PERLAH'S POV
We sat in the waiting room; my broken heart was too tired to cry, so I just kept mute watching.
"Crying won't solve anything, right?" I thought to myself.
"Are you alright?" Rodrigo asked from behind.
"Never been terrible," I replied, looking away from his warm gaze.
"Mr. and Mrs. Bayani, please go into the doctor's office," the nurse announced.
We walked into the doctor's office and were motioned to sit down by the doctor.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mr. and Mrs. Bayani, you don't deserve what is happening to you, but please note that this is not the end of the world. You can always have another child at your own comfortable time- "
"Did you call us here for a sermon? Show us our fucking child," I broke in, hanging him and his sermon in the air.
"Hey, Calm down," Rodrigo said, tapping me on the shoulder.
"This way please," the doctor called.
"That is not our son," I blurted out.
"Perlah c'mon," Rodrigo scolded from behind.
"What! I am telling you that roasted child isn't ours. You think I'm crazy?" I yelled out, pissed.
"Perlah, I know you are hurt; you are going through a lot right now. You were kidnapped and were just found. But stop being paranoid," Rodrigo replied, holding my face.
"I'm fine. That's not our child and I know it. Why can't you believe me? Okay fine. Your child was smoked to death but my son is still alive," I yelled, walking out of the hospital building.
"Perlah wait, please do whatever you like with that body," Rodrigo said to the doctor, running after me.
I walked into the car and slammed the car behind me, ignoring Rodrigo's calls and pleas.
"Are you alright ma'am?" the driver asked from behind the steering wheel.
"Yes, I'm alright. Are you the new chief information security officer the agent referred to?" I asked, smiling at his thoughtfulness.
"Yes ma'am, I'm Nikolas," he replied, smiling.
Rodrigo got into the car.
"I don't want to talk about it," I replied, looking out the window.
"Drive," Rodrigo commanded.
We got to our mansion and I walked straight into my room, ignoring any discussion that had to do with my son when I felt someone pulling me back.
"We need to talk to Perlah," he whispered from behind me.
"No Rodrigo, I'm exhausted. I just want to go to bed," I insisted, snatching my hand off his grasp.
"Okay but why are you going into another room? Shouldn't we be sleeping together?" he asked, walking closer.
"Yes, but I want to be alone tonight. Go to bed, I will be back to normal tomorrow," I protested, slamming the door behind me.
I lay on the bed unable to sleep, and thought of whether the burnt child I saw at the hospital was mine or not.
"No, that can't be my child. I felt no connection when I saw that child. Yes, I felt sorry for him, but I didn't feel it," I murmured, contemplating.
"That is not my child for Christ's sake, I'm 100% sure of it," I declared.
Dismissing my thoughts and trying to sleep, I switched off the light and shut my eyes when I heard the sound of someone in the dark.
Frightened, I jumped out of bed to switch on the light when someone seized me and covered my mouth.
"I shook furiously, humming in fear. All the blood in my body drained away.
"Don't be scared, I won't hurt you. I'm here to save you, promise you won't scream?" A voice rang out from behind me.
"He seems to be nice," I thought to myself, nodding my head to his request.
He released his grip on me and I quickly turned to see who it was.
"Nikolas, you! What are you doing in my room at this time of the night?" I yelled out.
"Shh, don't let Rodrigo hear you. I'm here to save you Perlah," he whispered.
"Why? And save me from what?" I murmured, perplexed.
"Rodrigo," he replied with a straight face.
I laughed out loud immediately after he mentioned his boss's name.
"This is serious, you want to save me from Rodrigo? How's that, Nikolas? Do you even know what you are saying?" I asked, stunned.
"Your family was killed for a particular code, right? And they are also after you because of this code," Nicolas blunted out.
I stood there frozen, watching as the expression on his face changed from fear to seriousness.
"How do you know that? Did Rodrigo tell you about me?" I asked, surprised about how much he knew.
"Rodrigo is also after that code, that's the reason he saved you in the first place," he stated.
"What! How can you say that, Nikolas? Do you even know the gravity of the word you just said?" I asked in disappointment.
"Perlah believe me, I came here for you. That code is the most important thing to powerful men right now and you need to come with me," he insisted, holding my hand.
"Why should I believe you? And you, aren't you after that code too?" I retorted, yanking my hand off.
"Even if I am after the code, I have all the right to be after that code," he yelled back.
"And why is that? You are just as selfish as the others after the code," I blurted out.
"No, because I am your brother, and I am here to protect you and that code. I am successful myself." He announced.
"No, all my family was killed right there in front of me," I protested, not wanting to believe him.
"I was away, Perlah, but now I'm back. You are the only family I have left, so I want to protect you. If you don't believe me, then you can run a DNA test, but first come with me." he argued, staring at me.
I looked at Nikolas strangely, trying to detect if he was telling the truth or not. He stood there smiling warmly at me as if indeed, everything would be fine with him.
I took steps forward to him when Rodrigo banged into the room, pointing a gun at Nikolas.
"Step away from her."