Eryx left the room while Revilla continued to ponder her decision. That night became a sleepless one for her.
The next day arrived, and everyone was busy with their so-called work.
Braylon was focused on his laptop when he received a letter from the forensic department, which included an attached file. Since when did they become so proactive? They had only submitted the evidence a day ago.
He opened the file and began reviewing it, becoming engrossed in his reading. The sound of the door opening distracted him, prompting him to tilt his head to see who had entered.
It was his team. He sighed and removed his glasses. There was a noticeable lack of life in Revilla and Alex's eyes, which only increased his concern for them.
"The report arrived…" Braylon said, capturing everyone's attention. They quickly moved closer, eager for an explanation.
"Actually…" he hesitated before continuing, leaving them confused.
"What happened?" Franklyn asked, looking at Braylon with a puzzled expression.
"Nothing... I think I received a scam email like the ones before... I thought it was our report," he said, glancing down at his laptop. Eryx furrowed his brow, clearly suspicious of him. Braylon looked in one direction, and they followed his gaze, realizing that someone was spying on them.
"What a headache... I knew it wouldn't be anything good. We're wasting our time on this nonsense. If I were in our city, I would have gone on vacation by now. It's all your fault, Braylon..." Eryx shouted. Although he was trying to create a distraction, his words stung Braylon deeply. Unintentionally, Eryx was hurting him time and again.
Soon, they heard a whining sound—it was Eryx, complaining like a child. Revilla responded by smacking Eryx on the head.
"Be polite, you bastard…" she cursed, prompting chuckles from the others. The atmosphere lightened and returned to its usual tone. Braylon gestured, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"Eavesdropping isn't a good habit, Mr. Village Head," Alex said, making the others look in the direction he was staring. Someone had entered, and they exchanged glances.
"I… I didn't mean to overhear your conversation. I just came to see you guys and wanted to bring you some fruits that were cultivated on our farmland. You've been helping us without even taking a break, and this is just a small token of gratitude…" The village head wore a polite smile that looked completely insincere.
Eryx rolled his eyes.
"Just put that on the table, sir. We'll take it," Franklyn replied, mimicking the same smile the village head had just shown.
"I'm sorry to disturb you… I'm taking a leave," the village head said quickly before leaving the room.
"What a scumbag…" Franklyn muttered, stomping his foot on the floor as Revilla ruffled his hair. Franklyn pouted; he felt like a child, and to be fair, he was treated like one by them.
"Let's leave this village. We won't find any clues here. We need to inspect the motel again," Braylon said, shutting his laptop. His reaction made it clear that something was wrong.
"What about the couple searching for their daughter? This will be a disappointment for them, right?" Alex asked, but Braylon merely shrugged. He knew what he was doing.
Soon, everyone's attention was drawn to their phones as they chimed. They exchanged glances before checking their notifications. As they read the messages, their expressions turned to frowns. Something was definitely not right.
"I told you we're wasting our time," Braylon said, spinning his phone in his hand as they gritted their teeth.
"Don't you think they did this on purpose? How could they hand our case off to another team? This is outrageous…" Franklyn said, nearly losing his patience. Revilla patted his shoulder with a sigh.
"We need to submit our report, so we have to leave soon. Pack your things, guys. We're leaving today," Braylon said, tucking his phone into his pocket. Eryx clicked his tongue in annoyance, clearly frustrated that someone was manipulating them from the shadows. Yet Braylon was still playing the puppet for that damn corrupt society.
"Then I'll inform those parents and Mr. James," Alex said, to which Braylon nodded slightly.
Everyone left the room, leaving Braylon alone with Eryx. Eryx hadn't left, and without paying attention to him, Braylon began packing his things.
"So… you're playing the leader now, aren't you?" Eryx said, his anger evident. Braylon paused for a moment but then continued with his packing.
"You can take whatever stance you want; I don't care. What I'm doing isn't against the law. I just want to be sure of it. If they want us to come back, then we have to. We have no other option, Eryx," Braylon defended himself as Eryx clicked his tongue in frustration before walking out.
They headed to the parking area where their car was waiting. Their faces were somber, reflecting that things hadn't turned out well. No one had come to say goodbye to them, making it feel as if they were unwanted.
"I couldn't even face them. When I said we were leaving and that someone else would take care of their case, their expressions changed in a way I can't even describe. They were already broken," Alex sighed. Braylon remained silent.
"Is there no way to help them?" Franklyn asked, reluctant to leave them behind.
"We have no choice, boy… Just accept it. Another team is taking care of it," Braylon said as he got into the car.
Everyone piled in, and Alex took the wheel. It was a long drive ahead, and Braylon soon fell asleep, exhausted from everything.
"So, what did you find in the report we were discussing earlier?" Revilla asked, glancing at Braylon, who sighed.
"Don't bother with that report. Just forget it. Like I said before, it was a scam," Braylon replied, his eyes still closed.
After a tiring journey, they arrived at the villa where they usually stayed.
"What's this place?" Franklyn asked, eyeing the sprawling villa in front of him.
"Want to know?" Alex asked, and Franklyn nodded eagerly.
"Well… this is our hideout. Whenever we did something wrong, we came here to lay low. In this place, no one could find us—not even our parents. It's one of our favorite spots," Alex said with a chuckle. They began reminiscing about their past. When they were just friends, everything seemed perfect, but once feelings got involved, things quickly became complicated.
Their sweet memories came to an abrupt halt when Braylon asked something that broke their hearts.
"Well… Alex, can you drop me off at my apartment?"
That was it. Eryx got out of the car and stomped away, leaving both Revilla and Alex with heavy sighs.
"Then let's go…" Alex said, gesturing for Revilla and Franklyn to follow as they got out of the car, grabbing their belongings along with Eryx's. Revilla and Franklyn headed inside while Alex drove off.
After a long silence, Alex decided to speak up.
"Why are you acting like this, Braylon? You're hurting yourself and him too. Don't you think you two are meant for each other?" Alex poured out his heart, but Braylon's expression turned gloomy.
"We aren't, Alex… If we were meant to be, we would have been together when one of us confessed. We don't have any more chances. He has a fiancé, and I already have a child…" Braylon chose his words carefully.
"fuck your married life… You loved him, yet you got married to someone else as soon as you went abroad. It's not fair, Braylon… You left him suffering while you went on with your life. You're really something. I've never seen anyone as selfish as you," Alex exploded, and Braylon forced a painful smile. Only he knew what he had gone through.
After that outburst, Alex fell silent. He simply dropped Braylon off at his apartment and left without saying goodbye. It hurt like hell for Braylon, yet he decided to bury his pain deep inside. Hiding his pain wasn't new for him, after all.