?" his face was showered with confusion, even the tone of his voice.
(What did you just say?)
Something smells fishy, isn't it? Algo está errado. Something's not right.
I tried to stare at every corner, suspiciously thinking that they might have a plan against us. El Nostra can put up a show everywhere, and we can't just stand still. They always have something against their enemy, especially if they don't have a grip to something they truly desire.
Just like him, I suspiciously had to take out my phone when I felt the vibration in my pocket. Why does it even have to be now?
"Xenia," tinignan ako nito habang hawak pa rin ang baril niya at nakatapat sa kalaban, "Please take a rapid look around, if you happen to observe something suspicious, tell me," when she nodded. I hastily opened my phone just to find out that it was a voice recorder sent by an unknown number, which made my suspicions too immeasurable.
I tapped the answer button and put it on to hear it, "Konbanwa, bosu. This is an urgent matter. I was tracking Van's phone while they were on their way to the beach house. And I happened to track another device inside the beach house itself. That device is intended to do a live record. Ibig sabihin, kung sino man ang naglagay nun sa beach house, naririnig nila ang nangyayari sa loob. Yet I lost connection with Van's phone. So I conclude that someone might have hacked his phone, and they might be sending a fake message to him right now to lure him somewhere else. I can't even trace the enemy. This is the only thing I can do now. You handle the rest. Ganbarou," and the voice record ended kaya tinignan ko ang telepono.
I shifted my gaze back to Caze while putting the phone in my pocket. Can't help but to laugh in defeat. If Van would be here any moment, then Blight is right. Hindi malayong makatanggap siya ng pekeng mensahe. With that, I raised my hand, giving my men the signal to put down their weapons, which they never refused to follow. Puno naman ng pagtataka si Xenia. Yet she's hesitating to question me.
Caze also seems like he's having a hard time. Pabalik-balik siya ng lakad habang ang isang kamay ay nasa baywang. I could also count the times when he had to sighed while on his phone. When he saw what I did, he also raised his left hand, and all of his men obeyed, "Aghh! So those bastards deceive us?!" now I can tell that he's being exasperated at the moment.
We might be mortal enemies, but we know if we really are enemies. Instinct, we say.
Pinatay niya ang telepono at ibinalik sa bulsa bago ako hinarapan. I could see how furious he is right now. El Nostra is sometimes not patient.
"You know what, Alzini," seryoso at mahinang saad niya.
"I got a call from my boss, we were expecting to play hide and seek because of what the general did, yet in the end, we were all unconcsiously deceived," napangiti siya na mukhang natalo sa isang labanan. That's the time I had a grip on my fists.
"It wasn't the army who bombed one of our main warehouse," Caze added, "So I assume that you already have an idea what's happening now," sandali pa siyang natigilan at muling natawa, "Pinagbanggaan nila tayo dahil iisa lang ang target nila... "
"And their target is none other than who you have in your possession— " he suddenly took a quick gaze behind me, and I knew. Sasakyan pa lang ng matalik kong kaibigan, alam ko na. I looked behind just to see him all alone inside his car.
Eu não posso acreditar nisso. I can't believe this!
"Sullivan is late," ibinalik ni Caze ang tingin sa akin. And with that, I finally spoked, "Then, she's not in our possession anymore." If we let Van handle something precious, he does not leave it alone. Not unless we command him to, and I never told him to come here. It only means that they sent him a fake message, kaya siya nandito.
"They did this to us because she was their prey since from the start," bumuntong-hininga ulit si Caze, "I can't blame you now. El Nostra's been deceived too. But we already have a suspect. Liam knows the enemy better than all of us because he came there. Just waiting for confirmation. How 'bout you?" that's too fast of them to gather pieces of information.
"It's still an unknown enemy to us, but our Godfather is already planning on it."
"Godfather, godfather. You're always depending with his decision, why don't you try sometimes to decide for the Alzini too, Ali?" I never liked his humorous tone.
"We respect our Godfather."
"You know what, Ali," he took one step forward towards me. Nagkatapatan naman kami ng tingin, "Hindi ko alam kung paano mo nasabing wala na siya sa kamay ninyo, but I know that you have a strong instinct kaya magtitiwala ako na wala na nga siya sa inyo. Then, will you be willing to work with us just to locate her?"
"So, you're negotiating with us now? What makes you think that we'll work with you?" I sarcastically asked.
"Once you find out how worse this new enemy is, I assure that you won't even think twice to negotiate with us. We don't need to be friends Alzini, we just need to aim together."
I intentionally laughed a bit, "Para makuha niyo siya sa amin?"
"If you think that way... "
"Deal," I rapidly answered. He even quite had the guts to salute before turning his back on me. But no words came out from my mouth to negotiate with them. Dealing is just like ending the conversation.
End of Flashback...
I finally took a sip from the glass I'd been holding for a while. Thinking, who could be the new enemy? I can't come up with a plan without the Godfather's permission. Yet until now, they had not been calling me. I shifted my gaze back to the door when Van entered holding a black bottle of wine.
After closing the door, he had his way towards the couch. Inilapag niya ang bote sa lamesa at naupo sa tapat ko.
"Where's Allison?" I asked.
"Ah yeah, sabi niya hindi na muna raw siya bababa. She's gonna wait for Godfather and Senyora to come back," he opened the bottle and pour it into a glass before having a taste of it. Couldn't help but to meticulously stare at the label of the wine.
"Quinta do Crasto Vinha Maria Teresa," I uttered which made him gaze towards me.
That's the name of the red wine. One of the best in Portugal.
He swallowed the liquid and undeniably drew a smile from his face, "From Duoro, Portugal," he added before drinking again, "That's where you will see a wonderful scenery of grapes," he added before I smiled a bit to respond with his words of accuracy.
Matapos noon ay ipinatong niya ang isang kamay sa gilid ng couch habang hawak pa rin ang baso, "So, what's the plan?"
"They haven't yet contacted me. And I was told not to leave the mansion not until they return." I know that Serenity's dissapperance should be our priority by executing another plan to locate her, but we have to wait for my father's orders before doing the job.
"Este é um grande problema, chefe."
(This is is huge problem, boss.)
"Eu sei" -Ali
(I know.)
"Você tem alguma ideia?"
(Do you have any idea?)
That's the time I shook my head after his question, "Nada."
(None.)
"We have to wait," I can't even deny the fact that I've been also thinking if I should take her home now or not. I'm not yet ready to face her.
"By the way," ipinatong ni Van ang hawak na baso sa lamesa at bahagyang yumuko.
"I haven't yet seen Erin for a while," I took a sip again, expecting that he would ask this anytime. He treats my wife just like his sister.
"She might still be busy with his career," I hardly resisted to let him see that I still care about her. No single day that I've forgotten my wife.
Because of that, natawa na lang siya, "I don't really get it kung anong nangyari sa inyo. When we left this country, kulang na lang isama mo na siya. But now? Seems like you don't care at all," diretso niya akong tinignan, "You can't fool me, Ali. You still love her, don't you?"
Diretso kong ininom ang laman ng baso at kinuha ang wine na nasa tapat niya. I slowly poured it into my glass and when it reached the half, ipinatong ko ang bote sa lamesa. I slowly held the glass to taste it before shifting back my gaze to him, "I won't deny that, Van."
"Then bakit hindi mo ayusin ang relasyon niyo ngayon? Matitiis niyo ba na ganito na lang kayo habang-buhay?" I could even see his unbelievable expression.
Many were asking, pero sino ba talaga sa aming dalawa ang mali? I gave her everything, yet that day... seems like she enjoyed that night too much that she was able to never remember me.
"Nagkausap na ba kayo tungkol dito?" nanatili akong nakatingin sa kanya, "Like clarifications or what?"
Tumingin ako sa ibang direksyon, it's better this way, "Not yet."
"Kailan niyo balak mag-usap? Kapag huli na ang lahat?" ibinalik ko ulit ang tingin sa kanya, "You guys still have time to fix everything. If you're letting your pride swalloy you, then you should at least think about your daughter."
Nanatili akong walang kibo. I badly want to confront her, but I can't lose her. That's why I have chosen to just avoid everything about us.
"You're afraid, aren't you?"
"Afraid of what, Sullivan?"
"I am not sure pero base sa mga narinig ko, it all started that night. You're afraid to confront her dahil baka mas lumaki ang problema niyo."
"Lucky, you get it right." I admit that I am afraid.
"The more you keep this kind of relationship, the more your love for another will fade. And I assume, you don't want that to happen. You know your wife more than anyone, hindi niya magagawa 'yon," I could even see sincerity from his eyes.
"You think I don't know that?"
"Then why? Bakit ayaw mong maniwala?"
"Because my family never lied, Van. And I don't know who should I believe. There were photos, and she seems happy."
Napahimalos naman siya ng mukha, "Uhhhh, I don't know if I should say this when I promised Erin to keep my mouth shut all along," I rested my back on the couch when I noticed his intolerable face of guilt.
"Eu tenho que saber algo?" napatingin siya sa akin at nagbuntong-hininga.
(Do I have to know something?)
For a second, he seems to be thinking if he should speak or what, but when he noticed that I am waiting, words automatically came out from his mouth.
"Back when I was in Portugal, I often called her to check her condition. Whenever I say to have a surprise visit in her studio, she always had alibis and invalid reasons. Whenever her boss in Al'exquisite magazine calls her, she abruptly hang up the call without even bidding her goodbyes to me," he explained as confusion started to conquer me.
"Lagi siyang tuliro... " muli siyang uminom sa baso bago itinuloy ang pagsasalita, "Since her husband stopped visiting her in that company, and now," ipinatong niya ang baso sa lamesa at napayuko.
The moment he raised his head, that's when I started to have doubts when I heard the words.
"Your wife secretly accepted Red Room Magazine's offer. We know what kind of company they are," I wasn't able to respond for a moment. I had to compose myself first before asking him again. Why didn't I attempt to find out about this?
"D-Does she know na alam mo?" tanong ko na ikinailing niya.
"No."
Continua...