127

127
Every time Ardiel met Eloise, he would always try to remind her of the times she once loved him, using all the care and kindness he had shown her in the past. But it was all wasted, Eloise had become cold and merciless, even toward the man who had raised her for more than ten years.

Because of this, Ardiel was consumed with anger and disappointment. He couldn’t stop himself from scolding her.
“What happened to you? Why did you become like this?” he asked bitterly.

Eloise answered calmly, her voice void of emotion.
“Maybe if you hadn’t handed me over to Cosmo in exchange for your own interests, we could have at least preserved our relationship.”

Their bond had been fading for a long time, especially since Elaine returned. If not for her sense of indebtedness, Eloise would have cut ties long ago. In truth, even when she tried to show respect, she no longer saw Ardiel as real family.

She looked at him and gave a faint smile.
“People always have to choose. You can’t have everything. You chose money and left me behind, so why are you acting hurt now?”

Her words were direct, hitting Ardiel hard. Embarrassed and furious, he couldn’t reply. He stormed out, leaving his meal unfinished.

Eloise, on the other hand, remained calm. She told the waiter to cancel the dishes that hadn’t yet been prepared, leaving only two or three plates on the table. She ate slowly, as if nothing had happened.

After finishing her meal, she left the restaurant. She hadn’t walked far when she felt someone following her.

She quickened her pace toward the parking lot. She hadn’t gone out for two days, and now someone was shadowing her. It seemed the enemy had taken advantage of Cosmo’s absence in Tagaytay to try to capture her.

When she reached the intersection, the traffic light was still red, so she hurried across before it changed. Glancing back, she saw the man trailing her. Her walk turned into a near run as she slipped into a narrow alley.

The man didn’t hesitate to follow. But just as he rushed in, someone suddenly came out from a side door and blocked his path. As Eloise watched the two men struggle, she leaned against the wall, breathing heavily as she tried to steady herself.

It didn’t take long before Faro’s man overpowered the pursuer.

Eloise approached to get a closer look at the man who was still fighting to break free. When the mask was pulled off, the beam of a phone flashlight revealed a striking red birthmark on his left cheek.

“Last time, you tried to run me down with a car. Did you really think I wouldn’t be careful?” Eloise’s voice was ice-cold. “You’re bold enough to show yourself again. Who sent you? Was it Gabriel?”

The man didn’t answer. Instead, he glared at her with burning hatred.

Moments later, Faro arrived with another man.
“France, did you find anything on him?” Faro asked.

The one he called “France” was Francis Andrade, Faro’s younger brother and the deputy captain of the criminal police in Tagaytay.

“Still investigating. Don’t be impatient,” Francis replied, clearly annoyed by his brother’s question. He turned to Eloise. “You said he’s one of Gabriel’s men. Do you have proof?”

Faro explained to Eloise who Francis was. She noticed the resemblance between the two brothers, though Francis had a sharper, more intimidating presence, while Faro was calmer. Their other brother, Theo, was shy and completely different from the two standing before her.

“Before, he tried to attack us. Cosmo himself investigated, but the man disappeared after the incident,” Eloise answered honestly.

“I’ll handle this. I’ll let you know once we have results,” Francis said, dragging the man away.

“Alright,” Eloise replied, watching them leave.

“Your brother’s really good at his job,” she joked to Faro.

Faro smiled. “He’s used to it. At least we caught him. You can breathe easier now.”

Back home, Eloise called Cosmo and they talked briefly. It seemed Cosmo would be away for a while longer, dealing with his own problems. Still, now that the man was caught, Eloise felt more at ease. When Cosmo returned, they would finally be able to confirm who was truly behind everything.

The next afternoon, Eloise received a call from Faro.

According to Francis, the man had been identified. His name was Kevin Gamboa. He had an older brother, Kenneth, who used to work as Cosmo’s driver and bodyguard. Kenneth had died in an accident more than a year ago.

“Is Kevin attacking us on purpose to avenge his brother?” Eloise asked in surprise. It even seemed like a reasonable explanation.

“According to him, he believes his brother was killed by Cosmo, so he blames Cosmo as the culprit,” Faro explained. “I don’t know what’s going on in his head. Cosmo was a victim too. If he wants revenge, he should go after the real person responsible, not Cosmo.”

As a bodyguard, danger was part of the job, but in most cases, the worst outcome was only an injury, not death. No one ever wished for someone to die that way.

Eloise fell silent for a moment before speaking again. “Did he say anything about his connection to Gabriel?”

If Gabriel really ordered him to hurt or capture her, then they could investigate Gabriel further.

“According to him, no. He said he just wanted revenge,” Francis replied.

“How loyal of him, if that’s the case,” Eloise said with a smirk. “Atty. Andrade, have you found any lead on who was really behind Cosmo’s accident?”

Faro shook his head. “Not yet. We suspect Gabriel, but we don’t have solid evidence.”

Cosmo was the one hurt in that accident, and if you looked at it closely, Gabriel was the one who gained the most. That made him the one with the biggest motive. But in court, suspicion alone was never enough. They needed concrete proof.

Eloise and Faro spoke quietly, both careful not to take any step without enough information.

Two days later, Gabriel returned to Tagaytay. Eloise spotted him at a bar.

She didn’t expect to see a wound on his face. Smiling, she asked, “Gabriel, you were just on vacation, but why do you look like you got yourself into trouble?”

Gabriel’s expression shifted slightly. As he answered, his hand went up to the cut on the corner of his lip, and he winced from the pain. “You came here just to laugh at me after hearing what happened?”

“I’m not a fortune teller, Gabriel,” Eloise said with a grin. “I just have something to show you.” She held out her phone to him. “Do you know this man?”

Gabriel glanced at the photo quickly, then looked up. “No. Who is he?”

Eloise studied his reaction. Gabriel wasn’t easy to read, he was good at hiding his emotions. Still, Eloise’s suspicion didn’t fade.

“You really don’t know him? Or maybe he’s one of your men?” she asked with a teasing smile. “Are you planning to take advantage of Cosmo’s absence, then capture me or hurt me to use as blackmail against him?”

Gabriel chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance. “You’re underestimating me. If I wanted to get you, it would be easy. I don’t need to use some random man who would end up getting caught by you.”

Eloise tightened her grip on her phone. “If it’s that easy for you, then why haven’t you done it? Am I not enough of a threat to Cosmo? Or maybe… you have a weakness?”

For a split second, Gabriel’s face changed. “Eloise, you’re overthinking. I don’t have any weakness.”

“Good,” Eloise replied coldly. “Because if you ever do and your enemy discovers it, you’re finished.”

Gabriel suddenly smiled again, as if nothing happened. “Do you want me to help you find out who that man really is?”

“Sure,” Eloise answered without hesitation. “If you can trace who he is and who’s behind him, maybe I can take you off the list of suspects.”