Special Chapter: A Cryptic Warning

[Rhia's POV]

Twiddling with the silver ring on her finger, Rhia gazed up at the darkening sky from outside their terrace. It was Saturday evening. Four days had passed since Adrian and his family went to Alaminos.

Rhia grabbed her smartphone and stared at the blank screen. She still hasn't received a reply for the message she sent him after work. Adrian didn't answer her calls either.

"Maybe he's still asleep?" she mused to herself and turned to the German Shepherd on her lap. "What do you think, Addy?"

The dog only wagged its tail and moved its head on her thighs before it stayed still again. From what she was told, Abigail—Adrian's sister—entrusted the dog to the care of a relative living nearby, but it seemed Addy didn't like being tied.

Thankfully, they found Addy right away, sitting in front of the Guevara's gate with a severed leash, waiting patiently for its owner. Rhia took it upon herself to care for the dog since Addy was already familiar with her.

Glancing one last time to her phone, Rhia sighed and gave up waiting. Unanswered calls or messages were not a big deal. Especially at a crucial time that their family was going through a tough time.

Rhia understood that. But it's getting frequent as of late.

A foreboding feeling twisted in her gut, but Rhia shook her head to clear the budding paranoia. She couldn't pinpoint when it started, but ever since Quinn had Adrian transferred to a different department, she noticed a slight change in his behavior.

Several times she'd caught Adrian having a faraway look. It's like his mind was floating in the clouds, lips curling into an excited smile as if he just found something thrilling.

'Something has changed in Adrian, and I hope it's not what my gut is telling me.'

Suddenly, Addy perked up on her lap and barked at the direction of their orange gate. Her head snapped towards the gate in curiosity, catching a glimpse of the fierce woman in casual black jogging pants and a fitted workout top that outlined her toned physique.

Quinn glanced towards her, waving a hand as she slowed in front of their gate. Without her office attire, red lipstick, and sharp professional gaze, Quinn looked as approachable as anyone else.

Rubbing Addy's head to calm him down, Rhia stood and brushed off her floral dress before she walked to the gate and greeted their Department Head. "Hi, Ma'am Quinn! Where are you going?"

"Just taking my baby on a walk." Quinn motioned to her black chihuahua, who was snarling at Addy beside Rhia's legs. She picked her up and shushed her down. Quinn's eyed Addy. "I didn't know you have a dog."

"Oh, no." Rhia opened the gate and stepped out, closing it again to keep Addy inside. "It's Adrian's family dog."

"Ah, that's him? Nice." Quinn pursed her lips into a tight smile and brushed her shoulder-length hair. "So... how was his brother? Adrian's brother, I mean."

The commotion at the pantry between Quinn and Johan flashed in her mind. Rhia couldn't help but to feel a twinge of resentment towards Quinn at her insensitive comment. At the same time, she felt bad for not being able to stand up for her boyfriend.

Rhia's smile faltered. She looked away to hide her displeasure at the woman. "They said Aaron's getting better. He's not dying if that's what you wanted to know."

"I—" Quinn took a sharp breath and straightened her posture. "I apologize... about what I said that night. That's very inconsiderate of me."

Her parents taught her not to hold a grudge and be forgiving to people who wronged her. So, despite the tightness in her chest, Rhia nodded. "Okay. But I think you owed the apology to my boyfriend, not me."

"Then, please extend my apology to him." Quinn smiled. "Would you still like to file a vacation leave?"

Rhia's eyes widened in surprise and she stuttered a reply. "A-are you sure, Ma'am Quinn? But it's my day off already. I can't fill up a form."

"No worries. I'll take care of it," Quinn said. She put down her dog and grasped the leash so it won't go off in the middle of the road. "But please keep it between you and me. I don't want others thinking I'm having favoritism in our team."

Rhia grabbed Quinn's hand and flashed a genuine smile. "Thank you, Ma'am Quinn. I appreciate it. Promise! I'll keep it between us. It's just a onetime thing, anyway! It's not like I'm going to abuse your generosity. Thank you!"

"No problem, Rhia." Quinn returned her smile. Her soft fingers curled around her hand, giving a light squeeze before she let go. "I should get going. It's getting dark."

"Okay, Ma'am Quinn. Take care."

Quinn nodded and swiveled on her feet, pulling the small dog with her. But just as Rhia placed her palm on the gate, she called for her again. "Ah, Rhia?"

Rhia paused and spun her head to the side, the length of her hair swinging in the twilight breeze. "Yes? Yes, Ma'am Quinn?"

"Your boyfriend is..." Quinn trailed off. "He's friends with Fernandez, right?"

"Fernandez?" Rhia echoed, confused.

"Johan Fernandez."

"Oh! Yes, they're friends. Why?"

Quinn flicked her hair to the side and furrowed her fine eyebrows. "And you're okay with that?"

After witnessing Quinn and Johan's confrontation, she already figured there's a bad blood between the two. Uncertainty had Rhia shrugging. "He's not that bad, I guess."

Hesitation appeared in Quinn's expression for a split second before her lips turned into a cryptic grin. "Just a friendly reminder, Rhia. Don't trust that guy too much. He's not as innocent as you may think he is."

Rhia opened her mouth to ask what she meant, but Quinn raised a finger to silence her.

"I advise you to keep an eye on him—on them. In time, you'll understand what I mean."

With that, Quinn finally turned around and continued walking, leaving Rhia under the flickering light coming from the nearby lamp post beside their gate. For some reason, the foreboding feeling inside her intensified.