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 AN UNBELIEVABLE NEWS forced Sir Mon's patience to run out. After he announced the upcoming Dick Brain's webtoon, netizens came to the Scribers Publishing on the internet, especially the trolls of that famous rival of Zefarino Salvatorre Hawthorne, Arion Lamusca spreading the news that they copied the competitor's ideas.

"Aren't we expecting this?" saad ni Zefarino. They are in the writing room—Sir Mon, Pit and Jaffnah were there sitting on the couch, huddling about the hot issue. "Instead of being affected by the crowd's opinions, why don't we try to rationalize our solution?"

"I know, Zefarino, but you can't blame me for reacting this way. At gumagatong pa talaga 'yang Arion Lamusca na 'yan para pagmukhain kang nanggaya talaga sa kaniya. Na para bang siya ang unang-unang nakaisip ng idea na gawing webtoon ang isang mystery novel."

"Exactly. That's the point. He just wanted some reactions from us because he's chasing the clout. But, I won't give anything to him. And just like your plan, release the initial chapters that Miss Levere put in her biggest hardwork. That will end the discussion."

Namamangha naman si Jaffnah habang pinagmamasdan si Zefarino, kung paano ito magsalita at paano solusyunan ang isang problema. Kung sa kaniya siguro ito mangyayari, malamang sa malamang ay papatulan niya ito. Katulad na lang ng ginawa niya kay Zefarino nang sabihing walang kabuluhan ang panaginip niya. She proved herself to him. And now, she can see how mature the man is and how he can handle the situation calmly and professionally.

"Tama, kapag naglabas tayo ng initial chapters, maiintindihan nilang matagal nang plano ang webtoon na ito," komento ni Jaffnah sa mahinang boses. Napatingin naman sa kaniya ang lahat.

"Right, Miss Lereve, you get it right." Ngumiti si Zefarino na para bang proud na proud siya kay Jaffnah dahil naintindihan siya nito kahit hindi nagpapaliwanag. It was as if he was amused to see the result of him training her.

Agad namang nagsalubong ang mga kilay ni Pit sa kaniyang nasaksihan at sinulyapan si Sir Mon kung nakita niya rin ba ang nakita niya. They met eyes and confirmed—Zefarino was beaming like a sun in good weather.

"Am I imagining things?" bulong ni Pit sa kaniyang sarili. Sir Mon cleared his throat as he spoke again before glancing at the finest illustrator. "Miss Fleurdevuille, we'll release the initial chapters you made. What artist name do you want us to put under?"

"Impatient Arrow po."

Naging interesado naman ang lahat sa pseudonym na binanggit niya. "Impatient Arrow?"

Jaffnah scrated her head as she shyly explained everything behind her pen name. "P-panaginip. Pana is arrow in English, inip po ay impatient. Huwag ninyo na lang pong pansinin 'yong 'g' sa gitna."

"Oh, so impatient arrow is panaginip. Okay, I get it. Napahanga mo ako riyan. It is related to your ability," sambit ni Sir Mon na tila ba nawala ang init ng ulo sa mga balita kanina dahil napangiti sa pen name ng dalaga.

"Maraming salamat po."

Maging si Pit ay napangiti at napa-thumbs up. Sinulyapan naman ni Jaffnah si Zefarino kung ganoon din ba ang reaksyon nito, pero tumatango-tango lang habang humihigop ng mainit na tsaa.

Nagpaalam na si Sir Mon at Pit sa dalawa. Sakto namang dumating si Doctor Zufresiah para sa counseling session niya kay Jaffnah kaya naiwan na lamang si Zefarino sa writing room. Jaffnah, together with the doctor, went upstairs to the guest's room.

"How are you, my dear?" tanong ni Doctor Zufresiah pagkatapos hubarin ang suot nitong trench coat at isabit sa rack. Si Doctor Zufresiah ay thirthy-years old na matagal na rin sa serbisyo at hindi siya basta-basta doctor lang dahil marami siyang specialization, at bukod doon ay isa rin siyang psychiatrist.

"Okay naman po, Doc."

"Do you get weird dreams about what happened that night?"

Jaffnah pursed her lips to hide the truth. In fact, she was having real weird dreams but not about the man who almost raped her, all of her dreams were about Zefarino after that night.

"Hmm... I can see that I won't get any answer about you if I asked about you." Napakunot ang noo ni Jaffnah. "So, kumusta kayo ni Kuya?

"P-po?" Hindi kaagad nakasagot si Jaffnah dahil sa pagkabigla.

"May gusto ka kay Kuya?"

Bumilis ang tibok ng puso ni Jaffnah. She can lie, yes, but in front of a doctor? Maybe, no. The doctor can see how her cheeks are now turning to red like a tomato and her avoiding gazes confirmed that the answer to the question is a big yes.

"W-wala po."

"But you were kissing that day. Both of you, right?" nakangising sambit ni Doctor Zufresiah. Sa pagkakaupo pa lang nito nang tuwid sa harapan ng dalaga, wala ka na talagang kayang ikubli pa.

Jaffnah's eyes widened. "P-paano mo nalaman?"

"It was obvious on his lips, Miss Jaffnah."

Napakagat na lang sa labi si Jaffnah. Kung susumahin, siya naman talaga ang may kasalanan kung bakit naulit na namang muli ang bagay na 'yon. Ano ba kasing mayroon sa mapupulang labi ng manunulat at nakakahanap siya ng kapanatagan kapag nilalapit niya ang mga labi niya roon?

"If you really liked him, I hope you make him stay here. You know his situation, right?"

"His situation?"

"Yeah, mas makabubuti kung hindi siya lalabas. I'm still studying the drug he's taking to calm himself when he's having a panic attack. You already witnessed that, right?"

Naalala ni Jaffnah ang unang beses niyang masaksihan ang nangyari kay Zefarino dahil sa puting sasakyan at mukhang naulit na naman iyon noong muntikan na siyang mapagsamantalahan. Hindi niya iyon nakita dahil wala siyang malay pero sa pagiging seryoso ng mukha ni Doctor Zufresiah, mukhang lumala iyon.

"Yes, it's getting worse, Miss Jaffnah. At mukhang dahil sa nainom niya noong awarding night, some substance remained on his body that made the drug I made not that effective. I'm scared that the next time he experienced it would be a convulsion or something else. That might make it difficult for us all to handle the situation."

"Pwede ko po bang itanong kung kailan nagsimula ang panic attacks niya sa mga puting sasakyan?" Jaffnah's face now became full of worries. It doesn't matter to him if the counselling session is not about her anymore. What's important now is how she can help the famous author who always helps her.

"I am not sure when. Kuya Zefarino is too secretive. He doesn't even answer me whenever I questioned him about that. At kung hindi ko pa nga nakita ay hindi ko rin malalaman ang tungkol d'yan. Good thing I was a doctor when I discovered it."

Napaisip si Jaffnah. Marami pa talaga siyang hindi alam sa pagkatao ng manunulat. At posibleng matagal nang tinitiis ni Zefarino ang panic attacks niya. Kung hindi alam ni Doctor Zufresiah ang tungkol dito noon, ibig bang sabihin ay hindi rin alam ng mga magulang nila? At nasaan nga ang mga magulang ng manunulat?

Nang matapos ang counselling session ni Jaffnah ay para bang lalo siyang nagkaroon ng maraming tanong. Doctor Zufresiah made sure to check the lady also before she let go of her. But the thing is, hindi na iniisip pa ni Jaffnah ang tungkol sa nangyari sa kaniya sa mapagsamantalang si Art, kundi nangibabaw na sa kaniya ang tungkol kay Zefarino.

Naalala niya ang huling habilin sa kaniya ni Doctor Zufresiah. "Do everything for him to stay here. Hindi siya lalabas kung sapat ang meron siya rito sa loob."

"What's wrong? Your counselling session ended long this time."

Napatunghay si Jaffnah sa nagsalita. It was Zefarino, wearing his loose black sleeves and trousers, the usuals, but the visuals can keep away someone's breath. Jaffnah, on the other hand, gazed upon him full of sympathy. She really wanted to ask but how could she start if there's no words coming out from his lips?

"Umuwi na ba si Siah?" tanong pa ni Zefarino na nagpabalik sa kaniya sa reyalidad.

"O-opo."

"I see. What did the two of you talk about? Your mind seems so all over the place."

"Just about what happened, Sir. Kung napapanaginipan ko ba 'yong nangyari."

"Are you?"

"Hindi po. Ikaw lang naman ang napapanaginipan ko."

"Ahh, I see. Good for you."

Pinilit na ngumiti ni Jaffnah habang nananatili pa ring nakatingin sa mga mata ng manunulat. "Kumain ka na ba, Sir? Ipaghahanda na po kita ng hapunan."

"Make sure not to cut your hand this time."

Jaffnah was in her deep thoughts while preparing their dinner. Zefarino was still in his office reading articles about how people can immediately change their mind about the webtoon they released. Kanina lang ay binabash sila ng mga tao, pero matapos na i-release ni Sir Mon ang first initial chapters ng Dick Brain ay binatikos naman ang panig ni Arion Lamusca.

"I don't understand why there's a need for a winner and someone they can call a loser. The competition they are bringing us suffocates me. It makes me pull out from writing."

Naalala niya ang manuscript niyang hindi niya pa rin nasisimulan. He already announced that the Last Case is the last installment of his Dick Brain series but for himself the story is still not finished. The dream he had from the start is not yet answered. Why has he kept on seeing those dreams since he was nine? And why all of a sudden there's a lady he keeps on killing?

Even after multiple times he tried to understand, he couldn't, just like how he tried to write again but there's no ink to pour on. There's no words to produce on his typewriter. He's literally blocked. And being in a competition like this with his so-called rival, putting him in a tight position, pressuring him to run despite the fact that he couldn't walk anymore.

A knock interrupted his deep thoughts. It was from his one and only employee, who he shared a bed with last night. "Sir Zefarino, tapos na po akong magluto. Kain na tayo."

Those words were as if a touch that made all of his thoughts fade away. "Coming."

Zefarino opened the door and saw the lady dressed in her dark red nightgown, staring at him with those sparkling brown hazel eyes with her long dark brown hair laid down. It was as if they were on the same page of the book. Both of them were bombarded with unanswered thoughts, but there's no voice coming out from their mouths to talk about it.

But all of a sudden, Zefarino grabbed Jaffnah's waist and pulled her close to him. He even cupped her nape before sealing her a kiss. Jaffnah was too stunned to move but later on responded like she really needed it too. Her hands rest on his shoulder and chest while the man is busy devouring him.

"S-sir Zefarino..." she whispered as she felt his lips go on her neck. Zefarino is brushing his tongue as if Jaffnah is a canvas. He's making an art by leaving some marks like a painting that would surely stay in days or maybe forever in her memories.

"Sir Zefarino... w-what are y-you doing?" nanghihinang tanong ng dalaga. Lalo siyang nawalan ng lakas nang maramdaman ang mainit na kamay ng lalaki sa ibabaw ng kaniyang dibdib. Tinitigan naman siya ni Zefarino.

"I want to unclothe you."

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[MissyForevah: Because today is my 9th anniversary here on Wattpad, here is my special gift for all of you. Are you excited for the next chapter? 🤭 Vote, comment, share this story and help me promote this book to everyone!]