Truce

"What do you mean he's missing?" Richard shot up from the couch he was sitting on upon hearing his son disappeared only a few minutes after they arrived at the mansion. "Who's in charge of him today?"

"It's Denmark," Eadric said from the other line. "I was following that guy you asked me to investigate when he called. He said Glenn just went to the bathroom, then he didn't come back."

"Where are you now?"

"I'm searching for him around The Mansion's perimeter. Maybe he just went out to take a stroll across at the park across. I've been hearing him complain about how bored he was."

"Okay. Forget about Yves for now and continue searching for Glenn."

"Yes, Congressman. But I'm thinking that maybe... just maybe..."

"What?" Richard almost snapped.

"What if he followed that guy too?" Eadric theorized, which made it more complicated if it was true. "They got in a squabble in front of the chapel, and Glenn may want to settle the score with him. You know how he is."

"Fuck..." Richard cursed as he rubbed both his temples as he walked outside the conference hall. "Just go and look for him or Yves. If what you said is true, then Glenn will be where Yves went. Have Denmark and Harold join with the search party to make it quicker."

"But who will stay with you?"

"The Mansion is heavily guarded with the military. And I have Angela here. I'll be fine."

"Okay, Congressman."

The call with Eadric ended with a click, and Richard almost wanted to throw his phone onto the lawn if it wasn't for the group of people approaching his way. His eyes widened and immediately bowed in respect.

"Mr. President," he greeted.

———

"What—! What do you think you're doing?! Let me go!"

Yves merely budged an inch as the man he pinned on the tree struggle against his grip. He kept his eyes trained ahead, keeping his voice even and calm. "You've been following us since we left The Mansion. What do you want?"

The man didn't answer. He just continued to squirm and growl at him, trying to escape Yves' grip but failing. With the side of his covered face planted against the sharp bark of the tree, it's only a matter of time before he received abrasions to add on his bruised nose.

"Please don't make this difficult for me. I still need to buy a buttered corn for missy over there." Yves gestured with a jerk of his head to the side. "Just give me one good reason or I'll make sure to let the entire country know that Congressman Alonzo's son is a creepy stalker."

"I am not stalking anyone, okay? Why would I stalk you of all people? Who do you think you are? I just want to take a walk like everyone else and you just happened to be in the same direction I was going to! Now, can you let me go? This is assault! I'm going to sue you!"

Unfazed, Yves only rolled his eyes at Glenn's poor attempt to threaten him. "Look, I can do this all day if I didn't have a client on board, but we're catching people's attention, too. I'm sure you realized that this is a tourist spot and we're standing behind a horse that people love to take pictures with. Do you want your stupidity immortalized in a stranger's photograph?"

Glenn snarled under the thin cloth covering his identity. His gaze fixed upon Yves with pure hatred; Yves could feel it all the way from where he stood behind the other. "If you hurt me again... If you try anything..."

"Is this about what happened at the chapel a couple of days ago? You want to get even, is that it?" Yves asked. When he received nothing but silence, he sighed. "That wasn't exactly my fault. But if it would help you sleep comfortably at night, then I'm sorry."

"I don't need your apology!"

"Well, I'm so sorry for the inconvenience you caused," Yves said in a mocking voice.

"Can you fucking let go of me now!"

"Only if you promise not to do anything funny. I'm a trained professional and I think I already made it a point that you can't push me around like you thought you can. So, truce?"

Glenn glared at him with unrelenting pride. But after taking a look at the crowd that's slowly gathering near them, he gritted out a strained reply. "Fine."

Yves released his hold on him and took a step back as Glenn rolled his shoulder blades. He stuck a hand to mark their agreement to cease hostilities, but Glenn only slapped it away and walked off.

Well, so long as he tried nothing that will raise major concern moving forward, then Yves would let him be.

———

"You look troubled, Richard. Is something the matter?" asked the middle-aged man holding the highest administrative position in the country.

"Ah... No, Mr. President. Just some minor trouble, but it's nothing to worry about. How are you, Sir?" Richard asked, hoping to divert the topic.

But the wise man in a white long-sleeved shirt saw through him and smiled. "As far as I can tell, I am doing fine, albeit busy, like always. Why didn't I see your son around? I thought he came here with you?"

"Well..."

"Let me guess, he's the minor trouble," he said, followed by a good-natured laugh. "I've been there Richard. We are both fathers here with experience with bratty children. Don't worry, he'll be fine. If needed be, we can always deploy the police."

There was an apparent humor in the way the President spoke, but he still exuded a great balance of power and influence that can be seen in his every stride.

Richard couldn't help but to laugh along as he followed the President inside the conference hall. "I hope we didn't need to resort to that."

"Hopefully not. Anyway, aren't wondering why I'm here? It's not even summer yet."

"I am actually about to ask."

"Well, there is just something interesting I want to check with our historians here in Baguio. Why don't you join us in our meeting in the museum. I'm about to show you something no other representatives from the congress had ever seen yet."

That perked Richard's interest. The Mansion has a mini-museum, which house presidential memorabilia and art works not accessible to public. To think that he was invited to come along would be such an honor.

As soon as they reached the mini-museum of the mansion, they were met with three other people: a middle-aged lady, a girl, and a young man, who looked familiar, but he couldn't place where he'd seen him.

"Richard, this is Aurora, our senior historian from the Philippine University of Baguio," the President gestured to the middle-aged lady. "And these two are her apprentices."

"Congressman," the young man with intense golden brown eyes immediately reached a hand for him to shake. "I'm Timothy. Timothy Mathias."