Chapter 1

I am not a criminal.

I had nothing to do with the killings. I didn't kill anyone but why was he staring too much? It's like I'm being sentenced in court the way he stared at me.

"Rishell," he called.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. He tried to get me to confess, but I wasn't doing anything wrong!

"I don't know why that thing is there." I swallowed hard. "Then, that letter is all messed up. You can only read my name. Maybe someone wrapped it up and threw it there."

His eyes narrowed and he brought his face closer to mine. I held my breath. I stepped back and fanned myself with my own hand. This man! Why is he getting so close? I'm not comfortable with his stare!

I smiled fakely and averted my gaze. "Uh, who are you again?"

"Engineer Lyndon, Miss."

I frowned and looked at his face. I glanced at him from head to toe. He didn't look like an attorney or a policeman. Then he confessed that he's an Engineer so why was he questioning me like I was the criminal?

"Rishell," he repeated.

He was annoying. I blinked and crossed my arms on my chest. "Why are you asking me, Engineer? I didn't do anything wrong!"

He stared at me for a few minutes before  he pulled something out from his pocket. Before my eyes, he revealed a necklace with a heart-shaped pendant. I swallowed and stared at it.

He handed it to me. "I guess it's yours."

I wondered if I should accept it or not. I didn't have much confidence in his face. Also, Arbor was near Baclayan and I didn’t know him. Maybe he was one of the criminals or the instigator of the massacres in Boljoon, and he was trying to frame me to cover up his crime.

"I've checked this necklace, and I've found your picture inside the pendat. So don't deny it," he added, voice was serious with a little hint of annoyance.

My forehead furrowed. I stared down at the familiar necklace.

Then I blinked. I remember that necklace. That's the necklace I gave to Levi. How did he get that necklace? I slowly reached my hand to him and snatched the necklace from his palm. "W-Who gave you this?"

Suddenly my cellphone rang in my pocket. "Excuse me," I said. I quickly pulled my phone out and answered the call. "Hello?" I glanced at Engineer Lyndon before averting my eyes.

"Joy, where are you? Kurt Vincent is looking for you." It was Mom's voice.

I closed my mouth. Kervy? What was he doing at home? I snorted. "Ma ... I'm still here at the Port."

"Go home."

"Alright."

I was about to end the call when Mama spoke, "Are you at the Port now? Is Mr. Davies there?"

"Mr. Davies?"

I heard Mama whisper, "Nevermind. Just come home."

"Okay."

I finally end the call and turned back to Engineer Lyndon. "Thanks for my necklace. But I need to go home." I draw a breathe. "I had nothing to do with the massacre there in Boljoon, so don't accuse me, Mister Lyndon."

He shrugged and smiled. "It's nice to know you, Miss Larica."

"Uh." I looked at the door of Dad's office. "He'll be here soon."

"I can wait."

I turned to him again. He was just staring at me so I couldn’t help but wince. "You're staring too much." I cleared my throat. "Just wait for Papa here then ..." Then I looked around. "And don't steal anything. Just try and you'll regret it."

He laughed. I was shaken and walked out of the office. The salty air of the sea breeze gently hit my face.

The second floor of the Larica building was an open area. It was facing the sea so the blue ocean will greet anyone who'll leave Dad's office.

It was three o'clock in the afternoon so the sun was hanging lowly in the horizon. Orange streaks dominated the afternoon sky and I saw some kingfishers playing above the waves.

I smiled. I quickly went down the stairs and out of the Larica building. I plan to take a walk on the dock first to relieve my stress today.

Honestly, I just went through the Port to hide the books and merchandise I had bought earlier from my mother. Mama really doesn't want me to buy things I don't need so I hide those items in the room next to Papa's office.

It's safer there and Papa doesn't go in there. He is too busy. Also, he gave me that room as my shelter whenever I'll go visit the Port.

And ... Dad knows I buy such things but he doesn't interfere as long as I don't do illegal drugs.

I even laughed when he said that. I was not an addict. I was just a fangirl of Vine and Ara Taliman.

Vine was the best band I've ever met, and Ara was the best erotic author in the world!

In fact, I was a member of Vinepress, Vine's fan club. Then I joined Talimaners, Ara's fan club.

It's a pity. I didn’t buy a limited edition shirt of Vinepress and Ara’s newly released book series.

There was a woman who fought with me at the merchandise store in SM, and I didn't get the last slot in the book series order. That's because of the reprimanding visitor of Ara's website. I fought with her because she was bashing my idol!

Fortunately, I joined Vine's Argao tour. There I gave Levi the necklace but surprisingly, that suspicious Engineer Lyndon got it.

I frowned, pulled the necklace from my pocket and held it tightly. Why did it end up in the hands of that Engineer?

Did Levi knew Lyndon and my idol gave it to that weird Engineer? I shook my head. No. Levi had no friends other than his bandmates so it was impossible for the two to know each other.

So... how did this necklace end up with Lyndon?

I stopped walking and looked ahead. I was at the dock. At the end was a small boat. I walked along the dock while entertaining myself with the kingfishers in the distance.

If only Tiden were here ... I sighed. They were like stars, close yet so far away. Even though they were my friends, but I was not an opportunist. I didn’t want to use our friendship to get close to Levi.

Also, I had been with them for several months before they got the spotlight they've dreamt about.

I lit up my phone and looked at the wallpaper. That's Levi's hair. I couldn't even see his face in the picture because he was looking at the other side. Hay ... that was the price of being a fangirl.

It's my luck if the idol noticed me, but it was really once in a blue moon.

I put down my phone and watched the sun set in the west. The sunset was beautiful and the salty air was a bit chilly.

I softly smiled at the beautiful horizon. That day was really tiring. I had been through examination week and luckily, the exam that day was not that gruesome and it was just half-day. My brain had been burnt out since day one of examination week.

So after I ate lunch earlier, I traveled over here. I visited the Ayala Center in the Cebu Business Park which was also located here in Cebu City. Then, I headed straight here to Dad’s fishing Port.

I inhaled the breeze when it blew gently on my face. I want to relax here at the dock before going to the South Bus Terminal near the E-Mall, to take a bus back to Boljoon.

I opened my cellphone and stared at Levi’s picture in my gallery. My collection was almost a hundred, purely stolen at their concerts. What’s more depressing, there wasn’t even a single picture of him facing my camera.

When I searched for his pictures on the internet, it was purely sideview and facing away from the camera. To others, it may seem weird but, for me Levi is dangerously sexy.

He was very mysterious. I did a background check but only those private websites held his personal information. And even though he was a former student of CTU-Argao, no one knows what his past was. Even Tiden and June didn't know where Levi came from. I didn't have access to the Registrar because I was just a student there.

"I love you," I whispered to his picture. I bit my lip. "You're handsome. I should talk to you. You gave the necklace to that Lyndon. You even let him read the letter that was exclusive to you. But even though I felt betrayed, you're still my number one."

I smiled as I touched the screen where his sideview picture was displayed. Suddenly, I heard some voices in the distance.

"P***! Levi! Give me the key to the cottage!"

"Ariel! Don't run to the dock!"

"Tiden!"

"Stop it, Vine!"

My insides curled up. Did I hear it right? Someone shouted Vine?

I felt something passed behind me. My gaze followed those running men. At first, I didn't recognize their faces, but when they turned around and ran towards my direction, I was out of breath.

I was not hallucinating, right? The Vine was there in the dock? But what were they doing here ---

The man who wore shades and leading the group was running closer and closer to me. His built was more than familiar. Suddenly, he shouted. "Move aside!"

I was even more stunned when I heard his voice. "L-Levi?"

When he was close, he deliberately pushed me aside so he would not run me over, but I was surprised that I lost my balance. "Ah!"

I let go of the cellphone I was holding.  It fell straight into the water. I even heard the water splashed!

Someone grabbed my hand so that I would not fall into the sea. I looked at Levi in ​​shock. He was holding my hand, and with a little push I would really fall into the side of the dock, straight into the sea!

"I have your cellphone, dude!" someone shouted behind Levi and pushed him ahead.

My eyes widened when Levi also lost his balance. He pulled me closer to his body and we both fell into the sea.