At the vibrant bar, the clink of glasses echoed as Kaye and her friends joyfully toasted, exclaiming, "Cheers!"
Tin, savoring the moment, declared, "Refreshing!"
"Waahhh! Congratulations, Miss Tin! You'll be getting married soon, huhu. I envy you," Rubie chimed in.
"Hehe, thank you. Don't worry; you never know, someday your boyfriend might suddenly ask you to get married," Tin responded with a playful wink.
Rubie blushed and held her face. "Kyaaahhh, I can't wait for that to happen!"
Curiosity filled the air as Tin turned the conversation towards Kaye. "How about you, Kaye? What's the latest with Mayor Timothy?"
"Yeah, spill the details!" Rubie added with an eager smile.
"Well... We had a little misunderstanding the past few days, but we're fine now. Timothy mentioned that he wants to discuss decisions with me beforehand, so it won't upset me," Kaye explained, a hint of relief in her voice.
"You had a misunderstanding? How come? I thought he's a sweet guy; he's almost perfect, though," Tin inquired.
"Of course, he's sweet. It's my fault anyway," Kaye admitted, her honesty resonating with her friends.
"Oh, Kaye. If you ever face challenges in your relationship, remember, we're always here to listen," Rubie reassured, her genuine concern evident.
Kaye smiled gratefully. "Thank you."
Setting aside the momentary drama, Tin lifted her beer with enthusiasm. "Forget the drama, let's party party!"
"Cheers!" they all echoed, raising their glasses in unison.
Timothy occupied a shadowed corner at a distant table, shrouded in darkness to remain unnoticed. Unseen by the lively group, he silently observed them, sipping his drink with an air of contemplation.
.
.
....
Inside the VIP room of the Fuentebella-owned nightclub, Mikhail observed sternly as his men beating up the intruder who had infiltrated their arcade business.
"That's enough," Mikhail commanded, prompting his henchmen to cease their actions, leaving the intruder kneeling before him.
Mikhail fixed his gaze on the defiant man. "Tell me, who ordered you to sneak inside our arcade? Which family are you from?"
"Whatever you do to me, even if you kill me, I will never tell you!" the man defiantly shouted, spitting on Mikhail.
"How dare you!" One of Mikhail's henchmen retaliated with a punch to the man's face.
Kira, standing nearby, handed a tissue to Mikhail.
Calmly, Mikhail smirked. "Ha! You're too stubborn. I don't want to waste my time on you. Drag him out," he ordered and exited the room.
His henchmen obediently dragged the man along, following Mikhail until they reached the secluded back of the club's building.
.
.
"Excuse me, girls, I have to answer this call," Kaye politely excused herself as her phone rang – her mom on the line.
She left the table and exited the bar. Timothy noticed her departure and rose to follow, but was intercepted by someone recognizing him.
"Mayor? What are you doing here?" the man inquired.
Timothy was about to ignore him when another approached. Glancing back to Kaye's direction, he realized she was no longer there.
Tsk...
Meanwhile, Kaye finished her call and prepared to return inside when a desperate pleas reached her ears. Intrigued, she decided to follow the anguished voice, curiosity guiding her steps. Hiding behind a garbage bin, she witnessed a brutal scene of a battered man surrounded by a menacing group.
"P-Please... I will talk now, I will answer all your questions... Just don't kill me!" the man pleaded.
"Noisy, you already pissed me off. I have no interest in you now," the group's leader retorted, firing a gunshot into the man's leg.
Kaye screamed in shock, catching the attention of the men.
"Sir, someone is here," Kira alerted Mikhail.
He furrowed his brows and approached.
"I... I see nothing," Kaye stuttered in fear, her thoughts racing.
These men were dangerous; would they kill her?
As Mikhail moved closer, he paused, recognizing her face – Kaye?
Staring in disbelief, he realized she resembled his wife. His heart raced. Before he could utter a word, Kaye gathered the courage to run. Shocked, he wanted to shout, "Kaye, it's me," but she fled.
"Catch her!" Mikhail ordered, and his henchmen swiftly pursued her.
.
.
Kaye sprinted into the bar, urgently seeking help from her friends. Just as panic threatened to overwhelm her, a strong grip on her arm halted her. Ready to scream, she heard Timothy's familiar voice.
"Kaye, it's me," Timothy reassured.
Relief washed over her, and she immediately embraced him.
"T-Timothy..." she stammered, clinging to him.
Timothy felt her trembling, her body drenched in sweat.
"Hey, what happened?" Timothy asked, concern etched on his face.
"I-I'm scared!" she cried, her voice quivering with fear.
Timothy gently guided her to sit down, offering a glass of water in an attempt to soothe her trembling nerves.
"Tell me, what happened?" he urged once more, his focus unwavering as he waited for her to share the unsettling details.
Sobbing, Kaye recounted the disturbing scene she had witnessed.
Timothy held her close, offering comfort. "It's fine now, I'm already here. No one will hurt you here."
Tsk. If only those men hadn't interrupted him, preventing him from following Kaye.
He vowed to ensure consequences for those who attempted to harm her.
.
.
Timothy glanced at the rearview mirror, observing Kaye peacefully sleeping in the back seat of his car. Deciding to take action, he pulled the car to a stop and reached for his phone, dialing a number.
"Hello, I have something for you to do. I need an immediate report about this ASAP," he conveyed to the person on the other end of the line.
After concluding the conversation, he cast another look at the sleeping Kaye.
"I won't let anyone to lay a hand on you, not even a strand of your hair. Only I can touch you," Timothy whispered.
.
.
....
"I'm sorry, sir, but we failed to catch the woman," one of Mikhail's henchmen reported.
"That's alright; I already found her," Mikhail responded calmly, his attention focused on the information about Kaye.
The details were neatly laid out in the folder Kira had handed him. Kaye Jin Mañago, an illustrator and webcomic artist.
Finally...
"Kaye, we will be together again. You have no idea how much I miss you," Mikhail whispered to himself, a mix of determination and longing in his voice.