04: TIED

“What are you talking about? You’re a dela Merced? That beast is your brother? Wait, how come? How did it happen? I mean, is this all true?” After what Kristiane said sunk in my mind, that series of questions is what I have thrown at him.

I couldn’t believe it! Did I just hear it right?! Kristoffer dela Merced is his stepbrother? If I am going to think deeply, the two of them have a resemblance, only that my fiancé has these soft features unlike that man who shouts ruthlessness all over.

I’ve known Kristiane since I we were in grade school, and I already met her mother before she passed away. I cannot believe that he kept his true identity to me all those years… but I cannot blame him. It was his decision, after all. He doesn’t look so proud when he tells me that he is an illegitimate dela Merced, and that explains it.

“It is a very long story, Mari. I am not proud of being one, and I do not consider myself part of that bloodline. I just need to use and reveal that part of me in order to visit you here after hearing what Kristoffer did,” Kristiane said as he held my hand, but his brows automatically furrowed as I felt him touch the band-aid that I put on.

He quickly looked at my hand and arm and saw how his lips parted in shock. He checked all of my cuts as his jaw clenched when he saw the deeper ones, which were already swelling and too visible because of my very fair skin.

“What did he do to you?” Kristiane looked at me in gentle eyes even though I knew that he was just keeping himself calm in front of me. I withdrawn my hand from his hold and showed him that I could still paint.

“We had a small argument because I made a commotion. I tried to escape, and he saw it. I accidentally fell on the sharp vases that I broke,” I explained without mentioning how his brother pushed me. It will just add fuel to the fire and I do not want that. My wounds are slowly healing so keeping what actually happened is for the better.

Kristiane sighed and slowly traced the swollen parts of my cuts with his finger.

“I’ve met Kristoffer when we were young, and I know how short-tempered he is since then. We don’t know what he can do, but what we need to do is to keep you out of his wrath. Do not do something like that again. I do not want you to get hurt, Mari.” I nod my head to assure him that I would never be that reckless again.

“I’m very sorry that I couldn’t bring you out of here for now. All of Kristoffer’s men is scattered around the place and they just know that I am here because Mr. dela Merced sent me. Even his dad cannot do anything about this situation because Kristoffer is in control of everything. It is just a small luck that I was able to be here, but you don’t have to worry. I am doing my best to look for a reason to set you free, and to help your father. Just trust me on this one, Mari. Just always be safe, and wait for me, okay?”

I deeply sighed as I remembered how my fiancé visited me earlier and spilled a secret of his life, and how he reassured me that he is doing his best to help me and my father.

It was very obvious that he hates being connected with the dela Merced, but now, he even went to the old dela Merced to ask for help to make me free, and to prove my father’s innocence and to help him escape from Kristoffer.

Kristiane opened his vase and broke his walls for me. He did it for me, and I felt sorry and sad because this was not his problem to handle. Doing this would put Kristoffer’s attention at him, but he still did it for me.

It also makes me sad knowing that I cannot do anything. I am locked in this room, wounded, and is just waiting for what comes next. I was able to write some information, some questions, and some what-ifs for what is happening, but how can I get an answer and connect those if I have no one to answer my concerns?

Before Kristiane left earlier, I asked him if he knew something about that necklace Kristoffer treasures, but he has no idea. He also said that he even asked the old dela Merced, but the old man just kept his mouth shut and did not answer any of his questions. He promised me he’ll try to figure it out, but I also need to connect details on my own.

I had a glance at the beast’s precious necklace when he showed it to me, and I can say that it was very expensive… but knowing how wealthy he is, he can buy a lot of those with his money. That’s why I am absolutely sure that it has a very sentimental value that’s why he will do everything just to find it.

What is the reason why it is very sentimental to him? That, I don’t know. It might be something connected to him as a person, that’s why even their father cannot just reveal what it is.

I also don’t know how my father ended up stealing it because it’s no use if it is that expensive. We already saved a lot, and he knows that. A stolen item cannot also be sold to the public specially if it is owned by a powerful and influential person. He is not also the type of person who would do it just because he wanted to gain something. I mean, he will not gain anything for stealing it.

He always wants me out of trouble, and for my sake, he will not be near any danger… but this happened.

I am always holding up to what I said that he did this because something, or perhaps, someone, pushed and controlled him to do this. He cannot just plan that alone! He might be the only one seen in the clip Kristoffer dela Merced has shown me before, but behind that, I know that he has others on the move. On whom are they and how did they get connected? I don’t know. My father never told me tales about someone, not unless it was about our company, but no one was suspicious there.

I do not know all of my father’s associates and business partners, and that explains why I do not know Kristoffer dela Merced. But what I am so sure is that I know my father well, more than how that beast knows him.

With the unanswered questions in my mind and the things that I need to connect, I know that I’ll be able to gather answers and slap the truth on that dela Merced’s face soon. Patience is what I need, and also to put my trust in Kristiane, who’s doing his best to help us.

As the night falls, and as I didn’t get to sleep or even to rest a bit since yesterday, I slowly drown into deep slumber, but I think it was just half an hour when I heard the door slam open.

My head is slowly aching due to lack of sleep, but my senses got awaken when I was dragged out of bed and someone quickly put a blindfold on me and tied my arms tightly.

“Let go of me! What do you want?!” I shouted and tried to remove their grip from me, but it has no use. The rope tying my arms is too tight that it made my cuts and wounds ache so bad, and I slowly felt that it bled again. I never heard any answer from those who kept on dragging me. I also stumbled and fell on the floor many times, but they just kept on pulling me.

Bruises will surely be all over my knees and legs after this.

“Can’t you be gentle even just for once?!” I complained as I was pushed on a cold floor. I was tied on a thing behind me, and after that, the blindfold was removed.

I blink my eyes multiple times to make my vision clearer from pitch black, and what I didn’t expect was to see the beast in front of me, sitting in a chair and looking so impatient. It was like bad news came and it made him grumpier from his usual ruthless look.

I got startled when he threw a phone in front of me, and it was playing a video. It was a CCTV clip of cars chasing each other. An unfamiliar white car is being chased by the black ones, and when the video zoomed, by lips parted as I saw my father on the white one. The windows of the cars are tinted, but it opened when someone from the car where my father is located, tried to shoot the ones chasing them; and that’s when I recognized him. Kristoffer’s men are the one who’s chasing him.

My father is with some unfamiliar men. I do not know any of them, but I am sure that they are the ones who are behind everything.

The video continued to play as I tried to familiarize myself with the faces of the men who keeps my father, but I inhaled sharply and closed my eyes tightly when someone stepped hard on the phone, making it cracked and unusable.

“Now tell me! Is this what you call innocent? Huh?!” Kristoffer shouted. I looked up at him and clenched my jaw.

“Innocent ‘til not proven guilty! Why don’t you use connections to unveil everything, huh?! Putting all the blame on my father? Really?! What a cocoon brain you have there, the great Kristoffer dela Merced!” I mocked him. I was stunned when he didn’t take my words lightly. He pulled me by my shirt that made me stand up, as he gripped my face tightly like he wanted to crush my jaw.

It was painful. His fingers will leave a mark there; but I will not complain. I will not let him see that I am hurting. He will never see me shed a tear in pain.

“You don’t know anything about my plan. Just wait and see ‘til I capture your father. I will deliver his head personally to you. Get it, little Vera?” I was pushed and thrown like paper on the floor, but what surprised is someone poured an ice-cold water at me that made me tremble in cold. I inhaled sharply as I felt my cuts and wounds were throbbing in pain, as this also added a pounding pain in my head and quickly made me sick.

Having a weak immune system isn’t helpful at this rate.

“Make her speak about the men his father is working with or I’ll fire you all.” That is Kristoffer’s words to his men before he sat in his chair again and kept his shit to himself.

I wasn’t able to speak of shout at him again because another bucket was poured at me, making me catch my breath.

“Heard our boss? Spill the truth now, you bitch!” I look at the man who said that in disgust.

“Don’t tell me you also have a cocoon brain like your boss? You always ask me what I know, and I kept on telling the truth that I do not know anything! Do you think I would lie all over again if it caused me to be in trouble? Think again, you asshole!” I shouted.

“What the—” I closed my eyes and waited for his hand to land on my face as I saw him full of range, but I wasn’t able to feel anything; thus, another ice-cold water made me tremble.

I will be as sick as hell after this. I am slowly feeling that my temperature is rising, but they kept on repeating what they are doing to me now. They are enjoying this. This is a satisfaction to this beast.

“We will ask you again—”

“Don’t be so freaking dumb! How many times should I repeat myself that I do not know anything? I do not know a single thing, so stop becoming an idiot!” I screamed after their series of questions. I looked at the beast and smirked.

“Is this the best you can do? I thought I had already knocked some senses to your brain earlier, but it has no use, huh?” I started to mock him again. His left brow raised as he stood up, but he just started to walk out.

“We’re done making fun of you. Bring her back to her room.”