Chapter 66 - Blackmailed

Javier was stunned by Yvo's words. Every mention of Ava ignited a fiery rage within him, threatening to consume him entirely.

He regarded Yvo with a cold stare. "Did you see her leave? She said to give this to you."

With a sense of trepidation, Javier accepted the envelope and swiftly tore it open, revealing a check worth 50 million pesos.

"She said she was paying you back. She said to move. She said to quit what you're doing and live a proper life. She also said to forget about her," Yvo explained.

As Javier processed Ava's words, a surge of anger coursed through him, intensified by the sight of the substantial sum of money. It reminded him of his own deceitful actions, exploiting women for financial gain before callously discarding them—a cycle he had engaged in repeatedly.

Why? Javier would have considered her advice if it wasn't tainted by deception. He might have heeded her words if they hadn't been a part of her manipulative schemes. Why did she appear to him as though she were innocent, delivering advice coated in false sincerity?

Fueled by a potent mixture of anger and wounded pride, Javier seethed at the mere thought of Ava's actions. Her attempt to seemingly bribe him only served to further bruise his ego. What was her motive?

Snatching the envelope from Yvo with a violent fervor, Javier stormed out of the house, driven by the singular purpose of returning the money to Ava. He was certain she hadn't ventured far from their vicinity, so he hurried outside, determined not to allow her to demean him further after everything that had transpired.

As he stepped beyond the confines of their compound, Ava was nowhere in sight, eluding his attempts to confront her. Exhausted from his futile pursuit, Javier vented his frustration by crumpling the envelope containing the money.

"Sure, Ava. This is how you play? Fine," he muttered through clenched teeth, his resolve hardening with each passing moment.

Ava's manipulative tactics only strengthened his determination to break free from her grasp once and for all.

***

As the heavy rain poured down, Javier sat in his car, enveloped by the cold atmosphere that seemed to mirror his inner turmoil. He glanced around, observing the darkening sky that matched the somberness of his emotions.

Turning his attention to the gate of the Hidalgo mansion, Javier resolved to return the money Ava had given him the previous day, seizing the opportunity now that he had the time.

"Damn rain," Javier muttered to himself as he retrieved an umbrella from the trunk of his car.

Surveying the area and noting the sparse presence of people, Javier marched towards the mansion's gate, gazing up at the imposing name of the family emblazoned on it, along with a poignant quote below.

"And still, we rise," he whispered disdainfully, feeling a surge of bitterness.

Summoning his resolve, Javier approached the gate and reached for the doorbell. However, before he could press it, he hesitated, his gaze drawn to the mailbox nearby.

With a conflicted expression, Javier dropped the envelope containing the money into the mailbox. Just as he did, his phone began to ring, flashing Jamilah's name on the screen. Without hesitation, Javier answered the call, eager to hear from his sister.

"Yes, Jamilah."

"Javier..."

Javier was taken aback by Jamilah's trembling voice, laden with fear and tears. His heart pounded with anxiety, fearing that his sister might be sick again.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying? Are you sick again?" His questions poured out anxiously as he listened intently to his sister's distress on the other end of the line.

"The police are here looking for you... They're searching your room!" Jamilah's words hit him like a bolt of lightning, igniting a sense of urgency within him.

Without a moment's hesitation, Javier dashed back to his car, his mind racing with concern for his sister's safety. Spotting Jamilah standing at the gate, soaked in the rain and overcome with tears, he dropped his umbrella and rushed to her side.

"J-Javier! Javier!" Jamilah called out, her voice choked with emotion as she enveloped him in a tight embrace.

As they stood there, two policemen emerged from their house, carrying some of Javier's belongings.

"Are you Javier Salvatorre?" one of the officers inquired. Javier's confusion deepened at the unexpected turn of events.

"Yes, I am," he replied.

"I'm Abraham Narvaza from Manila Precinct. Ava Choi has pressed charges against you for blackmail," the officer stated matter-of-factly.

Javier's shock reverberated through him, his fury mounting at the mere mention of Ava's name and the accusations leveled against him.

"What?" Javier's voice rang out firmly, his disbelief palpable.

"My brother never blackmailed anyone!" Jamilah's impassioned protest echoed through the rain-soaked air, her tears mingling with the downpour.

"You need to come with us to the precinct," one officer reiterated, their firm grip on Javier's arms underscoring the gravity of the situation, while Jamilah continued to sob beside him, her heartache evident.

"No! You can't take him!" Jamilah's desperate cries pierced the air, echoing Javier's own confusion and disbelief. He stood there, torn between the urgency of his sister's distress and the gravity of the situation unfolding before him.

"Who did you say pressed charges against me?" Javier's voice cut through the tension, dripping with a potent mixture of threat and anger as he confronted Officer Abraham before they could proceed any further.

Abraham met Javier's gaze evenly, his expression betraying no hint of emotion.

"It's Ava Choi," he stated matter-of-factly, the name hanging heavily in the air like a thundercloud.

Javier's jaw clenched involuntarily, the weight of betrayal crashing down upon him like a relentless wave. In that moment, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, and he realized the true extent of Ava's deception. The money she had offered him, the facade of concern she had displayed—it was all a ploy, a calculated move to ensnare him in a web of deceit.

A surge of rage coursed through Javier's veins, threatening to consume him whole. He felt powerless, trapped within the confines of Ava's vindictive machinations. The woman he had once loved had become his greatest enemy, a shadow lurking in the recesses of his mind, taunting him with her betrayal.

In that moment, Javier knew that he could no longer afford to play the victim. Ava had forced his hand, pushing him to the brink of retaliation. With every fiber of his being, he vowed to seek justice, to reclaim his dignity in the face of adversity.

For Javier Salvatorre, the time for forgiveness had long passed. It was time to confront his demons head-on, to rise from the ashes of betrayal and forge a new path—one defined by strength, resilience, and unwavering resolve.

***

When Javier arrived at the precinct, he was first locked in a cell there without saying what would happen next. Even before he could fall asleep, they went to him again and let him out. He quietly accompanied them until they reached the investigation room.

There he saw Ava which made him smirk. He stared at the woman until she turned to look at him. Her expression seemed tired, greeted him immediately.

He sat in front of them while still staring at Ava. She was accompanied by a man whose prophecy was her husband's staff. When it turned to him again, he was there shaken.

It looked innocent in her expression, which added to the horror in Javier's heart.

"Javier isn't admitting the charge. He's invoking his right to remain silent. That's why we had to do this." He heard the police explain, but did not get Javier's attention.

He still stared at Ava. He seemed to want to melt it just by looking.

"Mrs. Ava Choi, according to your statement this morning, you said he blackmailed you with something that could harm your family, and that he extorted 50 million pesos from you. Is that correct?"

Javier's gaze deepened and deepened on Ava. There was so much resentment and anger for the woman that only she could explain why. He wanted to ask the woman himself what his grave sin was and why she was doing this to Javier. But that was just a waste of time for him.

One ... two ... until it was five minutes, Ava's mouth remained shut and she seemed to be measuring Javier's gaze. He could clearly see in the woman so much fear and confusion, something he could not understand why.

It seemed like she just wanted to say something to him when they were just two, but she could not.

Why, Ava? What's with that face of yours? You're really driving me crazy...

The police repeated what he had said earlier. Javier still didn't let go of the woman's gaze until she spoke, Ava sighed tiredly.

"The man sitting in front of me now threatened my family. In exchange for keeping silent about a secret that would be detrimental to our company, he extorted a million pesos from me." Ava said while straightly looking at him which made his heart broke for a million times.

Javier blinked quickly when he heard Ava say that. He felt the intense warmth of his chest and eyes in those moments. He wanted to be hurt because of what she said but he was more overwhelmed with anger.

"Do you admit the charge?" Javier heard the police ask him, but he did not answer. He remained to stare sharply at Ava.

"Javier, do you admit the charge?" the police asked him again.

I was going to understand. I was going to accept that I wasn't qualified to have you anymore. That we lived in completely different worlds now, since I knew that better than anyone. I was going to let you go even if you didn't do this. I was going to let you go with the person you wanted to be with...

"Javier! Aren't you going to answer? We have no choice but to assume that you really did it if you're not going to answer!" The police shouted angrily at Javier when he still did not answer.

But you yourself changed my mind, Ava. You yourself...

Javier walked out of the precinct unconsciously and tiredly. He was awake all night and his appearance was very tired when he came out. He looked up at the sky which was still as shady as what he was feeling. The revenge that was on his mind seemed to be slowly swallowing him up.

When he arrived at their house, he did not find anyone. He looked for his sister Jamilah, but she was not in her room, so he immediately went out again. He repeatedly called Jamilah outside, thinking she was just there, but he was shocked when he heard what their neighbor had said.

"She was taken to the hospital."

He quickly turned to the old woman who spoke. She even had a tub on her shoulder.

"Sorry?"

"She got all wet in the rain yesterday and went out looking for you. She collapsed on the sloping road, so we immediately called an ambulance," she explained to him.

The old woman wanted to say something more to him, but he did not finish it and quickly ran to his car. When he got to the hospital, he caught up with his sister in the emergency room.

She is unconscious and oxygenated. She was very pale and seemed very weak. Javier's conscience immediately struck him as he watched his Jamilah. Thinking that if the police hadn't just arrested him, it wouldn't have happened to his sister.

Javier felt even heavier during those times. He faints to sit on its side as he recalls the painful things he said yesterday to Jamilah. That if it didn't go back to the house right away, he could do nothing and just let her die.

The corners of Javier's eyes began to heat up. He found his sister's hand and held it tightly. There seemed to be something heavy in his heart as he stared at it. Simultaneously with his kiss on Jamilah's hand was the registration in his mind of what she had said to him the day before.

He felt even more guilty when he remembered how he had let it go that night even though he knew himself that her condition was serious. The anger he feels for himself is equal to the anger he feels for Ava. That if it hadn't just lied to the cops, his sister wouldn't have ended up like this.

That if he hadn't just loved her so much, Jamilah wouldn't have been so angry with him until now.

Javier continued to bow down as his tears flowed. His heart was filled with anger as he remembered what Ava had told him that day.

"May I ask a question?" Javier asked Ava before she finally left.

Within minutes of them waiting for Javier to speak, his mouth had just opened.

Javier looked Ava straight in the eyes as she looked back at him. He sneered at the woman and looked at her from head to toe.

"What is your world like? What's the world you live in like, that you make normal people bow down, feel insignificant, lose their minds, and give up on being human beings?" he asked Ava coldly.

She averted her gaze from him for a moment, but he still saw her tears fall before she quickly wiped them away. When Ava looked at him again, she was full of confidence again. Something that only inflamed the fire of Adan's anger.

"If I explain it to you, could you understand? It's blindingly bright, breathtakingly beautiful, and luxurious like a dream. Could someone like you possibly even imagine it if I told you?" she told him directly and arrogantly. That didn't leave his mind. Something that intensified his revenge.