Chapter 41

Forty-Five: A Traitor
While eating, what I was saying earlier sinks into my brain. Argh! Very stupid! Why am I disgusted? Even now I'm still disgusted, I don't like it. I don't like this feeling, I feel like I'm going crazy. What I'm doing isn't right ... I can't be impatient, I can't be jealous, I can't feel any emotion when it comes to Jizan. Not allowed.
Suddenly my cellphone beeped so I looked there, I was blinking and I felt like I was out of breath because of what I read.
From: Dad
Come home, Soren is here ..
Soren ... n-he's at home already? I looked at Jizan and saw that he was calm and just eating. His cellphone also beeped so he looked at it, I saw the expression on his face change.
"I need to go home .."
"We should go .."
We once said. Did he receive some message about Soren too? Did we receive the same message?
Jizan was driving quietly towards our mansion, which is very unsual. Because he always asks what happened in my day every time he drives, or he teases us, or he annoys me. But now he was quiet and seemed to be deep in thought.
I just ignored him and thought about what I should do in the next few days. Soren is home ... so I have no reason to continue our relationship, that's all I should be doing. To get information from Jizan about Harold.
But he entertains me so much with what he does and I forget my real reason why I was in a relationship with him.
"We're here." My attention returned to him because of his sudden speech.
I looked at him. "Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yes, don't worry about me. You went inside, and maybe Aunt Savienna is looking for you .." She said, I smiled slightly at her and nodded.
I got out of his car and waved goodbye. He opened the window of his car and looked at me.
"I'll text you when I got home." I smiled and nodded and he immediately pulled his car away.
When Jizan's car left, I was still running and walking towards the mansion. And I couldn't help but smile when I saw Mom and Dad's car parked in the driveway of the mansion.
I hurried inside and I couldn't help but smile broadly when I saw Soren inside next to Mom and Dad, while Aunt Savienna was also there next to Avie. They all looked at me and I was surprised when Soren ran up and immediately hugged me.
I couldn't help it but to hug Soren back and caressed his back.
"I'm very sorry ... Ate ... Sorry for making you worry a lot .." Soren said softly, I just smiled at him.
"We don't all want this, don't be sorry ... it's not your fault ... the important thing here is..I won't be worried anymore .." I whispered.
He turned away from me and nodded softly. I smiled at Soren and rested loosely. Finally ... I won't worry about him anymore, I won't be a problem with him because he's home.
I sat down next to Avie and immediately looked at Mom and Dad.
"Mom..Dad ... what happened to Soren?" I asked them.
"We got the information wrong, when we were told that Harold Sudalga took Soren..the truth is..Harold Sudalga saved your brother." Mom said, I immediately frowned because of what Mom said.
What? Harold saved Soren? So that means? Jizan isn't a traitor!
"What how?" Gulong gulo kong tanong kay Mom.
"Soren was kidnapped by the Fioralba's I don't know why, but maybe that has something to do with Soren being heir to your Dad's empire. But Harold Sudalga, together with Jizan saved your brother." Mom explained.
I seemed weak from what I heard, so I was suspecting Jizan incorrectly the whole time? Avie immediately took my hand, so I looked at her. She looked at me like she's telling me to already stop the thing I have with Jizan.
"I really want to thank Jizan for saving Soren, I don't know what to do, if I lose him .." Mom said.
"Eveanna Katriel." I immediately turned to Daddy when he suddenly mentioned my name.
"Yes dad?"
"I've heard what you did." He said seriously, oh fuck! Now I'm really really fucked up!
"What? What did she do?" Mom asked.
"What are you doing?" Soren asked me.
"Mind telling us, Eveanna?" Daddy's serious promise, I can't help but be nervous because Dad is really serious! And this is very scary because Mom is always serious with the two of them! And Dad is always talkative.
But now! The tables have turn!
"Uhm ... I-I-I k-kinda did a s-stupid decision." I stuttered to say.
I looked at Avie and she only nodded at me, while Tita Savienna just smiled at me foolishly while sitting next to Soren.
"U-uh, I-I s-suspected Jizan as a traitor..b-because I heard him talking to Harold Sudalga one t-time. A-A-And I-I really thought h-he is ..." I said.
"And?"
"Then?"
Mom and Dad said at once.
"A-and, when Soren isn't found yet ... I kinda have a stupid plan in order to save him .." I paused and took a very very deep breath.
"What kind of stupid plan is that?" Dad asked one more time.
"It's ... it's to date Jizan so that I'll get some information on Harold Sudalga and to know where Soren is." I almost closed my eyes while saying that and I couldn't look Mom and Dad in their eyes.
"What ?!" Can't believe Mom said.
"You did what ?!" Slowly but loudly he said.
"You heard what I said, Mom." I said a little disgustedly.
"And what do you think is the solution for that ?! You can't just dumped the guy! You'll hurt his feelings and maybe plant that resentment in you!" Mom said again, Dad was just quiet next door and just let Mom preach to me.
Come on Dad! Save your princess! I almost begged to look at him, but he just shook his head and ran his thumb over his neck, like motioning that he would be dead if he stopped Mom.
"You Eveanna! You really inherit from your Father! You like to do risky plans, and doesn't think about the outcome!" What? Did I think I was Mom? Said Tita Savienna?
"What? Why me?" Dad said.
"What why you? E, you really inherited Eveanna's rudeness and aggression! Look! She's making a plan and no one knows she's going to hurt someone! It's just like you!" I looked at Avie and just shook her.
I just laughed, hays. Fortunately, Dad replied, I was still saved ...
"Oh yeah? But atleast we are doing it for someone we love! She did that for Soren, stop shouting that .." Dad said softly.
We all frowned as we listened to the two of them talk.
"Oh my god, I gotta get out of here. It's making me cringe .." Avie said and immediately stood up.
"Same here .." Soren said.
"Me too." Tita Savienna.
I just laughed.
"And me also." I said and walked into my room.
When I entered my room, my cellphone immediately rang so I looked at it, the smile disappeared from my lips because of what I read.
From: Jizan
Already home.
Now Soren is saved, what should I do next?
---
Tsk! As for if someone really likes me, maybe it's just pretending to make Catalina jealous! And to get Catalina back with him, duh. Maybe Jizan thought he could handle me! I'm so much better with him!
I looked at Jizan and he was seriously shopping for vegetables for his penthouse stock. Sus! Maybe whenever he's not with me, Catalina is with him in his penthouse! Edi they will be the same! Pests!
"Is it okay to have so many vegetables or do you want to add more?" He suddenly asked, I looked at him badly and immediately turned around.
"Die to ask." I said in disgust. He put the vegetables in the push cart and he immediately looked at me.
"What's wrong with my princess?" He asked while looking at me.
"Nothing." I said angrily and pushed him out of my way and I pushed the cart myself.
I went to the meat section and looked at the assorted meats on display. I didn"t ask Jizan"s opinion and I just took the meats and put them in the cart.
"Hey ... princess, what's with you hmm?" He asked, I still ignored him and just proceeded to the seafood section.
I grabbed some seafoods and never asked Jizan again. Leave him there! He's tough! I don't want to talk to that liar! It's up to him, he just looks crazy there and followed me while calling my name over and over.
I proceeded with the spices and flavorings, I just took everything because I was the cook so I knew the ingredients that needed to be bought.
He suddenly grabbed my hand so I looked at him. But he just smiled at me simply, I just ignored him and continued shopping.
When I'm done, I was going to go to the cashier but I was surprised to see Riguel with a woman. Woah? Do they also go grocery shopping? I smiled and was about to go to Riguel but I couldn't move because Jizan tightened his grip on my hand.
I rolled my eyes at him and forcefully grabbed my hand. And when I grabbed it, I immediately went closer to Riguel.
"Oh? Evie!" He said the moment he saw me.
"Hi! Who are you with?" I asked him.
"U-uh, j-just a junior." Riguel said with a smile, I nodded at him and looked at the classmate he was referring to.
The girl looked so uneasy, so I smiled at her. "Hi! I'm Eveanna Santillana, nice to meet you, who are you?" I asked.
"I'm, Gwen Madrid." I just nodded to Kiana and turned my attention back to Riguel.
"It's you, you trip the younger ones." Smiling I said. Riguel was immediately shaken quickly.
"What am I saying, he's just my junior and we just happened to meet at the entrance of the grocery store so I just went with him. How about you? Who are you with?" He asked.
The smile immediately disappeared from my lips. "Jizan." My answer is simple.
"Really? All right, please say goodluck with his exams." I nodded.
"All right, we'll go first, shall we?" Riguel said.
"Ah? Is that so? Are you chasing a sched?" I asked him ..
"Ah Yes e .." Suddenly my cellphone rang so I just smiled at Riguel.
"Ah all right, be careful. Nice to meet you Gwen." Gwen just smiled at me, and when they left, I looked at my phone.
From: Jizan
Done paying. Parking lot.
What? What? Did he finish paying for the parking lot? I stared at his text message to me for a long time and I just laughed to myself when I realized what he meant.
Oh, done paying the groceries and he's now in the parking lot.
When I got to the parking lot, I saw him just looking at his feet while leaning back and his arms crossed. He looks handsome with the pose, he looks like a model looking for a peso.
He looked up at me and I immediately averted my eyes. I walked closer to the car, I was about to open the shotgun seat but he immediately stopped my hand and stuck me in the car.
He immediately put both his hands beside me so I am now trapped in his hands.
"Do we have a problem?" He asked calmly. I was immediately shaken, I tried to remove his hand from my side but I couldn't. He is too strong.
He leaned in closer. So I held my breath. "Do ... we..have ... a..problem? Eveanna?"
He repeated but with more emphasis and slower. I looked into his eyes and all I can see is love and jealousy in his eyes..wait..don't tell me..he's jealous of Riguel ?! AGAIN ?!
I just smiled and slowly moved my hand and immediately hugged him. I felt the gradual calm of his system so I smiled.
"Don't be jealous of Riguel ... can't you see? He already has a woman with him ..." I said gently.
Gradually I felt Jizan's arms hugging back to me. I just smiled there.
"Why are you grumpy earlier hmm?" He asked. Should I really tell him?
"I've read about the letter that Catalina wrote for you .." Jizan laughed weakly.
"I knew it ... you left the letter opened earlier princess .." I immediately felt ashamed because of what Jizan said, the fuck ?! All this time he knew ?!
I felt him kiss my hair so I smiled again.
"What part have you read that made you feel bad hmm?" He asked, while combing my hair with his fingers.
"You promised her that even if she'll leave you will never love anyone, except for the girl that you really love. You're referring to her right?" I asked him.
"Haayyy, my princess ... of course I am not referring to her. I am referring to you ... that even if she'll leave, I don't have a boyfriend because I want you .."
W-what?
"Are you kidding me?" I asked him.
He pulled away from me and grabbed both my arms and looked at me seriously.
"Of course not, I'm serious about that Eveanna. And even if it's fun to watch you get jealous, don't be jealous because you don't care." He says laughing.
"I'm not jealous!" I said angrily to him.
"Yeah, tell that to everyone, who will believe." He says laughing.
"Not really!" I said.
"Really?" He asked.
"Really really!"
"Really really really?"
"Really really really really!"
"Really really really really really?"
"Ugh! Whatever!"
I was about to get in the car but I didn't get in to the car, because he immediately pulled me out and without any word, he locked his lips against mine.
Again.
"So ... what are you going to do?" I looked at Avie when he suddenly spoke, I'm here in the mansion now because I plan to prepare my things for my visit to Jizan.
"Nothing." My short answer.
"What? Edi will you just let Jizan go crazy next to you? Think about it, Evie. Soren is already safe, and you don't have to continue what you're doing!" He said. I rested deeply.
"I'll take care of it."
"Why don't you take care of it? You can't do it!" I couldn"t help but clench my fist because of what Avie said, I was disgusted. He doesn't understand me!
"Don't even lead me! I know what I'm doing." I said to him, and he just turned to me.
"I'm helping you, alright? I'm helping you make your decision easier, the longer it takes the harder it is for you, remember that!" He shouted at me.
It's a good thing we're the only two people in the mansion, Dad and Soren are at City Hall while Mom and Tita Savienna are at Lacsamana Base.
"You're not helping me, you're making my situation worse. It's better that you don't interfere in what I'm doing first, I'll fix this." I said.
"Oh really? Maybe it's because you're not well because you really like Jizan?" What ?!
"The fuck is wrong with you?" I asked annoyed.
"Just admit it, so you can't leave Jizan because you really like him. You will even stay at his pent house just to help him through his exams!" Avie said. I faintly laughed at what he was saying.
"You ... you should shut your fucking mouth up." I was filled with words from him.
He is becoming a pakealamera in what I do. I knew what to do, he didn"t have to rush me into things I already knew.
"Why? I'm right, right? So you can't leave Jizan even though Soren is safe and you didn't get any information from him because you really want him ..."
"Just mind your own business Avie, I don't like Jizan okay? I'm doing this for Soren at first, but now that Soren is safe I don't have to continue this, I'm sure, I'll come back here to the mansion .. ..we are gone. " I am determined, I will make sure that Jizan and I are gone the day I return here to the mansion.
It's almost been a month since I asked him, that was long enough to break up with him.
"Make that happen then, do it, don't concentrate on words." Avie said seriously, he looks like Dad. A lot. So sometimes I get nervous when Avie is angry because I see Dad with her.
"I'll break up with him, for sure. I have no reason to stay by his side because Soren is safe and I am only using Jizan to get some information. But Soren is already found, so I have no other reason to stay by his side. " I said at length.
Avie sighed and laughed a little. "We'll see then, if you really can."
"I can do that, don't lead me." I said in disgust.
"I'm not leading you, I already know you Evie and I know what's going on in your brain. I know." She said smiling. He is really getting Dad's vibe and I hate it!
"Whatever! Don't let me know! Just tell Dad and Mom I'm at Jurielle's house!"
I just fell in love with Avie.
I grabbed my bag and was about to go out but my eyes widened and I felt like I was staring at where I was standing when I saw who was standing at the double doors of the mansion.
"Riguel ..." I whispered softly.
Shock was still evident on his face and he really couldn't believe what I said. I looked at Avie and she just shook her head and walked away.
"What does what I heard mean, Evie?" He asked.
This is getting harder and harder.
"What do you mean you don't really like him?" I looked at Riguel again. I just grabbed my senses and looked around, we are here now in the coffee shop, because he wanted me to explain to him.
"Evie ... answer me .. I don't understand what's going on ..." he said.
"Why are you at home? Who invited you?" I asked her.
"Avie, who else?"
I'm telling you ... it's not like Avie will just talk to me about that because we've talked about that before. And even more, Riguel can't just be stuck in the mansion for no reason.
"Explain everything to me." He said seriously, I stared at his face and I couldn't help but laugh.
He's cute when serious! The hair is still curly! He raised an eyebrow at me so I lost the smile on his face.
"Why do you want to know huh?" I asked her.
"Of course! I heard what you talked about with Avie and you expect me to not care about it? And pretend like I haven't heard anything? Jizan is my best friend, and what the hell are you doing to him?"
What the hell am I doing to Jizan? What am I doing?
"I'm sorry ..." I said softly.
"I am so mad right now Evie, I don't know what I will do after hearing that. But now, I want to hear a clean explanation from you."
"I've planned on using Jizan ..."
"Fuck this ..." He cursed.
"But I am planning to end this now! Don't worry, I just really plan to get information on Soren from Jizan, because I thought he was connected to Harold Sudalga and he was one of the reasons why Soren disappeared then. .. "I said at length.
I looked at Riguel and saw that he was disappointed in what I said. I never concluded that he would also find out, I thought it was just Avie and me, and I couldn't get out of what I was doing.
"But you made him believe that you actually love him!" Gently but I can feel the pain that Riguel, his best friend Jizan, is feeling, and I know it hurts him to know that someone is cheating on his friend.
"And you really thought that he would let you go after breaking up with him? Or worse will he agree to what you want? I've known Jizan for so long ... he waited for you for 10 fucking long years ... and when he finally got you .. gagawin mo to? This is the essence of stupidity .. "
Is Riguel really mad at me?
Riguel bent down and took a deep breath as if calming himself.
"He waited for you Evie ... and all you're going to do is break his heart? He waited for nothing?"
I don't know what to say, I also feel guilty for what I did to Jizan. He clearly doesn't deserve this ... as Riguel said .. he waited for me for almost ten years ... but what did I do? I toyed him ...
"I'm very sorry Riguel, I didn't mean to get to this point. I was just really naive and worried about Soren, which got to the point that I no longer knew what I was going to do and anything I could do for just save him ... "I explained to Riguel.
"I understand you, the only thing I don't understand is why do you have to use a man? And worse! Why Jizan?"
"Damn, Evie..you can just ask him for information! I'm sure he will give it to you immediately! There's no need to get to the point of fooling him."
He sipped on his coffee and took another deep breath. Stress is very very visible on his face, he seems to be even more stressed than me..sabagay ... he found out something unbelievable, what do I expect anyway?
"Are you gonna tell him?" I asked.
"No."
"Why?"
"I don't want to lead you in what you're going to do, and I want what you say to him to come from you." Said Riguel.
I gulped. Don't I really like Jizan? I don't like him, but not because I don't like him.
There's a part of me that I want to like when I'm with him, but my desire to finish this is more dominant because I don't want everything to be complicated.
"You don't need to answer." I just looked away from Riguel because of what he said.
"School Festival is approaching next week. And the college students are not included because they have another event, so it's good that you finish yours with Jizan within this week so that Jizan won't be disturbed in their activity for next week." Riguel explained, they have an event next week? What event is that? And school festivals but not including college students?
"Why aren't college students included?" I asked Riguel.
"I don't know, as long as another event is held for them. That's exactly what happens every year." He said.
"But you need to end all this, before many know. You need to stop everything that's going on between you two."
I nodded slowly to Riguel, he was right. I really need to end all this. I don't even know why did I even thought about this stupid plan?
Suddenly my cellphone rang so I looked there.
From: Jizan
Where are you?