"Where's Devon?" I asked April when I saw her came out of the restaurant.

"Sir Devon just arrived at the mansion from a special appointment out of the country," she answered courtly. "April will be back here quickly. Kailangan lang tignan ni April ang kalagayan ni Miss Stella sa ospital." Napataas ang aking kilay dahil sa pagtataka. But then, I realized that she'stalking about Barbie. So, she was brought in the hospital, hah.

"Tell her to get well soon," I told her like I'm concerned. "I'm not yet done detaching every single parts of her body." Well, I'm not even starting yet.

She just smiled, nodded, and excused herself. Pinanood ko lang umalis ang sinakyan nitong kotse.

I opened the glass door and went in utterly. All the attention of the employees went to me. When I looked at them, they all simultaneously looked away. I hissed silently and walk to the counter. Ang empleyadong naroon ay agad nagsi-alisan ng may takot sa kanilang mga mata, tila dumating akong may dalang nakakahawang sakit. Perhaps, they already heard what happened and Barbie was rushed to the hospital. I look for Katy but I can't see her. Marahil ay nasa kusina ito.

After my encounter with that woman, my feet led me back here for no apparent reasons. That old woman... her words still hang in the air before she vanished.

'I hope he can still keep you sane.'

Hindi ko siya napatay. She left me disoriented with my own thoughts.

"Bat' ba andito 'yan?"

"Oo nga. Wala namang ginagawa. 'Bat nila hinahayang nandito?"

"Baka kumakabit kay Sir."

Nagpantig ang aking tenga sa huli kong narinig. Isang matalim na tingin ang ipinukol ko sa tatlong serbedorang nag-uusap tungkol sa akin. Agad naman silang nagpulasan paalis. Kung hindi lang maraming tao ang narito ay siguradong mamamatay ang tatlong iyon. Their judgement over-crossed the line. Tsk, why am I even here? Dapat ay 'di ako bumalik rito.

Tumalikod akong muli upang tumungo palabas nang mabungaran ko ang isang pamilyar na pigurang kakapasok lamang sa restawran. Napatigil rin ito at nagkatitigan kami. 'Di nagtagal ay binawi nya rin ito at naglakad papunta sa may sulok at bakanteng lamesa. Sumunod ako sa kanya.

"Finally," wika ko ng maupo ako kaharap niya. "Iniisip ko na kung paano ka papatayin kung hindi ka pa magpapakita. I thought you've decided to be a wimp like who you really are." Isang tipid na ngiti ang isinukli nito.

"Nahirapan akong hanapin ang restawran na ito na pinapasukan mo. At isa pa, nahirapan din ako sa pinapahanap mo." Gazelle answered as she fixed the loose strands of her hair.

"So, tell me now about it. Ano ang bunga na iyong mga paghihirap? Who's Devon Henderson?"

Bumagsak ang tingin nito sa lamesa at huminga ng malalim. Napapikit ito ng mariin bago muling tumingin sa aking mga mata. "I...I don't r-really know how to explain this but-" she stopped like she lost her words.

I tilted my head and stared at her impatiently, "But what?"

"But I...I can't find a single information about him." Agad nagsalubong ang aking mga kilay sa narinig kong sagot nito.

"What? Why? You're from the Tactical Department, right? Isang miyembro lamang ng organisasyon ang pinapahanap ko sa iyo," wika ko. "So, you just came here to tell me that you've failed?"

"N-No...I mean I don't know," Umiling ito at tila naguguluhan sa dapat isagot. "Hindi ko alam kung saan ako nagkulang. I already scanned all the files of every members their but there is no single Devon Henderson. I even hacked the site of the organization to search for his name but there is none. So I came here to tell you my conclusion. Perhaps that guy is not a member of the mafia," paliwanag nito.

I rested my back on the chair and crossed my arms over my chest and watched her deliberately.

"Devon is part of the mafia, I'm sure of that." sagot ko at natahimik kaming dalawa. It's like we are both trapped under a chaotic maze. I started clicking my fingers on the table while thinking deeply. I have this gut feeling I'm refusing to acknowledge since then.

'Di nagtagal ay muli itong nagsalita, "Kung ganon ay bakit wala akong mahanap ni isang impormasyon tungkol sa kanya sa org," she snarled. "It's like a classified information. I can't find anything about him. Well, unless he is the Don and we are all screwed up," she added jokingly and chuckled.

But I froze, my fingers stopped in the mid-air. I looked at her slowly, "What...did you say?"

"Ah, don't mind that. I'm just j-joking," she told me. But her statement snapped something at the back of my mind.

Mariin akong napapikit at inalala angmga panahong nakilala ko si Devon.

"Have you met him?" I asked curiously to Devon, pertaining to the Don. Alinlangan itong tumango. "Well, I haven't met that bastard." I told him as I took a slice of pancake.

"You already met him." Aniya na nagpataas ng kilay ko. Yeah. Maybe yes, maybe not. I don't know. I just shrugged at him and didn't talk back. Hindi ko nga alam ang mukha nito kaya paano ko malalaman kung nakita ko na nga siya?

Nakilala ko na siya at si Devon mismo ang nagsabi. I already met the Don. Naalala kong tinanong ko din ito kay April.

"Where's the Boss, blue head?" I gave her a scrutinizing look then folded my arms.

"A-ah...Ahm," she stuttered. Naging malikot ang mata nito at halos hindi makatingin sa akin ng deritso. "H-He is behind--"

"Let's go, Aurora," I heard Devon spoke behind my back. I glance at him but went back urgently to April. Nakayuko na ito at tila kinakabahan.

Naikuyon ko ang aking kamao. I know April is still a kid, talkatively innocent.

"Aurora?" Gazelle called me,confused. Hindi ko siya pinansin.

"Who is Devon?" I asked April again. Pagkakataon ko ng malaman ang tungkol sa demonyong 'yon.

"Don helped me when my parents died. April is so thankful because of him. He is busy right now with some important international transactions--"

"I'm talking about Devon," I cut her off again. Natahimik ito at tila natauhan. She's blabbing too much.

"A-ah. Right. Y-You're talking about Sir Devon." She let out an uncomfortable laugh. "A-April don't know much a-about him." She said then starts fidgeting her fingers.

I asked about Devon but she mentioned the Don. Are these all coincidence? Napayuko ako at humugot ng malalalim na hininga. I heard Gazelle asked me again but I remained motionless.

Posible kaya? Posible bang siya ang Don ng Clemente Mafia? But that's absurd! A Don won't chase me like this. He's fucking around me, pestering me to death! The job for hunting me down is for those low-level members of the mafia only, not the Mafia Boss himself! And Devon is just around my age. Just a year older, perhaps.

"Goddammit," I murmured to myself and gritted my teeth. Naihilamos ko ng mariin ang aking mga palad sa aking mukha.

But why am I crossing this possibility? Well, of course, if he's the Don then I've been fooled around bigtime. Fvcking hell.

The letter... And now, this, his unknown identity like the Don. I wasn't born yesterday not to feel this. I felt it already but I'm just refusing to absorb the foolish idea. Kailangan ko pa bang patagalin ang lahat? The moment I would fully recognize all this shit, I'm already trapped around the stinking cage of that demon. No. Fvcking no. My opponent had moved already before I even notice it. It's my time to move back.

"A-Aurora," Gazelle called me for the third time. I looked at her and she withdraw a little from her sit. "Seriously, you're creeping me out. You look like...you're going to slit everyone's throat."

"I would, actually." If that would make the Don show out of his cave.

Tumayo ako at nagtungo sa pinto upang muling lumabas ng restawran. Naramdaman kong agad na sumunod si Gazelle sa akin. Saglit akong napatigil sa pagbukas ng glass door ng makita ang kaka-park na sasakyan. Ito ang sasakyang ginamit ni April. She's back.

"Did you bring a car?" mahinang tanong ko kay Gazelle na nasa likuran ko.

"Yes, that one." She pointed the blue one beside the black car that April used. Tuluyan kong binuksan ang pinto at lumabas kasabay ng paglabas ni April sa sasakyan. I walked to meet her and she quickly smiled at me.

"We didn't actually reach the hospital. Sir Devon ordered April to be back here and check on you instead," she informed me.

"Really?" I said, emotionless. "Where's the Don, then?" tanong ko sa isang normal na tono. I know she wouldn't notice my abrupt question.

"He just arrived at the mansion from a special appointment out of the country," she answered, repeating her statement like when I asked about Devon.

I stared at April while her answer started echoing in my head. My posture stiffened while I'm feeling something heavy in my stomach, a black mood that no one can dispel. My breathing became deep but I'm trying to control it. Agad napakunot ang aking noo. Mabilis na nasagot ang aking mga agam-agam. I should rejoice, right? But then, I realized, I wasn't that ready for this revelation.

I wiped every emotion crumpled on my face and left it blank. "So," I pulled a devilish smirk. "Si Devon at ang Don ay iisa."

"H-Ha?"

Her eyes widen and her jaw dropped from my sudden conclusion. It was too late for her to realize everything. Nilagpasan ko siya agad nagtungo sa sasakyan ni Gazalle.

"Open your car," I told her. Tinignan niya ako na parang naguguluhan at gulat pa rin sa narinig. April called me and when I glanced back at her, she back down. She knows she can't stop me right now. No one can. She quickly fetch her phone, dialed, and placed it on her ear.

"Sir Devon! Si Ma'am... Si Ma'am A-Aurora," taranta nitong wika sa aparatong hawak. It's like anxiety is eating her fast.

"S-San tayo pupunta?" Gazelle asked but unlocked the car, nonetheless.

"...a-alam niya na." April continued.

"We're going to visit the Don's mansion." I answered Gazelle before I went inside the car. She quickly followed dumbfounded.

I think I once said that I hate being played around.