Chapter 23 The Devil in the Place

Wiping her tears with her palm, she composed herself to face the guy. She had no idea who the man was, but judging by his appearance, he sure looked like someone who needed some help.

"My car broke down a few meters away from here. You can see it from here, actually. There!" he explained, pointing his finger at his back. There was a hazard signal to where his car was parked.

"W-where were you supposed to go?"

"I was supposed to head to Pangasinan but yeah, things happened in the middle of the drive. I have an urgent matter to attend to tomorrow. Would you mind if I come along?"

Thera hesitated. Fraudsters circulated around the town these days pretending to be helpless, but little do they know, a hidden intention lies ahead. Worse, it could lead to potential harm. However, she couldn't seem to leave the man in the middle of the road. The temperature in Baguio City was much colder right now, considering the bad weather condition.

"I'll drop you off at Pangasinan," she finally said.

The guy's face brightened, and he immediately hopped in the car. When he had finally settled in the front seat, she turned the engine on.

He was freaking wet. "I'm sorry. I am dripping in your car,"

She didn't say anything.

"My brother-in-law was on his way to tow the car back there," he continued talking. She still remained quiet.

"I have a seminar to attend tomorrow, so I'm in a hurry. I am Top, by the way. How about you?"

"Thera," out of courtesy, she answered.

As much as she wanted some space to herself, it seemed like the circumstance wasn't in her favor. Who would have thought that she would be spending a two-hour drive with this stranger beside her? As if there's something she could do about it anyway.

Since she poured all her attention to the road, she didn't see the man's constant glimpses on her. Her car wasn't tinted, so Top saw her sobbing and curling up in the steering wheel. He thought she almost looked suicidal, but he only knew nothing. However, he was sure that he saw the agony and distress in her eyes. And so, instead of borrowing a jack, he chose to hitch a hike with her.

"Where are you from, Thera? I mean, do you live here in Baguio?"

She nodded. "I work in Manila,"

The man nodded his head, stretching out a smile. "I was lucky enough meeting someone else here, Thera. Whenever there is a storm here in Baguio, you will be the first person that would appear in my mind,"

She smiled unknowingly.

Sean's forehead creased upon realizing that Thera's car was no longer in the villa's solar. He just saw it a little while ago before driving his pickup earlier that morning. He pulled up his car in front of his house. He turned to the backseat to take the bags of food he purchased for them and rushed into the villa. Her car was no longer there, which implied that she had probably left, but he was somewhat hoping she was still inside.

"Thera…" he called, looking up the stairs under the staircase. He couldn't hear anything but the echo of his voice.

"Where are you?" he mumbled to himself. Did Thera already head back to Manila?

He heaved out a sigh as he began to step upstairs until he reached the room where Thera was occupying last night. His nervousness intensified; he could almost hear his own heartbeat. With a sigh, he twisted the doorknob and clicked the door open to confirm himself. To his dismay, the room was empty.

Sean forgot to inform the caretaker that he was coming into the villa and so there was no stock of food in the kitchen. Sure, he was able to drop by at the nearest convenience store but only to buy a bottle of wine. As much as he wanted to stay beside her until she woke up, he still rushed to the store to buy something they could eat. On Top of that, he wasn't sure if she had eaten last night either. He wanted to cook something for her—for the first time.

He was on his way home when his car broke in the middle of the drive. He needed someone else's help just to move it aside. He tried calling Thera many times to let her know where he was, but her phone was off. It took him hours before he was able to fix the damn car.

He grabbed his phone from his jacket. Then, he dialed Thera's phone number as quickly as he could. The word "Babe" popped up on his screen and pressed on it. He clicked his tongue when her phone was still out of coverage. Frustrated, he slid his phone back in and decided to come downstairs. By the time he reached the living room, the caretaker of the villa had already arrived.

"Have you seen Thera, Miss?" he asked.

"Yes, I have. She left about half an hour ago. I tried to stop her since the weather was not doing well, but she was persistent. Also, it seemed like she was in a hurry," the caretaker explained.

Jesus! He cursed inwardly.

How could she drive this early? Aside from that, it wasn't safe to go yet, knowing how bad the weather condition was. Sean was worried sick. He was stomping to and from thinking about it. The rain was still pouring, and he knew for sure that the road would be twice as dangerous now. Roads covered with mud made the pathway extra slippery. He stormed out of the villa and raced towards his pickup car as fast as he could. He turned his engine on and drove through, heading down towards the private road. He drove quickly, almost exceeding the speed limit. He needed to find Thera right away.

Unfortunately, fate seemed to oppose Sean's yearning. Thera was hiding away from him. He failed to find her until he went back to America after three months.

It was December 2015 when she returned. Thera had changed a lot. It was as though she had transformed into a different person, far from the one he used to know a long time ago.

----END OF FLASHBACK-----

November 1, 2019 (PRESENT TIME)

The Palace Mall and Hotel

When Thera arrived, the driver pulled to a stop right at the entrance. She told the taxi driver to drop her off at the famous mall as soon as she took off the bus earlier. After paying the driver, she finally took off the cab. Thera looked up at the high building of The Palace Mall and Hotel. Satisfied, she inhaled deeply and smiled.

Picking up her traveling bag, she hung it onto her shoulder and marched towards the revolving door. The mall was closed since it was a holiday.

She unzipped her bag once she reached the entrance. Two uniformed security personnel scanned her bag. She saw how they exchanged glances at each other the moment they stared at her intently. After the checking, she expressed her gratitude before moving forward. She tapped her phone screen, and the clock read four sharp in the afternoon. She was sure that Yumi was still in the vice president's office.

She tried ringing Laida's phone, but instead, her niece answered the call. Her personal assistant was currently on leave. Nonetheless, she continued walking and headed towards the information desk. The assigned receptionist of the day greeted her with a wide smile. There was no hint of recognition in her eyes as she formally acknowledged her arrival.

She looked like a different person now, that was certain. No one recognized her the moment she entered the vicinity. Thera was wearing a white shirt printed with 'never say die' in bold letters and a pair of denim jeans. Also, instead of stilettos, she was wearing sneakers. Her long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her lips used to be highlighted with red shade were now bare.

"How may I help you, ma'am?" the receptionist greeted her.

She was about to say something when someone held her hand all of a sudden. It almost made her jump in utter surprise. She glanced over her shoulder. She gulped hard, seeing Sean right next to her. Before she could react, the man tugged her hand and led her to the exclusive elevator of The Palace. Even if she wasn't looking, she knew that the two receptionists followed them with their eyes. They only recognized Sean except her.

Sean was still holding her hand when they reached the elevator. The employees turned their heads, and their eyes landed on her hand, which was still intertwined with Sean's.

Just in time, the elevator slid wide open. Sean pulled her in, his hand still gripping her tightly.

"I'm sorry, but please take the next lift," his voice implied authority as he spoke to the employees standing outside the lift. He immediately pressed the button, not waiting for them to respond.

Thera took back her hand as soon as the door slid closed. If he was planning to stop her, she had no plan to force him.

"What are you doing here?"

She had no idea how he was able to follow her there. She was sure that he was still asleep when she left the villa. It was as though he flew his way there just to stop her from entering The Palace.

Sean turned to face her. Uncertainty swept over her the moment she saw the relief in his eyes as he stared at her closely.

"Have you been well? Are you still in pain?"

Her forehead creased. Did he just follow after her without hesitation just because he was concerned about her?

"I took pain reliever earlier today," she answered. "Why are you here?"

"I don't think you're ready yet, Thera. Wait until you get all your memories back. You have no idea what kind of people you're going to deal with in the company,"

"It doesn't matter. You know I can't just stay in the villa forever just to wait for my memories to crash back to me. If you're not going to help me for that matter, then let me do this on my own," her voice cracked, but she tried to keep her voice calm. "I need to get to know myself further. I need answers as to why people hate me that much. If I can't find the answers to you and back in the villa, then maybe I can grasp the answers here!"

"You won't survive a day here, Thera. All the employees here..." he paused mid-sentence. It was as though he was trying to choose the right term to say just to refrain from hurting her.

"What? Hate me? If I deserve it, then, who am I to complain?"

The elevator chimed as it landed on the eighth floor. Thera stepped out of the lift and spun on her heels to face Sean. The door slowly slid shut, leaving her husband behind. He was staring at her, his gaze troubled and confused. The worry was evident in his eyes. If not, then he will not chase after her. He was worried about what could happen to her considering that her memories were still wiped out.

It was not just because they were once married, nor was he held accountable for her sake. She felt something beyond that. There had to be a reason why.

What was it, Sean? What have you done to me that you were so afraid to give trust? Do you really think I won't forgive you at all? Those were questions she wanted to ask him but could not find the courage to do so.

Love wins, they'd say. But what if your significant other no longer wants to fight? Winning the battle was rather impossible.

She was feeling mixed emotions. Disheartened, anxious, and relieved. The first one overpowered, for she knew that Sean no longer wanted to take a risk for her.

Thera looked down on the floor as soon as the elevator shut. With a heavy heart, she started picking up her pace, unsure where to go next. Her feet dragged her into the restroom. She stood on the corner and slowly lifted her head to look in the mirror. Her reflection was unrecognizable. However, she knew that it was part of her character. She forced herself to recall about her past, channeling her previous self. She needed to know every single thing. Otherwise, she will die living her life with broken pieces.

Thera blinked when the restroom burst open. Two women in uniform accommodated themselves in. She was sure they were the employees of the hotel.

"The Palace's anniversary is set to come in the next few days. I couldn't get any more excited!" the other lady opened up.

Her mind lost track. She just recalled what Laida had told her- that she needed to get her memories back before the day comes.

"What's exciting about it?" the other one opposed, scanning her bag to pull out her makeup kit. "Vice Devil will attend the party. There's no way in hell you can enjoy the night with her presence around,"

She froze to the ground. Her gaze shifted to the woman who was applying foundation powder all over her face. She was scowling, and hatred was evident in her face as she said those words.

"Why does she even have to come back anyway? She could have just stayed under the ground where she was hiding from. The company had become a lot better without her presence," she continued, her voice clearly implying outrage. "Did you notice how the advertising and operations schemes got approved right away without her? She just wanted all of us to suffer; that's what it is,"

"She had gone through a bad patch for quite some time perhaps. I'd probably act the same way if the love of my life wanted to get our marriage annulled. Just try to imagine what we could have felt if we go through the same thing,"

The woman scoffed. "With that kind of unpleasant attitude she had? I doubt she's really capable of loving someone," she folded her arms, turning her back on the mirror to get her point across. "She doesn't have a heart. Look at what happened to our senior marketing consultant. That devil's mistreatment caused her to resign from the company last month. Mrs. Rose was the breadwinner of her family. On top of that, she had a child with special needs. Just imagine how difficult it was for her to file a resignation letter just because she can't swallow the mishandling she was getting any longer,"

Her head stooped down in shame, feeling so small. Sean was right. She probably won't survive a day in The Palace. Her day had barely even started yet, but she felt like her heart was about to tear apart.

"That's why I understand why Sir Sean was so eager to put an end to their relationship. She had grown horn over time, and she was becoming more and more difficult to deal with. No husband could ever—"

The door rammed open before she could continue her rant. They all turned to the door.

Thera wasn't sure who among them got more surprised seeing Sean right in front of the door. The two ladies huddled at each other when he rushed into the ladies' room.

"Sir. W-were just…" the woman who was talking a lot earlier attempted to reason out.

However, Sean walked past them. Instead, his steps were speeding directly towards her spot. He was staring at her eyes. Thera could not stop the pounding of her heart inside her chest. It was as though she's going to melt to the ground seeing him carrying the serious look on his face.

"Does the offer still stand?"

She swallowed, feeling disoriented. "W-what offer?"

"I want to be your husband again,"

His words rendered her speechless. Even the two ladies were unable to shake the surging tension in a small-spaced room as they watched them in utter disbelief.