A/N: Fourth update for the week! We're still on a roll!

LORELEI

WE MAY have filled our stomachs with sandwiches, but Stein left us some food for thought. We may have roasted him with our words, but he didn't let us have the last laugh. Nasa amin na kung kakagatin, titikman o kakain ang kanyang mga salita.

By sharing with us those ridiculous what ifs, he managed to make us doubt ourselves. Ako nga mismo, napaisip sa mga sinabi niya. He pulled those arrows out of his quiver, and it's up to us if we're going to let ourselves get hit by them.

So how did I take the words of a mastermind? With a grain of salt—a lot of salt. Could we seriously trust any word that comes out of his mouth? He's the enemy here. The one who caused a lot of mess in Clark. To be fair with him, he's only continuing what was started by someone. For all we know, he might only be trying to mess with our heads. He might be attempting to drive a wedge into our relationship.

Well, I could tell that only two of the four possibilities are true. First, one of us is secretly working for him. That's certainly Jamie. We already knew that part. Second, one of us knows something that might hurt the feelings of another. That's certainly me. Alam ni Stein na iniimbestigahan ko si Jaime Santiago. Kapag shinare ko kay Jamie ang nalaman ko tungkol sa kanyang kuya, malamang ay masaktan siya.

Wait, did Stein indirectly admit that my suspicions were correct? Or was he messing with me?

Ugh! Nagbatuhan lang kami ng mga salita pero nagawa niyang guluhin ang isipan ko. Nagawa rin niyang guluhin ang isipan ng mga kasama ko. Paglabas naming apat sa cafeteria, tahimik kaming naglakad pabalik sa high school building. No one dared to utter a single word. Parang pino-process namin ang mga sinabi niya. Gano'n ang kanyang impact sa amin.

"Let's not think too much about what he told us," Alistair said, breaking the silence among us. My eyes raised their gaze at him. "He's only trying to plant a seed of suspicion in our heads to create distrust in our group. He could be feeding us lies."

"Pero tama ang isa sa mga sinabi niya, 'di ba?" tugon ni Jamie. I would have praised her for the good acting earlier, but now might not be the time. "Na isa sa atin ang palihim na nagtatrabaho para sa kanya. And that's me. Wala nang iba. Paano tayo makasisiguro na isa o dalawa pa sa mga sinabi niya ay hindi totoo? What if may itinatago pa ngang sikreto ang isa o dalawa sa atin?"

"Hindi porke't may katotohanan ang isa sa mga sinabi niya, nangangahulugang tama na rin ang iba," komento ko. In retrospect, Stein was kinda bold to hint about having a spy in our group. Parang wala na siyang pakialam kung malaman ba namin o hindi, basta't magdulot ito ng pagdududa sa aming apat. "Siya na mismo ang nagsabi na pwedeng isa lang doon ang totoo."

Ironic, wasn't it? Na wala akong tiwala sa possibilities na binanggit niya, pero tiwala ako sa sinabi niyang "only one or two might be true" line.

"Don't let his words get into your head," Loki said, looking at us over his shoulder. "The reason why he appeared before us was to plant those doubts that you are unfortunately entertaining. He didn't come there to eat snacks with us. He came there to start a psychological warfare. He wants us to suspect one or two of us to create a crack in the fragile trust that we have."

"Loki's absolutely right." Alistair nodded. "Kung mas magpapaniwala tayo sa mga pinagsasabi ni Stein, lalo nating patutunayan na tama ang argument niyang mahina o wala tayong tiwala sa isa't isa. He wanted to test our trust in each other. We're letting him win by entertaining those thoughts. And we must not let him win."

Doon na nagliwanag ang mukha ni Jamie. Medyo nabawasan din ang pagka-clouded ng isip ko.

"Tama nga 'yan, Al!" Jamie cheered, smiling. "Sa dami ng plots niya laban sa atin, hindi niya tayo napabagsak. Kaya ngayon, sinusubukan niyang gumawa ng drama sa pagitan natin para magkawatak-watak tayo!"

"He didn't have to hurt any of us," Alistair added. "He only needs to break us apart and he'd win easily. Do you know the phrase 'Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable'? Individually, each of us can be broken with minimal to no effort. But collectively? We can't be easily broken. There's unity in strength."

In a rare occassion, nakita kong napangisi si Loki. Parang natawa siya sa sinabi ni Alistair.

"Just to be clear, I have nothing against your statement," he defended himself. Napansin niya sigurong nakatuon ang atensyon namin sa kanya. "I found the sticks thing cheesy. Nevertheless, that's a good analogy. Perfect, actually. Still we must not succumb to the psy war that Stein has started. We must not be distracted from our investigation."

"Korek ka riyan, Loki dear!" Jamie seconded. "Let's show him that there's no truer words than what I told him. Our bond is like a stainless steel, and no amount of rust can corrode it. Kapag napatunayan at naipamukha natin 'yan sa kanya, siya ang talo rito."

I let out a sigh of relief. Hindi nga kami dapat magpatalo sa mga mapang-intrigang salita ni Stein. Parang gumawa siya ng tsismis upang magkasiraan kami. He wanted to sow nothing but discord in our group. He must have run out of creative schemes kaya pinupuntirya na niya ang samahan namin.

That's right. Those what ifs were only noises that should go in one ear and out the other.

But at the back of my mind, his words were still ringing.

We returned to our classes and spent the rest of the day doing schoolworks. Tinapos ko na ang mga dapat tapusin para mamayang class dismissal, wala na akong requirement na hahabulin. I still have a meeting with the editor-in-chief in the afternoon. Ayaw ko naman siyang paghintayin nang matagal sa coffee shop.

The clock struck four and the school bell rang, signaling the end of today's classes. Dahil ni-request ng chief editor na isama ang mga kaibigan ko, in-invite ko rin silang samahan ako roon. They had nothing better to do after class anyway so they agreed. We met at the entrance hall of the school building.

Nadatnan naming naghihintay na roon si Loki. Ang bilis yata niyang nakababa? O baka naman nag-cut siya ng classes kaya nandito na agad siya? Anyway, kinumusta namin siyang dalawa ni Alistair. Huling dumating si Jamie, sampung minuto siguro ang kinailangan naming hintayin, dahil nag-retouch pa raw siya ng make-up.

"Malay n'yo, gawin akong cover model, 'di ba?" sabi ni Jamie habang naglalakad kami palabas ng building. "Baka heto na ang maging start ng modeling career ko! Hindi lang dapat si Lori ang masuwerte sa ating apat."

"Book editor si Sir Johannes, hindi siya magazine editor," tugon ko sabay sulyap sa kanya. "Mas bagay kang maging cover model ng teen magazine kaysa ng book. You deserve to be on a glossy front cover."

"Basta malaki ang datung diyan, game na game ako," sagot niya. "Ang importante sa ngayon ay ibalandra ang face ko sa cover at ma-expose sa mga bookstore. Malay mo, habang nagsa-shopping sa bookstore ang isang talent manager, makita niya ang librong may mukha ko, 'di ba? Tapos 'yon na ang maging start ng aking career!"

Well, may mga libro namang gumagamit ng totoong model bilang cover. Kung susuwertehin si Jamie sa meeting na 'to, baka nga ma-discover siya at bigyan ng magandang offer. I wouldn't be opposed to it. Basta't masaya siya at magiging comfortable, walang problema sa akin.

"Teka!" Jamie exclaimed, making us turn to her. "'Di ba tungkol sa adventures natin ang isinubmit mong sample sa kanila? What if—just a big what if—gusto niya tayong ma-meet na apat para tinginan kung pwede tayong maging cover models?"

"What?!"

Kumunot ang noo ko habang nakatingin sa kanya. It sounded ridiculous at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

"O, 'di ba? Mukhang hindi lang ako ang magkakaroon ng modeling career ngayong hapon!" masayang sambit ni Jamie. "Bagay rin itong si Al na mag-pose para sa cover. He has not only the personality and the charisma, but also the looks! Hay naku, Lori. Sinasabi ko sa 'yo, kapag tayo mismo ang nasa cover, mag-skyrocket ang sales ng book mo!"

Lalo pang lumalim ang pagkakunot ng noo ko. Enough na sa akin na ma-publish ang kwentong isinulat ko. Hindi ko pinangarap na maging cover mismo ng libro. Medyo awkward kasi para sa akin.

"Para hindi tayo ma-disappoint, huwag muna tayong mag-assume," nakangiting sabi ni Alistair. "Baka gusto lang makipagkwentuhan ng editor tungkol sa mga isinulat ni Lori. Maybe he wanted to know more about us and our group."

"What if i-request mismo ni Lori na tayo ang gawing cover model?" hirit ni Jamie. "E 'di sure na magkakaroon tayo ng raket at mag-jump start na ang modeling career natin? Hindi na tayo madi-disappoint, 'di ba? Tapos kapag may booksigning, tayong apat ang pipirma sa cover, hindi lang si Lori. Well, kwento naman nating apat 'yon kaya logical lang na may autograph tayo."

I like her confidence, but she's getting too far already. Magiging baguhan pa lang ako sa industry na 'to tapos gusto niyang mag-demand na agad ako sa publisher? That's a no-no for a beginner.

Tahimik lang na nakikinig si Loki sa usapan habang sinusubukang i-manage ni Alistair ang expectations ng kasama namin. Sa sobrang daldal ni Jamie, hindi na namin namalayan na nakalampas na kami ng campus gates at papatawid na sa mga establishment sa kabilang side.

It's been a while since I last went to Diogenes Cafe. Ilang buwan na yata ang nakalipas? Since the "chair up" incident—where Loki lifted a chair and slammed it on Stein—umiwas na ako sa pagpunta rito kahit masarap ang kanilang coffee, tea at cheesecakes. Kapag niyaya ako ni Rosetta na kumain dito, lagi akong tumatanggi. Speaking of her, kumusta na kaya siya? I haven't heard of her since Luthor's revelation.

Nakaramdam ako ng kirot sa puso ko nang pumasok na kami at may nadaanang table. Sadness crept into my heart. The last time I went here, I met with my dad Walter. Doon kami umupo at nagkausap. Our conversation didn't end well. Sadly. Our relationship was still rocky back then and I still had no idea why he was treating me coldly. Parang nasilayan ko ang silhouette niya sa isang upuan.

"Are you okay, Lori?" Jamie asked, snapping my consciousness back to reality.

I nodded and forced a smile. "Meron lang akong naalala rito."

"Was it our first confrontation with Stein?" Loki asked.

"That, and another," I replied, my eyes looking down.

Naalala ko pa noong magkasama kaming pumunta rito. We lured out Sir Jim Morayta because Loki suspected that he might be Moriarty. When my Math instructor excused himself, Loki quickly dialled M's sinister phone number. Sir Jim didn't pick up. Someone else did. It turned out that he was wrong. Isa 'yon sa iilang instances na nagkamali siya.

Anyway, I'm not here for some reminiscences. I'm here to meet with a person who might make me follow my real dad's footsteps—as a writer.

Iginala ko ang aking mga mata. Dahil halos estudyante ng Clark High ang tumatambay rito at oras na ng uwian, iilan na lang ang mga mesang hindi pa occupied. I could still recall the face of Sir Johannes. Hindi gano'ng karami ang middle-aged na nag-e-enjoy ng cup of coffee rito. I quickly spotted him on a table to my right, reading a newspaper.

Tumingin ako sa aking mga kasama at tumango sa kanila. No one's more excited than Jamie. Agad niyang inilabas ang kanyang compact mirror para i-check kung maayos pa ba ang itsura niya.

"Good afternoon, sir."

Sir Johannes lowered the newspaper and flashed a surprised look in his face. He cast a glance at each of us. "Good afternoon too, Lorelei! It's been not so quite a while, hasn't it?"

We shook hands firmly. Mabuti't kabisado ko pa ang proper handshaking etiquette.

"Pasensya na ho kung medyo natagalan kami." Kasalanan kasi ni Jamie kaya na-late kami ng sampung minuto sa meeting time.

"No, it's okay! Alam ko namang busy kayo sa schoolworks. Ako nga ang dapat ang humingi ng pasensya kasi inistorbo ko kayo ngayong hapon. So these boys and the lady must be the heroes of the QED Club? They are exactly who and what I imagined them to be. What a pleasure to meet all of you! I'm Johannes Gutierrez, editor-in-chief of BEYOND Publishing. You must be Loki. Then you must be Jamie. And you must be Alistair."

Isa-isa niyang kinamayan ang mga kasama ko at isa-isa rin silang nagpakilala sa kanya. Loki almost got pulled by the way Sir Johannes grabbed and shook his hand. Medyo gracious ang paggalaw ni Jamie na sinamahan pa ng pag-bow. Si Alistair naman, tumuwid nang tayo at maayos na nakipagkamay.

"Please take your seats." Sir Johannes gestured to the four vacant chairs across him. "Before we start, shall we order our merienda? You must be hungry or thirsty. Don't worry. My treat."

Sumenyas siya sa isang cafe staff na agad lumapit sa table namin para kunin ang aming order. As usual, walang in-order si Loki, strawberry shake ang sa akin, banana split na may vanilla at chocolate ice cream scoop ang kay Jamie, at vanilla smoothie ang kay Alistair.

"I know that I have said this over the phone this morning, but I'm sorry about what happened to Fritz," Sir Johannes began while we're waiting for our orders. "I still can't believe what he has done. He's a good man, kaya parang ang hirap ma-imagine na nagawa niya ang mga gano'ng bagay. He told me that you're the daughter of our late novelist Friedrich Rivera. He's a great writer, by the way. Probably one of the best in his generation."

My eyes looked down. What a pity that I didn't have a chance to meet him. I only rely on what people told me about him.

"But we're not here to talk about the past, are we?" Sir Johannes rubbed his palms together. Muling umangat ang tingin ko sa kanya. "We're here to talk about your future. Hopefully in BEYOND."

May kinuha siyang folder mula sa kanyang portfolio bag at iniabot sa akin. Nanginginig na tinanggap ng mga kamay ko 'yon. I stared at the blank cover for a moment as I swallowed the lump in my throat.

This is it.

"That's the copy of the publishing contract," he explained. "I won't ask you to sign it today. Pwede mo munang iuwi 'yan at pag-aralan nang maigi. Pwede ka ring mag-consult sa isang lawyer kung meron kang hindi maintindihan sa terminologies diyan. But please, don't share it publicly with anyone. Ayaw naming malaman ng aming competitors kung ano ang nakalagay sa publishing contracts namin."

He winked at me and I opened the folder.

Saktong dumating ang aming orders. Maingat na inilapag ng cafe staff ang mga 'yon sa mesa. Agad inalok ni Jamie na i-share ang kanyang banana split kay Loki. Sinubukan pa nga niya itong subuan na parang bata. Tahimik namang tinikman ni Alistair ang kanyang vanilla smoothie habang patuloy na nakamasid sa akin ang editor.

Me? I skimmed over the content of the contract, mula sa warranties ng publisher at ng author, sa copyright, hanggang sa compensation. Naniningkit ang aking mga mata tuwing may mga nababasa akong unfamiliar phrases gaya ng right of first refusal. Mukha ngang kailangan kong mag-consult ng lawyer para mas maintindihan ko 'to.

"Sir," dinig kong tawag ni Jamie. Napasulyap ako sa kanya bago ibinalik sa kontrata ang aking tingin. Alam ko na kung ano ang ihihirit niya. "Naghahanap ho ba kayo ng cover model para sa story ng matalik naming kaibigan na si Lorelei? Kasi kung oo, available ho kami para maging mukha ng kanyang debut novel."

"That's an interesting idea, miss. Unfortunately, we do not use models for our book covers. That has been our practice. We have an in-house graphic artist who designs our covers. Gusto kasi ng editorial team at ng management na maging uniform ang aming covers para ma-establish ang brand namin. We want ourselves to be on top of people's mind when they see our book covers. 'Ay, sa BEYOND 'yan!' Gano'n ang gusto naming impression."

I was listening to their conversation while reading the contract. Ramdam ko ang disappointment ni Jamie habang napansin ko sa aking peripherals na napangiti si Alistair.

"Sayang naman ho! Ready pa naman kami ng mga kasama kong mag-pose sakaling kailangan. ("Not me," Loki said quickly.) After all, it's our story so mas maganda sanang idea kung kami ang nasa cover."

"Depende sa magiging reception sa book ni Lorelei—sakaling mag-sign siya sa amin—pwede namin kayong i-schedule for a photoshoot. Hindi para sa book cover, kundi para sa magazine. If the book sales are good, we might ask our magazine counterpart in BEYOND Publishing to feature you in one of their articles. Makatutulong 'yon sa promotion ng libro."

"Talaga, sir? Sa mismong magazine?!"

Isinara ko na ang folder at ibinaba ito sa mesa. I only understood like sixty-five percent of what's written in the contract. Mas mabuting sumingit na ako para hindi na masyadong umasa pa si Jamie.

"Mukhang okay naman ho ang karamihan sa nakalagay sa contract." I smiled at the editor. "Pero gusto ko pa hong pag-isipang mabuti ang desisyon ko."

"Take your time!" he replied. "If you have questions about the contract, you can contact me through my phone number. I'm just one text or call away. Ayaw kitang pressure-in, pero gusto ka talaga naming mapabilang sa aming roster of writers. I also asked my fellow editors to read your blog and they saw a lot of potential in your stories. We have a market for teen readers, and they'd surely love your daring adventures."

I felt like my cheeks were turning red. Wala akong masabi kundi "salamat" para sa kanyang compliment.

"I still can't believe it," Sir Johannes said, glancing at each of my companions. "They're exactly how you described them in your stories. Parang nabuhay ang mga fictional character na binabasa ko kamakailan lang."

"Sir, baka naman~" pangiti-ngiting hirit ni Jamie. Sinusubukan niya sigurong gamitin ang kanyang charm. "If magkakaroon ng TV o movie adaptation ang story ni Lorelei in the near future, baka pwedeng kami ang kunin n'yong artista?"

"That decision is not entirely up to me," sagot niya. "But Lorelei can make some recommendations. Nakalagay sa contract na sakaling magkaroon ng adaptation offers, magiging part ng decision-making ang aming writer. So she will have a say sa casting."

"'Yon naman pala, eh!" bulalas ni Jamie sabay siko sa akin.

"Just to manage your expectations as early as now," Sir Johannes said, turning to me. "We might need to fictionalize the real cases that you wrote in your stories. We cannot publish them as they are. Pwede nating lagyan ng caveat na 'these are based on true stories' or something."

I nodded. "I understand, sir."

"Is there anything else that you need to discuss with us?" Loki asked impatiently. Then he added, "Sir?"

Sir Johannes narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I assume that you didn't call us here just to see us in person," Loki answered. "You didn't interview us about what we do and how we do the detective work heavily featured in Lorelei's stories. So there must be something else. Otherwise, why would you invite us here?"

Ngumiti si Sir Johannes at sumandal sa upuan. "You are as sharp as the character in her stories. Very well, you're right. May dahilan kaya ini-request ko kay Lorelei na isama kayo rito. You all love solving puzzles, don't you? To quote one of your clients, I have a case for your club. Think of it as me putting your deduction skills to the test."

Nagkatinginan kaming apat. I did not expect our discussion to take this turn. Ang akala ko'y tungkol lang sa publishing contract at sa aming apat. Gano'n din siguro ang iniisip nina Alistair at Jamie.

But Loki seemed to have kinda expected this. He folded his arms as he reclined in his seat. "We're listening. Sir."

May kinuhang isa pang folder ang editor mula sa kanyang portfolio bag at inilapag sa harapan namin. Kumpara sa contract kanina, mas makapal ang laman nito. Loki grabbed the folder. Nagdikit-dikit kaming apat upang makita kung ano ang nakalagay roon.

"That's the manuscript of 'Everyone is Sus,' one of our upcoming releases next year." Sir Johannes rested his elbows on the table and put his hand on top of the other. Naging seryoso rin ang tono niya. "That's the third book in the trilogy written by Bellamy Bernardino, pen name of one of our young and promising writers. Fritz was her assigned editor."

I flinched at the mention of that name.

Loki flipped through the pages of manuscript. I leaned closer to him and checked what he's reading. Sa sobrang bilis ng paglilipat niya, wala akong nabasa. "I assume that the 'sus' in the title is a lazy attempt at shortening the word 'suspicious.' Do you want us to solve the case featured in this novel?"

Marahang umiling ang editor. "That story is still incomplete. Sinend sa amin ng writer ang manuscript nang walang nakalagay na ending. She said she needed more time to write the last chapter, so we gave it to her. However, a few months since our last communication, hindi na siya nag-reply sa amin. Hindi na rin niya sinasagot ang aming mga tawag. Pinuntahan namin ang kanyang registered address pero wala na raw siya roon."

Naningkit ang mga mata ko. That seemed strange to me. The writer mysteriously vanished?

"Do you want us to find her?" Alistair asked, shifting his glance from the manuscript to the editor. "Shouldn't that be left to the police?"

"No, that's not my request." The editor shook his head again. "Let's leave that case to the authorities. I wanna ask what you think might be the answer to the mystery. If Bellamy fails to submit the last chapter this month, we might be forced to write our own. Naisip ko na hingin ang opinion ng mga expert na gaya n'yo. Dahil hindi masyadong nalalayo ang mga edad n'yo, you might share the same perspective as her."

"Pero hindi ho ba dapat karapatan ng writer ang magsulat sa ending ng kanyang story?" may pagtatakang tanong ko. "'Di ba dapat ang intensyon niya ang masusunod sa kuwento?"

"Well, we bought the copyright of her story years ago," Sir Johannes revealed. "Kaya meron kaming karapatang ituloy o tapusin ang kanyang nobela kahit walang permission mula sa kanya. Readers are expecting the conclusion to the trilogy next year, and I don't want to lose the momentum. Don't worry. Sa contract na ibinigay ko sa 'yo, hindi namin kukunin ang copyright ng story mo."

Kinuha ni Alistair ang kopya ng manuscript at mabilis na inilipat-lipat ang mga page nito. His eyes squinted at some parts of it. Nakisilip din ako sa kanya. This time, may naiintindihan na ako sa nababasa ko kumpara kaninang ini-skim ni Loki.

"Tungkol saan po ba ang kuwento niyan?" tanong ni Jamie. "Masyado po bang mahirap i-solve ang mystery?"

"The story goes like this." Sir Johannes cleared his throat before he began. "A group of five college friends went to an evening party. After enjoying themselves too much, they decided to have a sleepover in their friend's house. The next morning, that friend was found dead. Four remaining people in the house that night were the suspects. The question is, who among the four killed their friend?"

"And it literally took one book to investigate that single mystery?" Loki asked in a slightly less condescending manner. Ramdam kong dyina-judge na niya ang writer.

"There are some twists along the way," the editor answered. "Mas maiintindihan n'yo kung mababasa n'yo ang kuwento. I'm not gonna pressure you to give me an answer right now. Maybe next time we meet, once Lorelei makes her decision, you can tell me your thoughts?"

And that's where our conversation with Sir Johannes ended. Nagpaalam na kami sa kanya't nauna nang lumabas ng Diogenes Cafe. Si Loki na ang nag-volunteer na mag-uwi sa kopya ng manuscript.

Dahil wala nang kotse si Alistair, sinamahan namin siya at si Jamie sa jeepney terminal. Naghintay kami hanggang sa tuluyang umalis ang kanilang sinasakyan.

Sabay na kaming umuwi ni Loki sa apartment. Nagpatuloy siya sa pagbabasa habang naglalakad. There's one time na muntikan na siyang masabi ng tricycle sa gilid na kalsada. I had to pull him out of danger. Pero hindi siya nadala. Nagbabasa pa rin siya hanggang sa makarating kami sa apartment.

Loki spent the early evening reading the manuscript. Ako naman, nakipaglaro muna kay Freya habang gumagawa ng assignments.

Then we heard three knocks on our door. Nagawi ang tingin ko sa clock display sa aking laptop. It's already seven in the evening. Who would be visiting us at this hour? Surely not Tita Martha. She would have called my name pagkatapos niyang kumatok.

Ako na sana ang tatayo upang buksan ang pinto, pero naunahan ako ni Loki. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin hanggang sa huminto sa tapat ng pintuan at pagbuksan kung sinuman ang nasa kabilang side.

"I hope I'm not intruding."

Pagkarinig ko pa lang sa boses na 'yon, nanindig na ang mga balahibo ko. There's only one person who could make me feel goosebumps all over my body: Luthor Mendez.

Mahigit dalawang linggo na rin mula nang huli siyang bumisita sa apartment. Hindi pa kami nagkakausap sa school mula nang bumalik ako. Sinasadya rin yata niyang iwasan ako at ang aking mga kasama.

Mukhang heto na ang hinihintay kong pagkakataon upang matuloy ang pag-uusap naming naudlot noon sa kanyang hospital room.

I thought Loki would slam the door in his brother's face, but he did not. He stepped aside and let him through without saying anything.

Luthor entered our unit. He was still wearing his royal blue blazer. But to my surprise, hindi lang siya nag-iisa. Meron pa siyang kasama na nakasuot ng hoodie. Hindi ko agad nakilala ang taong 'yon dahil nakataas ang hood. Pero nang ibinaba niya ito, nanlaki ang aking mga mata at halos malaglag ang aking panga.

"Na-miss mo ba ako, Lori?"

"R-Rosetta?" I muttered.

q.e.d.

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