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Laurence hoped this would be the last time he was visiting the Raguel Penal Institution to meet someone who'd attempted to kill him. He hoped he would never have to deal with a person who'd betrayed his trust like this again.

While weaving his way through the gloomy hallways of the detention area, Laurence thought about what he had learned regarding Jino's past. According to Violet, Jino had lived in the neighboring city before moving to Perlientas due to some incident from his old life.

Jino had been in high school when he'd figured out he was attracted to both sexes. That, and he might be into a male classmate he'd been friends with for some years. He'd gathered the courage to confess to that person, believing that even if his feelings weren't reciprocated, his friend would at least be understanding and respectful about it.

However, what he'd expected to be a kind acceptance had turned into a problem when the receiver of his affection had called him disgusting. Not only was Jino harshly rejected, but the friend he'd confessed to had also spread baseless rumors about him, which had then resulted in him being ostracized in school. He'd tried to ignore his classmates' verbal harassment at first until everything had become too much and escalated to physical. At one point, Jino had fought back by stabbing the hands of his bullies with his ballpoint pen. The school had expelled him for that single action to defend himself, while his persecutors had gotten away with no heavy penalty.

Jino had had difficulties starting over after that because his reputation as the "psycho homo" had reached the other school he'd transferred to. Searching for employment once he'd graduated from high school had not been easy either. And as if rubbing salt into the wound, even his parents had shunned him during those hard times in his life.

"He told me that when he came here in our city, he met a nice neighbor, that IT lady, who inspired him to learn about computers through online courses, and he thought it might have been his chance to make a fresh start," Violet had said, recounting her subordinate's story with a sad smile. "Jino's an intelligent lad. He was a quick learner, so it didn't take him long to acquire the new skills. But even then, he had trouble hunting for a job.

"You know how it has always been in this nation. Agencies and businesses put more importance on people's credentials on paper than on their actual potential. Suffice to say, despite him being more capable for a position, applicants with a stronger educational background and work experience in their resumes would always be chosen over him."

At the table in the Renascence Café's greenhouse, Violet had told Laurence and Odessa that she could tell the young man had not been expecting anything when he'd applied for the attendant job at their coffee shop.

"It was like he had lost all hope. As if he'd already come to terms with the probability that he would never get the job here, either. He was very honest with us during his interview, and it was Isaac... Isaac for sure saw something in Jino, which prompted him to employ that young lad in the end... And..." Violet pressed her lips and blinked fast to stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. "Thinking about it now, Isaac's words to him on that day must have touched him so much. Isaac made him feel like he was being seen for the first time, so I get it... I understand why Jino has grown to admire the man who provided him with that sense of validation he must have been seeking from his family and friends... But..."

In between sobs, the café owner revealed she'd been feeling responsible for Jino. "I never noticed... I should have been more aware. I thought he'd been managing well, that maybe he was beginning to heal from his awful past. I never knew he would... What could have driven him to be that way?" Violet covered her face with both hands as she broke down. "I should have been able to guide him more..."

Laurence and Odessa had comforted Violet by rubbing her shaking shoulders. The news must have been a tremendous shock to her since she'd always treated Jino like her own little brother.

"You may be older than him, but Jino's an adult himself, ain't he? You did your best to support him. Pretty sure all you've wished for him was to have a happier and better life, but at the end of the day, it was his choice to go down the wrong path. It's not your fault, so you shouldn't be blaming yourself."

Laurence had said those words, but he too had been curious if one could have really stopped Jino from losing his way, if there was saving him from that evil war in his mind.

Before going here in RPI, Laurence and Isaac had dropped by the Aurora Medical Center for his psychotherapy. They conversed with Dr. Naomi about Jino's case, and the medical professional had provided them with possible reasons for the young man's atrocious actions.

"His past trauma could have contributed to him developing some psychopathic traits. Hurting and manipulating others could be a coping mechanism for some people like him, you see. It's like an attempt to rewrite their unpleasant experience and recreate it into a situation where they are in control. I heard he obtained some of Isaac's information through online stalking, right?"

"He also hacked my emails with the personal investigator I hired to search for Laurence."

"So that's how he learned about him." Dr. Naomi's attention had flicked to Isaac then. "And he must have used the same method to find out more about your friend's... about Laurence Villegas's background. This is just a wild guess, but it could be during that period when Jino realized he could do more with his tech skills and knowledge, that he could use it to have power over others. That may be why he dug up that other guy's dirt, Grey Calma was it, so he could easily manipulate him."

"Ah, now we're on the topic, we learned he also hijacked his previous high school administrators' online banking apps and e-wallets," Laurence said. "He scammed them, together with his bullies in that school, and that's what he used as a deposit for Grey to make the rascal believe he could pay. Though it turned out the promise of the handsome monetary prize was just another monkey business."

The woman must have noticed the couple's nerves that she'd lightened the mood by saying everything she'd talked about Jino was only her assumptions, and it might be the effect of her consuming too many detective and psychological stories.

She'd taken the subject seriously again when Laurence had pointed out that her speculations, if they were true, did not explain why Jino had to go as far as killing people.

"It may be because he became dependent on that sense of validation Isaac had brought him, and he feared losing it. That's why he must have felt the need to get rid of those he deemed threats to his solace, those he believed could steal away the one thing he'd been hanging on to."

"That still would never justify his monstrous deeds. Nothing, not even his horrible past, would ever do."

"No," Dr. Naomi had agreed with Laurence.

"I just don't get it, though. How can some people commit those heinous crimes? How can they stomach it?"

"I'm afraid that's not a question with a definite answer. We're talking about complex beings here, after all. I can only say that individuals are wired differently, and the human brain is not something that a person, not even professionals in the field like us, will ever fully comprehend."

Laurence snapped back to reality once he entered RPI's visiting area.

Jino was already sitting on the opposite side of the glass partition. "Where's he? Where's Mr. Ruiz... Isaac?" he asked in a casual tone, as if all that had happened were nothing to him.

"Only me," Laurence replied curtly, leaving out the detail that Isaac had chosen to stay outside. The young boss had admitted he didn't trust that he could prevent himself from losing his cool and doing something extreme if he faced Jino again.

Jino's face was blank for a fleeting moment before he put on a smile. The same smile he'd usually flashed when greeting the Renascence Café customers.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Florence?" Even his voice was painted with politeness that everyone was familiar with.

And Laurence could not help but wonder how much of that past friendliness he'd shown him was genuine, how much of that amiable Jino was the real him.

"Ms. Violet's been heartbroken since she heard what you did. Why? She and Isaac... they believed in you, didn't they? Why did you have to betray their trust?"

The whole pretense of affability vanished from Jino's expression as a derisive smirk took over.

Laurence gave no reaction. It might be because he'd not known this guy for that long. Or it might be because he was too used to people selling him down the river that he'd grown too numb about it.

Jino glanced around the dim room and then raised his gaze to the ceiling.

Just as Laurence was convinced Jino was not interested in having a conversation with him, the younger man let out a snicker.

Jino palmed his eyes and carried on laughing.

Laurence did not interrupt. He waited until Jino was satisfied.

"Why? That should be my question," Jino said, staring into the vacant space. He pursed his lips. Paused. Looked to his side as if searching for something. "Everything I did was for him. Why can't anyone understand me?"

Yet again, Laurence said nothing. There was no need to ask for a name to know whom Jino was referring to.

Besides, the guy was acting like he was only talking to himself with the way he would not focus on Laurence.

"I wasn't hoping for too much. I was fine with him not looking at me that way because I thought he would never be interested in men. I didn't want to make the same mistake, so I forced myself to acknowledge I didn't stand a chance against women. It would be enough if I could just stay close to him. But the more I observed him, the more I noticed how Isaac would always put distance between himself and other people. He wasn't a bad person." The curl of Jino's mouth, paired with a faint twinkle in his eyes, appeared almost dreamy. "He was considerate if one would just take the time to know him better."

Laurence had many reasons to conclude Jino had gone off his head, but that last statement about Isaac was one thing he could still respect.

"Despite that, I knew it would be difficult to break through that wall he'd built around himself. I realized it wasn't that there was no way he would ever be interested in men. He was just not thrilled to have intimate involvement with anyone. But it was alright. Even if I couldn't get past that line he'd drawn, I consoled myself with the knowledge that no one else would ever be successful in stealing his heart. At least I'd still get the privilege of seeing him almost every day, unlike the others."

Another burst of cynical chuckle blanketed the area.

"I actually pitied Violet sometimes when she was trying to charm him, though I was more often irritated by how desperate she was for the attention of the man who would never reciprocate her feelings. That's why whenever I could, I would not tell her Isaac had dropped by at the shop, so she would not get the chance to talk to him. I couldn't stand watching her try to be all cute and sweet to him." At last, Jino turned to Laurence and spoke as though he were just chatting to a friend. "Why couldn't she just be like me, right? I was satisfied with the frequent opportunities to exchange words with Isaac, with being able to gaze straight into those beautiful eyes. As long as he wasn't owned by anyone..."

Jino snorted. "What a joke. I found out he was, in fact, in love with someone, and the bigger joke was that the person was a man. Why? If he was alright with the same sex anyway, why couldn't he have chosen me? I dug some info about that Laurence Villegas guy and discovered he had nothing great to offer. His face was hideous, and he was a dirty person working in construction.

"It would have been easier to accept the reality if that person was from the upper class. What did someone as prominent as Isaac see in that low-class human being? Why couldn't it be? I was way better in every aspect, wasn't I? Wasn't I more attractive? Smarter?" He stared at Laurence with round, glassy eyes. The corner of his mouth quivered, twisted into an uncanny grin. "And I loved him more than anyone else, didn't I? Why? Why won't people choose me?"

"Love?" That one word finally got a reaction out of Laurence. He clenched his jaws and looked Jino square in the eye. "You hurt him... No. You ruined him when you killed the person he cared the most, and you're calling that love?"

"Ruin..." Jino breathed with a tone of disbelief. "He would be tainted once he concerned himself with the lowly scum. I tried protecting him from being ruined by pests instead!"

The switch in Jino's air happened too fast that Laurence jolted when the guy slammed his hands against the concrete desk.

Jino leaned his face toward the transparent partition. "And who do you think you are, talking like you know Isaac too well? Do you really believe he loves you? You're just a rebound to him!"

Without bothering to correct him, Laurence elected to continue listening to Jino's tirade.

"Oh, that's right. Maybe later, you'll understand me more once you realize the truth. That Laurence Villegas may no longer exist in this world, but no matter what you'll do, you'll never be able to replace him in Isaac's heart. You can never compete with a dead person. Maybe then, you'll know what it's like to love someone so much that you're willing to do everything for them, and still not be enough." Jino shook his head and flashed a mocking smile. "You'd be devastated to the point you'd wish you never survived those assaults. And maybe then, you'd remember that longing to just die. Hah, why are you still alive, anyway? Even though you'd always desired death before. Why did you waste my efforts in encouraging you and assuring you it was the best thing you could do? That those people would never understand you until you were gone?"

He was revealing so much right now, and Laurence would not be surprised if he didn't have to wait for the actual legal proceedings to gather the entire truth from Jino. Although, that detail about Florence's suicide was something that had been solved during the initial interrogation.

It turned out there was no foul play during the actual incident; Florence did jump off the rooftop of his own volition, but Jino had indirectly contributed to it by egging him on through texts. No one had found those messages because this son of a devil had cleared the data from Florence's phone through remote access.

"I also gave you several chances to die without feeling guilty, but why... why did you keep refusing? Why did you keep escaping that fate you'd always wanted? I even gave you options! I sent you that bottle of poisoned petals and leaves, so you could have a choice to die a painless death!"

Laurence jerked and frowned. "What poison? What the hell are you talking about?" he asked in a dark tone.

Jino ignored the question. He slumped back to his seat and began muttering to himself, "That was a perfect plan, right? No one would suspect that I swapped it with the container of tea blend that Violet had prepared to give you."

Laurence combed his memory for that episode when Odessa had handed him a small glass bottle of Violet's improved tea blend, saying the café owner had wanted his feedback about it after learning he'd grown interested in coffee and tea.

The other events of that same day played in rewind, as if Laurence's mind was telling him he'd missed something important. Until he arrived at the scene where Jino was tending to the plants in the Renascence Café, at that brief exchange they had about the bell-shaped flowers.

Laurence's eyes widened. "Was it... Did you create a fake tea blend from thornapple?"

Jino said nothing, but his proud smirk was as good as a confirmation.

Laurence froze, ice soaking through his blood.

Thornapple. Also called by a few other interesting names. Devil's trumpet. Hell's bell. Loco weed. It might have been one of his mother's favorites, but Laurence remembered how she would always warn him and his younger brother to never touch the plant.

Their mother had taught them a few things about it. The nocturnal blossom not only symbolized ephemeral beauty, but it was also a representation of deceitful charms. Behind its pretty petals and sweet fragrance was a toxicity that could be fatal. A flower associated with madness and delusion. An occasional medicine, but more known as poison.

"Yes, yes, it was supposed to be a perfect plan." Jino nodded to himself, oblivious to Laurence's shock. "If you died after drinking that, people would just assume you had a relapse, right? That you attempted to kill yourself again and succeeded. If that didn't work, and they found out that someone else tried to poison you, Violet would most likely be suspected because she made the tea blend for you. Jealousy could be her motive since she's head over heels for Isaac, right? Perfect. Yes, perfect. That was a flawless story..."

The phony brightness slid off of Jino's face. He glared at Laurence. "But you... Why did you insist on straying from my script? You should have just drunk that poison and died. You ungrateful pest, why did you not accept my perfect gift for you? Why did you not drink it?"

Why did he not drink it? The paralyzing cold crashed over Laurence at the same time as the answer to the question dawned on him. His whole body trembled.

"That was..." Laurence said, words coming off unsteady. "That was the tea I made for Isaac when he was sick."

Jino paused from rambling and scowled. "What?"

Every sound became an incomprehensible noise in the background as Laurence's mind reeled.

His stomach churned. A sour lump formed in his throat at the memory of Isaac taking a sip of that drink, at the possibility of the worst happening had the minor accident not happened during their first kiss.

"...listening to me? Did you make him drink that, you useless bitch? How dare you be together with him if you're just going to bring him trouble? I knew it! My love for him would always be—"

"Shut up!" Laurence sprang to his feet and banged the glass partition with his palm.

Jino flinched. The two officers from the corner of the room approached them to ask what was going on.

Laurence was not sure what kind of expression he was making, but he could take a guess based on the fear reflecting in Jino's eyes.

"Stop speaking as if you've never done shits," Laurence said, barely able to hold his voice together. "All you do now is point fingers at others. Sure, you'd been hurt by someone before, but why do you have to keep playing the victim? You robbed someone, no, several people, of their lives and peace of mind for the sake of your own selfish agenda. And love? Someone like you who takes in the pleasure of toying with others... Who can't even feel remorse and take responsibility for his bullshits... Someone who has this delusion that the world should revolve around him..." He shot Jino a death stare. "Are you even still capable of loving at all?"

Laurence pivoted on his heels and left Jino in stunned silence. He marched to the exit, desperate to meet up with Isaac again.

His surroundings swayed as he slipped through the dingy corridors. The horrific thought echoing at the back of his mind made him sick.

Isaac could have died on that night.

As soon as he was outside the building, Laurence's legs caved in. He crouched in the portico until a presence loomed over him.

"What happened?"

Laurence looked up in time for Isaac to squat down in front of him.

With trembling fingers, Laurence gripped the front of his boyfriend's shirt. He hung his head and relayed everything he'd uncovered inside the visiting room.

"I almost killed you..." he said, voice still shaky.

"You did nothing of that sort, Laurence." Isaac lifted his lover's chin to make him meet his eyes. "Also, I'm alive, aren't I? I'm here. Stop blaming yourself for something which did not happen."

The young boss did not give the other man the room for argument. He angled his head and claimed Laurence's lips.

And it worked like a charm. The kiss served as a sedative, calming Laurence down. Like supplemental oxygen, helping him breathe easily again.

Lost in the moment, Laurence wound his arms around Isaac's neck. He drew comfort from the sound of his boyfriend's heartbeat, from his warmth while their bodies pressed flush against each other.

Isaac was here. With him. He was alive. In reality. That was what mattered the most at present.

It was alright, Laurence consoled himself. Everything was fine right now.