CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 27

It was dark.

Even without much to see, Jia cast her gaze around.

Beside her, she saw someone, but she couldn't make out who it was due to the intense darkness.

Who was that? she asked herself, straining to see the moving figure.

“J-Jia...”

Ha! She turned to where she perceived a silhouette. Even though she felt fear, she forced herself to stand, but she was astonished when she couldn't feel her legs. Looking at the lower part of her body, she screamed because it was gone. Her lower half seemed to have melted away.

“Ahhhhh!” Jia screamed loudly as she fumbled for her feet. She gasped for air, filled with fear, thinking that what she had just experienced was real.

What the heck was that?! She wiped her forehead, which was lined with sweat. That’s the weirdest thing she had ever experienced. Even though it was just a dream, she vividly felt the heat and the melting of her body.

“Are you okay?”

She nearly flinched in surprise due to the sudden voice of—

“Mr. S-Sandoval?” she said, clutching her chest. The man was sitting on the couch, legs crossed, making him seem even taller in her eyes. He also held a magazine in his hand, but this time, his purple eyes were fixed on her.

She swallowed.

She had only seen the man yesterday and admitted he was handsome. But she was mistaken; he wasn't just handsome, he also looked decent even in his simple black T-shirt and jeans. He also wore black leather shoes that complemented his jeans.

The man stood up and went to the mini-fridge in her room, taking out a bottle of mineral water. After getting the water, he approached her. He opened the plastic bottle before handing it to her. She took it, especially since her throat felt dry and she was thirsty.

She chugged the water continuously, and only after finishing it did she thank him. Jia felt a sense of relief from the cold water.

“Do you want something to eat?” Mr. Sandoval asked her, still standing beside her. She didn't know why, but every time she saw the man's face, she felt like crying. There was something about his face that made her emotional.

To shake off the strange feeling, she turned her gaze towards the window before lying down and closing her eyes. She knew what she did was rude to the man, especially since he was helping her and her brother, but she couldn't stop herself from crying. It was just weird.

“I’ll have food prepared and brought here. I’ll be leaving now. I hope you and Brent get well soon,” he said, but she didn’t bother to answer until she heard his footsteps moving away from her. When she heard the door open and close, she finally opened her eyes and sat up.

She looked at the door where Mr. Sandoval had exited before sighing. She stayed in that position for several minutes until her cellphone, which was beside her, rang.

She picked up her phone and checked the caller. It was Chief Gary, who had just visited her early that morning.

“Chief?” she immediately greeted.

“Turn on the TV and switch to channel 58.”

She didn’t ask further questions and grabbed the remote from beside her table. She turned on the TV and switched to the channel her boss mentioned.

Her brow furrowed as she watched the news. She was currently watching a report about a brother and sister who were killed in an abandoned building.

“Did you watch it?” Chief Gary prompted her. She nodded as if he were right in front of her and could see her. “Could that group also be behind your and your sibling’s abduction?”

“It’s not them, Chief,” she replied, as if certain of what she said. Even she was surprised by the words that came out of her mouth.

“Are you sure?”

“I think it’s a different M.O. (modus operandi).” Jia paused as she suddenly realized something. “Or maybe the suspect is really the same one who abducted us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe they committed the murder just to divert the investigation about what happened to us. I’m sure there’s a deeper reason for the harm that Brent and I experienced, but the problem is, I can’t remember anything.” Jia felt so helpless, especially since every time she tried to recall what happened, it resulted in a headache.

She heard Chief Gary sigh before saying goodbye.

She was once again left alone in her hospital room. It was a good thing that Mr. Sandoval had told her he would take care of her and her brother’s bills, because if not, she might have left the hospital even with her injuries.

Yes, she and her brother had jobs, but they weren’t rich. The money they earned was just enough for their down payment on the house they were planning to get.

“Hays, how is our house doing?”

“THOSE people are making me sick. I can’t believe they’re finding a way to cover up what happened to Jia and Brent.” There was anger in Michael’s voice as he said that. He was in the backseat of his newly bought car, on his way to the finest quality beef restaurant in town to have food prepared for Jia.

“I’d rather believe that a real demon is responsible for all of this,” he added, waiting for his driver to reply.

The truth was, apart from Jia and the police, no one else knew about the lie he had woven—that he was Rik Sandoval. They still didn't know his connection to Michael. He would only reveal the lie he had created once the siblings had recovered.