Chapter 35

"What happened?"

From the clatter of spoons and forks, Michael and Brent stopped eating. They both looked at each other before turning to Jia, who seemed indifferent to their reactions.

The truth was, they had both discussed that Jia needed to forget what happened during their ambush, but in the end, they only erased the memory of the non-humans who helped them.

Jia was brave, and they knew it, but her knowing their secret was a different matter. Especially since her reaction earlier was priceless as she watched the angel and demon behind her and her brother.

"Was anyone caught among those who disrespected us?"

"Not yet," Brent and he answered almost simultaneously.

"We only escaped because of luck. It's a good thing Mi—Rik's car was highly bulletproof, which is why we managed to escape from those who wanted to kill us." Brent almost grimaced because he almost called Michael by his name.

Now that he has no reason to hide from Michael, it feels so hard to act. Unlike before, when he just needed to change his demeanor to make his friend believe that his cryptic talk and his normal behavior were different.

"I will report it tomorrow. I'll take care of that. By the way, what are your plans tomorrow? You can file a blotter report at our department. Just come with me."

"That doesn't seem possible, Jia. Rik and I have something to take care of tomorrow."

From the meat Jia was eating, her attention shifted back to her brother. She raised an eyebrow and her lips. She jokingly smirked at them. "Are you two on a date?" And then she dropped the question. But her excitement vanished when they didn't even entertain her joke.

Rik wiped the side of his mouth with a tissue that was just beside his plate. He moved very primly, just like his late twin, so just by looking at him, she knew that Rik Sandoval had also experienced a comfortable life.

"I need to go to Michael's company tomorrow to claim what is rightfully mine, especially since I heard Jam is firing my people."

"Is he firing your loyalists? Is that it?" Jia's sneer made a sound.

She had met Jam before. Several times, because he was Michael's close friend. And there was a time when she was at the mall and saw Jam there. He got her number, and she gave it to him because she didn't want Michael's friend to be rude to her. He even invited her to lunch at a steakhouse, but that's where she rejected him. She just used the excuse that she had something to do, so he didn't insist further.

If others, especially Michael, found Jam kind, she didn't. There is something about the guy. He's fake. And she thinks he's secretly greedy, so when he hinted at courting her, she was the one who cut off their communication. Good thing she uses a separate number for unimportant things.

"Anyway, if that's what he did, I wouldn't be surprised. I wouldn't be surprised if I found out that guy has hidden horns and a tail." She continued eating before saying these words again... "So I wouldn't be surprised if I found out he was one of the reasons for Michael's death back then." Jia looked at Rik, whose forehead was already lined due to what she said. But despite his reaction, she had no intention of stopping. She needed to express her feelings to breathe. "So you, Mr. Sandoval, if I were you, I'd be careful, especially with snakes disguised as humans."

"Jia, that's enough," Brent admonished her, but she just shrugged her shoulders. Her brother was kind, so he wasn't accusatory. And besides, even if bad things were done to him, he would still try to find a reason to see the good in people.

Jia knew that that attitude was pure, but she didn't like that trait of her brother. Too naive. She gets suffocated by people who are too kind.

"Psh. What's wrong with what I said, Brent? It's true that Jam is suspicious. How many percent does he have in Michael's company? Maybe he only became a stockholder because of the percentage Michael gave him. But look at him now. He acts more like the major stockholder. Isn't he trying to fire you because he knows you're Michael's friend?"

Michael's brow furrowed at what he heard. He looked at Brent. "Did he try to fire you, Brent?" he asked seriously. Just by his friend's expression, he knew the answer.

Why do I feel like I don't know you anymore, Jam? Or maybe I never truly knew you.

"Didn't you even react?" he asked again.

"How could he react? His guardian angel must be very kind. He doesn't even know how to get angry."

"When did he try to fire you?" Michael asked again.

"It's not official yet. But I will talk to him tomorrow."

"Yes, do that. And besides, he has no right to fire people just because they're loyal to Michael."

"You're right, Rik. He had a lot of nerve doing that. He acts more like the owner of the company. I just really need to investigate more to find out the truth about Jam. But he's so clean."

"And that's a good thing, Jia," Brent said, clearly not wanting to prolong the conversation.

"Good thing? Nah. When someone is too clean, it's more suspicious. It means he's hiding something. Our question is, what?"