CHAPTER SIXTY

Lawrence is talking to Justine now, but he still can't forget the reason why Sharlene cried like that.

My suspicion was correct; Sharlene has a connection to the Gonzalez. That's why he looked at Justine, who was busy examining the papers there.

He hesitated to inform Justine that they had long since found the cousin he was searching for. 

"Lawrence, please, keep it as a secret. I don't want other people to know my true self; I'm still unsure if I can accept the truth. That was Sharlene's last wish before she returned to the city. 

I knew that the person in front of me would eventually find out, but I felt guilty if I broke that promise that I made. He just sighed.

"What are you thinking about now, Lawrence?" He asked him, noticing that he was deep in thought.

"Oh no, it's nothing, really." He said this while adjusting his sitting position.

Justine simply stared at him. "Do you know something?" he asked him directly.

"I've noticed that you're restless today, no—let me correct myself, are you hiding something that you don't want to tell me?" 

The above statement is precisely what I'm saying. He could only say it in his mind. "Oh no—no, when have I ever kept secrets from you, right?" asked the person across from him.

"Really?" this person asked and adjusted his sitting position. 

He simply nodded in agreement. For a few seconds, he stared at him, trying to gauge if Lawrence was lying.

"Well, whatever, I'll smell it if you're hiding something from me," he said.

"How is your investigation going?" Changing the topic now could potentially reveal Lawrence's deceit about the important person he's searching for.

"About that, I have a little lead so far."

"And what is it?" He listened as he gathered this information.

"That Atienza has a connection to the head of the Santiago family." He stared at him intently.

He furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?" He tried to process what Justine was saying now.

"Something fishy happened to that head, or should I say Don Nacario Raymundo Santiago. I heard many possible things that happened back then, whether it's true or just a hoax that he's involved in some big organization related to drugs and such."

His ears perked up at this explanation, which only furrowed his brows even more.

"B—But I mean, how can he do that when he's a wealthy man?" He couldn't help but say this.

"This is just my opinion, Lawrence. I was thinking about it when I saw this in the hospital. I was following Sheila the other day too. I grew curious, and sure enough, I spotted the old man. This is his explanation to him.

"I asked my spy for help because I have so much to do."

He saw the photos of Sheila and Raymundo Santiago.

"Felicia Rosario is also involved in this. Felicia knew Raymundo Santiago when the father and son had a dispute about your cousin, before Leah Martinez went missing." 

He saw some photos again where Felicia and Manuel's father were indeed present. Lawrence furrowed his brow.

"In this Leah mansion, isn't it the Martinez family's ancestral home, which Felicia Rosario is now the owner of?" Justine provided this confirmation to Lawrence.

"Where did you gather all that?" he just asked his companion.

He just smiled at him. "I remain vigilant and attentive while carrying out my tasks, Lawrence. Besides, trust our elderly people more than our generation; they know of what happened." He even winked at him back then. 

"All of this came over several decades?" He couldn't help but ask, unable to believe the capabilities of the person in front of him.

"Yep, besides, you know that our clans back then sometimes got involved in a scandal, and I also know a veteran journalist from back then, along with other colleagues of theirs, but I know they are being cautious because their family's lives would be at risk."

He just shook his head; he also had doubts about Manuel Santiago's father.

Grandfather of Sharlene He just thought to himself back then.

"By the way, the Rosarios have an adopted child. It was a child back then, wasn't it?" He asked him.

He didn't need to be surprised anymore. "Yeah, why?" Lawrence asked his companion.

"You know her, right?" he asked him.

"Yes, she was my friend when we were young." That was his only answer to Justine's question.

"So she's your friend. She is Martin Francisco's wife, right?"

"Ex-wife." He corrected what Justine had just said.

"Okay, ex-wife, I know I'm the lawyer of the two, right?"

"Yeah? So? Have they broken up?

This made Justine laugh. "No, Sharlene doesn't show up when summoned; naturally, she'll withdraw, ensuring their marriage remains intact."

"Hmm." He nodded—this was indeed what his companion was saying now.

"Hey, don't blame me for anything here. And I've also noticed that Martin doesn't care anymore; he doesn't bother my office much now to demand the letter of divorce again." He even said.

"Maybe they will get back together." He even said to him.

Lawrence furrowed his brow. "Foolish, they don't love each other."

"Oh, you know something?" Justine asked with a grin. "You really like your childhood friend; it's obvious." Justine teasingly says to Lawrence.

Justine only laughs at his reaction. 

"Okay, let's get back to our topic, which is not the silly love stories we've been discussing. Did you see the bracelet she used to wear?" This is what he asked him.

"I don't really remember if she wore the bracelet, but she didn't wear it."

"How many years have you known each other?" Justine asked him curiously.

"Maybe about six or seven years." Lawrence thinks he remembers it correctly.

"Oh, you don't remember that anymore." He even said it out loud.

"Why?" was all he could ask.

"Maybe she is my cousin." 

Yes, she's your cousin, Justine. Lawrence just thought to himself.

"Why did you say she's your cousin?" Lawrence asked him. He wants to hear his opinion now.

"I don't know how to explain this. That child went missing when their parents died, and then our family looked for them. That time, my dad knew that the child was hidden in the care of the Santiagos, but what I don't understand is, why did Rosario have an adopted child at that time? Besides, she didn't know her whole identity, did she?" Justine, think critically.

Lawrence could only nod.

Justine got a point there, but Sharlene is slowly remembering her identity, and she can't accept it. Lawrence could only say to himself.

"I don't know; maybe you should do a DNA test to see if you and Sharlene are really full cousins."

"Sharlene." Justine repeated Sharlene's name as Justine gazed at him.

"Sharlene Ellena, S.E.," it recalled what was written on the bracelet and stared at him intensely.

"That's possible, thing, maybe. Old Felicia also knows its identity and will marry it off to a wealthy family named Francisco." Justine thought.

He is grateful that he doesn't doubt him now. He feels guilty for not wanting to share what he knows.

It's up to you, Drake. He just thought to himself.