❦ . ❦ . ❦

Aside from his plan to request a couple of citizens to become part-time watchmen in different areas, Isaac also told Laurence that he'd enlisted the help of someone skilled in computers to review all the one-way communication made by the lead perpetrator to a few people. He said they had been figuring out if there was a better way to locate the mastermind through their messages.

They had more to go by at the present because of Grey's arrest. Since the guy had been the mastermind's key contact, a good deal of calls and texts had been delivered to him.

"It would have been preferable if we were able to secure their older communication history, too, but Grey Calma had permanently destroyed the record from last year after your death. I was told he must have used a data eraser tool to make the evidence in his device impossible to recover."

"I don't remember Grey having that much knowledge in technologies," Laurence muttered. He clasped his hands together until veins lined his forearms. "It's clear the crazy mastermind had directed him to do that."

Isaac's stare clued in Laurence that his younger boyfriend might have been contemplating the right words to console him.

"At any rate, we will take what we can get," the young boss said, averting his eyes. "We can only hope for an increased chance to find enough of their traces through the messages sent to you and your two former... I mean, to Kian Fajardo and Grey Calma. We're also preparing for the possibility of them directly contacting me, and just in case, I asked for the best method to record a voice call."

Laurence pretended not to notice Isaac's slip and his attempt to cushion the blow of reality. He was getting over it and learning to accept that his friendship with Kian and Grey was a thing of the past.

To divert the subject, he asked Isaac to tell him more about the tech person and any development in their job.

The young boss complied without disclosing the expert's name and other personal details, although the way he talked about them with familiarity provided his boyfriend a hunch that he might have known that person, too.

Assuming that the individual wanted to keep their identity private, Laurence did not pry any further information about them.

❦ . ❦ . ❦

The next few days passed with Laurence learning to get used to the idea of having eyes observe him from secret spots wherever he went. Even after Isaac's suggestion to go on with his day-to-day life like normal, he could not just pretend he wasn't aware of the existence of those he'd dubbed as human CCTVs, regardless of whether he could identify them in the crowd or not.

Just until all of this mess was over, he thought, convincing himself that this was better than being haunted by paranoia that someone might be lying in ambush around him. At least, the knowledge that his lover's acquaintances were watching over him provided him with some sense of security.

It's also necessary for that punk's peace of mind.

Laurence stopped typing on his computer and threw a glance at the closed door of the CEO's office. Isaac was not here today because he had to attend another board meeting at the workplace of one of their shareholders. The young boss had told him they'd chosen the location since it was way more convenient for the other directors than to visit the ND Corporation's main building.

Instead of one of the temporary executive secretaries, Mr. Frias had accompanied Isaac because the CEO needed someone knowledgeable in the ins and outs of the company's overall operations.

This morning, Isaac had seemed hesitant to leave for somewhere a little distant from his lover. Laurence understood he was anxious, especially after the warning note on a scrap of paper and the latest message from the suspected mastermind. If he hadn't sworn he would do nothing reckless, his boss-boyfriend would have considered postponing the meeting.

"You're being unreasonable again," Laurence had told him, scolding but gentle. "Just 'cause you're gonna retire from being the CEO later doesn't mean you can start slacking off now. Seriously, I can't imagine how you've managed so far when you're always this willful. Look, I promise I ain't gonna wander off too far from the office building, okay? And, I'm gonna wait for you to pick me up after work, so we can go home together. Though let me know if your meeting's gonna take too long."

After more reassurance, Isaac had acquiesced and dropped off Laurence at their office before setting off to his important appointment.

"Do you have some time later, Rence?"

Laurence's mind drifted back to the present. He turned to Odessa. "After work?"

"Ah, no, this lunch break. There's a store I want to check out to buy tea for my mother. But they close at noon, so I'm planning to have an early lunch break. I'll clock out at 10:30 and return here at 11:30. I'm wondering if you'd..." Odessa reached for her platter collar and twiddled it. "Well, it's just that... since you know a lot about tea, and if you don't mind, I'd really appreciate it if you could help me choose. Ah, but it's perfectly okay if you can't. It's just—"

"Nah, that's fine. I'll go with you."

Odessa blinked. "What?"

"So we're gonna have our break at ten-thirty, right? I may find something I'd be interested in from that store you're talking about. I've been meaning to buy some tea and coffee, too," Laurence said, leaving out his reason for wanting them—that was, the drinks were best for Isaac during stressful days.

The confusion cleared out of the woman's expression, and her eyes softened. Her lips curved, a lighter vibe reflecting on her thankful smile.

❦ . ❦ . ❦

Before they stepped out of the building, Odessa printed a notice and pinned it on the desktop corkboard in their station to inform their colleagues they were on an early lunch break.

Laurence suggested they visit the store first, before having their meal. He took a photo of the front of the shop and sent it to Isaac to update him on the little change in his usual schedule.

dont worry it aint far frm the office, and im with odessa ryt now. maybe one of ur human cctv is just around too

hey, im buying you lavender and chamomile tea but I found a few good floral blends. maybe im gonna experiment with these petals and leaves and make my own blend

ever tried butterfly pea tea? also would you prefer oolong or darjeeling? they've got lots of good tea varieties in this store

He didn't receive a reply. Not that he was expecting any at this time.

guess ur really in some serious meeting eh? make sure to eat lot of rice at lunch so you'll have energy to last til the end. lets have sumthing delicious for dinner

Laurence peeled his gaze from his phone and looked at Odessa, who was busy chatting with the store clerk. He figured his coworker no longer needed his opinion on what kind of tea to buy because the shopkeeper was doing a pretty good job of explaining everything to their customer.

Laurence composed one last short message for his boyfriend.

i'll txt u again later.

His thumb hovered over the send button while he deliberated whether to add a cute sticker. Heaving a sigh, he settled for the red rose and tulip emojis, hoping that a man well read in the language of flowers would crack the message.

Just as Laurence was about to put his phone in his pocket so he could examine the pack of tea leaves and coffee beans in the shop, his ringtone chimed.

The initial smirk at the thought of Isaac calling him changed into a scowl when he saw an unsaved number on the screen.

Laurence accepted the call and tentatively brought the phone near his ear, saying nothing.

The person from the other line spoke first. "Hello? Mr. Florence, is this Mr. Florence?"

A male. Perhaps a few years younger. His voice was shaky. Fast. As if on edge. And one that Laurence could recognize.

"Jino?"

The younger man let out a breath, sounding a little relieved, but the unsteadiness lingered in his next words. "Yes, sir. Thank God I'm able to reach you. I'm calling to check if Mr. Ruiz is with you right now."

"No, Ice—saac... He's in a meeting with the big guys, the Board. Something's going on?"

The brief silence that followed triggered a bad feeling in Laurence. He waited in apprehension for Jino's reply. His hand tensed around the phone.

"Mr. Florence. I don't know how I should tell you this, but Mr. Ruiz might be in danger right now," Jino said, his tone growing more panicky.

Laurence's eyes popped open. A shock clutched his heart. "What the hell do you—"

"I was monitoring his calls earlier and discovered that someone suspicious contacted him an hour ago. I couldn't have the record of their entire conversation, and it was a little choppy, but it seemed like the person said something to Mr. Ruiz, which forced him to meet them... It—it's on the rooftop of a particular building."

"Monitoring his calls, but why are you..." His boyfriend's news a few days ago clicked in Laurence's mind. He also recalled Violet's passing remark about Jino learning about computers online. "You're the tech person Isaac hired, ain't you?"

The sudden rise of his voice snatched the attention of nearby people, including Odessa. The woman whipped her head in Laurence's direction, the corners of her mouth dipping, her brows drawing together.

"Right, sir," Jino said. "There's no time to explain. I'm utterly concerned about Mr. Ruiz. That—that place. Mr. Florence, you may not remember it, but..."

At this point, Odessa had abandoned her conversation with the store clerk to approach Laurence.

"Sir, that location. It's that same rooftop where you... you..." The younger man's gulp came clear through the phone.

Laurence felt as though a giant metal object was ramming against his chest, halting his pulse and his breathing. Jino did not need to finish the sentence for its meaning to be comprehensible.

Thoughts sprinted in his head, but the compulsion to act kicked in quicker. He spun on his heels and exited the store, paying no heed to Odessa rushing after him.

"What was that punk thinking? Why'd he go there?"

"I am not completely sure either, sir. But there was... that person mentioned... the real reason you... you fell off from that, from that rooftop, and Mr. Ruiz must be going there to find out the truth."

"The real reason... What the fuck do you mean?" Laurence asked, frustration wriggling its way through the cracks in his voice. He disheveled his hair. There was not enough time for him to ravel out all this tangled information. He needed to move first. "It's the Altair Apartment, right?"

It was Florence's old residence. Rumor had it the place was where the man had committed suicide. But now, even that detail about the cause of his hospitalization was no longer certain.

"Do you plan to go there, Mr. Florence?" Jino asked, frantic. "I don't believe that's a good idea. Please, don't be too hasty. I'll... I'll try to call for help."

"You do that. I'll really appreciate it. But I ain't just gonna sit here while that punk's heading straight for trouble."

"But that's too dangerous, sir. It could be a trap! Mr. Florence—"

Laurence cut off the younger man's protest by hanging up on him. He dashed to the main street. He almost jaywalked if not for someone seizing him by the sleeve of his shirt.

"What are you doing, Rence?" Odessa raised her voice, one thing she'd never done with him before. "Tell me what's going on. Was that Jino? What were you guys talking about? I heard something about a tech person Mr. Ruiz hired. What was that?"

Just so she would not question him further, Laurence summarized his conversation with Jino.

The woman widened her eyes. She stepped back and let go of Laurence. "What... that's not possible. Listen here, Rence—"

"I've no more seconds to waste!"

The fear of what might happen to Isaac dismantled Laurence's sensibility. He crossed the road, disregarding the incessant honking of the vehicles and the drivers yelling at him, "You, moron! Don't drag someone else with your stupidity if you're tryna die!"

Even Odessa was already shouting, but the pandemonium in the street, on top of the chaos in Laurence's head, blurred out everyone's words.

He raced to the taxicab stand and yanked the back passenger door of the first car in line. The last thing he saw before jumping inside the vehicle was Odessa running to the nearest pedestrian lane.

"Please, drive to the Altair Apartment."

"You seem to be in a hurry, sir. Don't worry. I know the best shortcuts here in the city."

Ignoring the driver, Laurence dialed Isaac's number. An icy dread fired in his gut when the automated voicemail informed him the number was out of coverage area.

That was odd. Isaac should have known to keep his phone switched on during these days when they were on a hunt for a mastermind killer. The young boss should have been aware he could receive an emergency call or a crucial update about the investigation at any moment.

Laurence tried to ring him again. And got the same response.

Sweat broke out of his face and back, chilling his skin. He cussed. "Why's your phone turned off, idiot?"

With clammy hands, he searched for Mr. Frias's number from his contact list. Only to freeze at the realization that he'd never had it saved.

Laurence bounced his leg, urging himself to calm down as he called Odessa next.

Again, the automated voicemail answered him. This time, the number was busy.

A set of curses rolled out of Laurence's tongue. He gripped his phone with both hands and pressed his face against it, his head hanging low, as if he was doing a desperate prayer.

Be safe. Please, be safe. Dammit, you punk, what was that about not being easily tricked by an obvious trap?

He called on all the names of gods and saints he could think of. Implored them to listen to him, to favor his wishes. Just this once. Even if it was just this once.

Laurence found himself offering a bargain with the divine existences he wasn't even sure he could fully believe. The world could mess with him. He would not complain again. Shit on him. Kick him. Punch him. Stab him. He would ride it all out without questioning the gods and goddesses' wills. He would never cry foul or unfair again.

All he asked in return was for his most important person to be kept away from any harm.

Isaac was the best thing that had happened to him since he'd lost his family. What was the point of this second, of this third chance to live if he was going to lose him now?

The driver must have become conscious of Laurence's agitation, causing him to speed up the taxi. Soon, they reached their destination.

Laurence passed over the first banknote he could fish out of his wallet. He leaped out of the car without taking his change and zeroed in on the exterior stairs on the side of the Altair Apartment building. He rounded the place and darted on the flights, never slowing down even when he tripped and fell face-first into a step.

Laurence kept running, not caring about his split lower lip. As soon as he reached the top, he shoved open the door.

"Ice!" He panted.

He spun, surveying the area. Peace lilies in a few ceramic planters were situated in the corner. Other than those, there was nothing else.

The wind blew dust from the rooftop, creating an impression that Laurence was in the middle of a deserted place.

"Hey, Ice. Are you here?"

Silence answered him for the second time.

Laurence remained on his spot, balling his hand as the sinking feeling in his stomach worsened.

He straightened his back, raising his alertness once he caught a whisper of treads approaching behind him.

Before he could whirl to check what or who it was, a smash resounded in his ears, followed by a long, shrill ringing. His temples pounded.

Dizziness and the dull pain on the back of his head shot over Laurence. Black spots obscured his vision. Staggering, he walked forward and grabbed onto the rooftop fence to steady himself.

He took deep breaths while nursing his nape with one hand and covering his eyes with the other.

"You really are similar to a cockroach. A pest that persists to be a nuisance even after several attempts to crush it."

Laurence stiffened, recognizing the voice. He raised his gaze to confirm if he was right.

The person stood a few meters away. Broken pieces of ceramic were scattered on their feet. They wore latex gloves, and in their tight hold were a few stems of peace lilies—just another common funeral flower of Perlientas.

A more intense wave of sickness swept over Laurence when the sneer on a familiar face greeted him.

With a shaky breath, Laurence muttered, "You..."