126

126
When Eloise got out of Lander’s car, the first thing she did was make sure he wasn’t hurt. Once she confirmed he was fine, she finally breathed easier.
“Thank you for saving me earlier,” Eloise said sincerely.
“It’s nothing, it was just a coincidence,” Lander replied. “But… someone followed you and even rammed your car? Did you make enemies? Or maybe Cosmo?”
Even if she couldn’t see the man’s face clearly, something about his eyes felt familiar. Eloise was almost certain he was the same man who had attacked her by the village lake before, the one who had tried to hurt Cosmo. He had disappeared for a long time, but now he suddenly showed up again.
“You’re not the type of person people would come after like this. I think Cosmo’s the real target,” Lander muttered, deep in thought. “And if that’s true, it’s dangerous.”
He was right. Life with Cosmo wasn’t simple, and it wasn’t surprising that there were people who hated him.
“Lander, I really appreciate what you did for me today, but I need to remind you, you have nothing to do with this. Please don’t get involved,” Eloise said firmly.
“Eloise,” he replied with a furrowed brow, “I know I shouldn’t interfere, but how am I supposed to stay quiet knowing you’re in danger?”
“And what exactly do you plan to do?” Eloise asked. “You already have a date, don’t you? You wouldn’t want her to get the wrong idea. Or even your mother. Don’t drag me into this.”
“I’m not going to tell them,” Lander insisted. He tried to keep his composure, but the truth was he couldn’t bring himself to let go of Eloise. The moment he saw her in danger, his body just moved on its own, without thinking.
Eloise stayed quiet, studying him. “Lander, what happened tonight was just a coincidence. But if you insist on getting involved, that’s wrong. There are limits.”
She knew he was still trying to get close to her, but she couldn’t give in. She couldn’t afford complications, not when she was already married.
Lander let out a heavy sigh. “Fine, I understand. Let me at least take you home.”
“No need. I have somewhere else to go nearby, to a friend,” Eloise declined. “You should rest. Just let me know how much it costs to fix your car and I’ll pay you back.”
“Alright. I’ll message you once I find out,” Lander said. He seemed to know Eloise well enough not to push further.
After leaving Lander, Eloise went straight to the hotel where Faro was. The moment he saw her, relief was clear on his face.
“Are you okay? Did you make it out safe?” Faro asked, worry written all over him. “When you called earlier, I thought something terrible had already happened!”
Eloise told him everything, then asked for his help. “Atty. Andrade, can you reach out to your contacts who have access to CCTV? I want to trace that car and find out who that man was.”
“No problem. I’ll take care of it,” Faro replied immediately. “Let me drive you home. We can talk on the way.”
They realized the timing of the attack matched exactly with Cosmo’s departure from Tagaytay, almost as if it had been planned.
As Faro drove, he called one of his contacts to start reviewing the CCTV footage in the area. “Good thing you’re safe. If something had happened to you, Cosmo would’ve dropped everything and come home, no matter what.”
“Don’t tell him yet,” Eloise said calmly. “His work abroad is already difficult enough. I don’t want to add to his burdens.”
“You didn’t say it, but once he finds out about this someday, he’s going to be angry for sure,” Faro remarked, impressed by Eloise’s composure despite what she’d just been through.
“We’ll talk about it once we find that man,” Eloise replied. “It’ll help Cosmo too. If we can eliminate the threat, he can move more freely.”
Faro knew everything Eloise said was true, but he still couldn’t help feeling uneasy. He knew that once Cosmo found out, it wouldn’t just be Eloise who’d be in trouble, he could be dragged into it too.
When they finally arrived home, Eloise texted Lander to check if he had gotten home safely. Only when she received his reply that he was fine did she breathe a sigh of relief.
After taking a shower, Eloise lay down on her bed. Still, she couldn’t sleep. Her mind kept circling back to the man who had once attacked them, the same man who had struck again.
She remembered how Cosmo had searched for Gabriel before, but because he had protection, he was never caught. This time, though, it seemed someone had finally tipped him off.
“Gabriel again?” she whispered to herself.
The next day, Eloise asked around and learned that Gabriel wasn’t in Tagaytay. He was in Metro Manila with Ceila.
There was no denying Gabriel was a master at planning, careful, and cunning. If Eloise wanted to confront him, she would have to wait until he returned from Hong Kong City.
According to Faro’s findings, the black car’s plate number was fake. As for the driver, his face was hidden and couldn’t be identified in the CCTV footage. But for Eloise, just looking at the man’s eyes in the photo was enough to confirm he was the same person who had attacked her before.
Two days later, after mostly staying at home, Eloise received an invitation from Ardiel to meet at a restaurant.
“I thought you’d never speak to me again,” Ardiel said with a forced smile.
“That’s just right. I also have something to tell you,” Eloise replied calmly. “But let’s start with yours first.”
“It’s nothing important. I just wanted to see you,” Ardiel said, trying to sound kind and gentle.
Eloise had her doubts but chose not to comment. She didn’t rush and slowly laid out her point.
“Many people go to the beauty club Elaine runs, but we both know it’s not really because of her. It’s because of the name Cosmo and I carry.”
Ardiel’s expression shifted slightly. “It’s true you and Cosmo are married, and everyone knows it. You can’t blame people for going with the flow.”
“But Elaine shouldn’t be using my name to profit while spreading rumors behind my back about me, Cosmo, and Miss Baylon,” Eloise replied coldly.
She was angry, being used, while also being undermined at the same time.
“Eloise, the gossip about Cosmo and Miss Baylon has been circulating for a long time. It didn’t start with Elaine. You shouldn’t blame her,” Ardiel countered, irritation creeping into his tone.
“I’m not blaming her for the gossip. What I don’t like is her pretending to be righteous while using me. If she wants to compete, she should do it openly, not behind my back,” Eloise said firmly.
“I know our marriage has already been exposed to the public. It’s clear the Arellanos had a hand in that. Once they secured the project, they should’ve stopped. But they didn’t. They’re too greedy. And when you’re too greedy, you end up with nothing in the end.”
Ardiel’s face hardened. He hadn’t expected Eloise to be this cold.
“For more than ten years, I gave my time and energy for you. I gave you everything good without asking for anything in return. And in the end, you cut us off and refused to acknowledge us as your family,” Ardiel said, his voice laced with anger.
“And now, you say things like this. We never went after those people who wanted to be close to our family. They were the ones who came to us.”
“You know that’s not true,” Eloise answered flatly. “You’re smart. You made everything look innocent. But if you want to go big and act grand, that’s fine. Just don’t be surprised if I make public the agreement between Arellanos and Cosmo.”
That agreement Cosmo had signed with the Arellanos could serve as proof that Eloise had no ties to the Lopez family.
It hadn’t been revealed yet, not because they couldn’t, but because the timing wasn’t right. Cosmo was protecting Eloise’s reputation, but Eloise herself didn’t care anymore. What she wouldn’t allow was to be used while being slandered behind her back.