XII. DID HE MISS ME?

I had been waiting at the back of the building for almost thirty minutes now. The cold night air seeped through my clothes, wrapping around me like an icy grip. I shivered, rubbing my hands together in a futile attempt to keep warm. If I stayed here any longer, I was sure I would freeze.

A frustrated sigh escaped my lips. Who even sent that message? And why am I even listening to some random note on a tissue?

Just as I was debating whether to leave, I felt something warm drape over my shoulders. My body stiffened at the unexpected contact, my pulse quickening as I turned to see who it was.

Antonio.

"You look like an abandoned kid," he remarked, his voice laced with amusement.

I blinked, processing the fact that he was here, and more importantly, that he had just given me his jacket.

"What brings you here?" he asked, his arms crossed.

I narrowed my eyes. "What brings you here?" I shot back, mirroring his tone. I should be the one asking that question.

He smirked. "Are you meeting your lover? Seriously? At school? How cheap."

He was really getting on my nerves now.

"And so what if I was? What is it to you?" I snapped. "Just leave!"

He shrugged. "I do not take orders from anyone."

I was about to retort when he suddenly raised a finger to his lips, signaling me to stay quiet.

I frowned. "Are you dumb?" I whispered. "Why are you—"

"Shut up," he hissed. "Someone's here."

The tension in the air thickened instantly. A lump formed in my throat, and I instinctively clung to his jacket, my fingers tightening around the fabric.

A shadow moved in the darkness ahead of us. My breath hitched as a figure emerged from the shadows, stepping into the dim glow of the security light.

Antonio reacted instantly, his fist shooting forward.

But just before the punch could land, the stranger swiftly removed his cap.

Antonio's expression changed instantly—his face paling as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Uncle?"

"Anthon?"

I looked between the two of them in shock. "Wait—what? You two know each other?"

Antonio's uncle raised an eyebrow at me. "Whoa! He is your lover?" He scoffed, looking me up and down. "I did not know you were into old guys."

I clenched my fists, feeling my temper flare. "Have you gone mad?"

At the same time, Antonio snapped, "Are you insane?"

The older man laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Whoa! Chill, you two."

Antonio exhaled sharply. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking you that," his uncle countered. "Do not tell me you two are actually dating?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. This entire situation was giving me a headache.

"Let us just get straight to the point," I said, forcing myself to stay calm. "Who sent the letter?"

"What letter?" Antonio asked, looking genuinely confused.

I immediately turned my gaze back to his uncle, my arms crossed.

The older man smirked. "Come on."

Antonio and I exchanged confused glances, but we followed him anyway.

He led us to the very back of the building, where a hidden door was tucked away behind a row of old lockers. It was so well-concealed that no one would have noticed it unless they knew exactly where to look.

Inside, I expected a dusty, abandoned storage room.

Instead, we stepped into a clean and well-maintained space. The lighting was soft but bright enough to reveal everything clearly.

Now that we were in a proper setting, I finally got a good look at Antonio's uncle. He seemed to be in his mid-50s, his face oddly familiar, though I could not recall where I had seen him before.

Then, he spoke.

"I am sorry it took me so long to meet you, Kaesu."

My breath caught in my throat.

He knows me?

Antonio pulled out a chair for me, and I hesitantly sat down. He took the seat beside me, his expression unreadable as he listened.

The older man straightened. "Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Luis. I was your grandfather's business partner—well, former business partner, rather."

Antonio nodded slightly, as if the name was familiar to him.

I, on the other hand, narrowed my eyes. "Are you the man who almost kidnapped me?"

Antonio turned his head toward me sharply, his forehead creasing in concern.

Luis sighed. "I ordered one of my assistants to bring you to me. But I think there was a misunderstanding. I did not expect him to handle it that way."

"Were you hurt, by any chance?" Antonio asked.

I shot him a cold glare. "Have you always been this gossipy?" I asked sarcastically.

He looked annoyed but said nothing.

Luis exhaled, leaning forward. "Since you are this straightforward, I will not beat around the bush. I know something that might help open your grandfather's case."

His words sent a chill down my spine.

"By 'incident,' do you mean—"

"Yes," he said firmly. "I believe it was an incident, not an accident."

I stood up abruptly, my hands clenching into fists. My throat felt dry, my vision blurring slightly from the intensity of my emotions.

"Tell me everything," I demanded.

Luis nodded. "I do not have concrete evidence yet, but I have a lead. However, this will not be easy." He rubbed the back of his neck, then turned to Antonio. "I need you to be with Kaesu at all times now. The moment she starts digging into this case, powerful people will come after her. They covered up this case once, and they will not hesitate to do it again."

"No need." My voice was firm. "I can protect myself."

Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked out.

It was too much.

But it was not enough to make me stop.

If they wanted to come after me, then let them.

Because I would make sure to get to them first.

Later that night, a knock at my door interrupted my thoughts.

I sighed, already knowing who it was. "Alex, I am not in the mood—"

But when I opened the door, I froze.

"Canim?" My eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"

"You did not come to our session," he said simply.

I blinked. I had completely forgotten about our training.

I cleared my throat. "And that is why you are here?"

Somewhere deep inside, my inner self was screaming. Did he miss me? Was this just an excuse to see me?

He sighed. "Nadia is moving fast. She may be silent, but her crew is already in action."

My hopeful thoughts disappeared instantly.

"And?" I crossed my arms, unimpressed.

"And I need you to take action with me," he said.

I scoffed, irritated. That is all he wanted?

I reached for the door, ready to slam it in his face.

But before I could, he grabbed my wrist.

"Please," he said softly. His grip was firm, but not forceful. "I will return the favor when you need it, too."

I hesitated.

His eyes met mine.

And for the first time, I saw something in them that I had not noticed before.

Determination.

Desperation.

And maybe—just maybe—a little bit of trust.