A WARNING MEMO

A beautiful Sunday evening it is, but aside from this beautiful house and the serene environment outside, everything else is grotesque. I am a nervous wreck right now. The plan Paul suggested is kind of not so promising, in my opinion. Forgive my strong urges toward negativity, but I think these people are underestimating this monster way too much. However, since Paul promised no one would get hurt, I will play along, but I have my own plan, and only Mayleen knows. I hope she won't rant about me to her boyfriend, because he will surely rant it out to Deep. When it comes to Ejay, you don't just need a single plan if you don’t want to have regrets in the end. You need plans. There are lots of well-calculated plans.

Deep's parents are on their way, and the worst part is that Paul and Mayleen had to leave to go get the evidence they have and for Mayleen to meet her parents. Fortunately, Paul kept them where Ejay couldn't trace them. Didn't I tell you these two are just so sweet? I'm crossing fingers for them not to face any obstacles on their way to Mayleen's parents or in their relationship. They deserve happiness. As for me, well, I will be in this quagmire for a while, but not forever.

I grab my phone from the bed and decide to walk out to join Deep. I don't know how his parents will react to seeing me here, and I wouldn't have agreed to be part of that meeting. But Deep isn't any less nervous, and he pleaded on his knees with me to be there. For all he has done for me since two weeks ago, when we first met, I had no heart to refuse. However ironic it may seem, I will be there, seated right beside him. That's what friends are for, right? Being there for each other all the time.

Walking out of my room, I notice a green light on my phone, and I unlock it. Today, I kicked my fears aside and opened the internet. Everything is about Gia Wilson. All media stations and platforms are focusing on these two past incidents, which have left the country shaken. A lot of questions have arisen, but none have an answer yet. I have all the answers, but I know better than to open my mouth now, because Ejay will start the deadliest war the nation will ever have in ages to come. So I will let the guilt eat me until tomorrow. Tomorrow is when the countdown for Ejay's downfall will start ticking, and I will be there to witness every freaking bit of it all. Vow!

I unlock the phone, and I tremble with fear after seeing the name on display. It's a photo from Ejay. Talk of the devil! What kind of photo could Ejay send me? And why try to communicate with me just now? As I hesitate to open the photo, a message pops in from him, which drains all the energy in me, making my bones screech as they tremble. "She is next if you don't talk to me in the next 48 hours." The message read:

With shaky hands, I quickly opened the photo.

"No. No. No." I cover my mouth with my hand. "Not Grace. No, please God!" My poor sister

She looks so tired. Defeated. Hopeless. The black and red scars on her face are the ones worrying me the most.

That monster! How necessary was the beating? She looks like she has been tortured, not just today but for days or months. I will get you from that monster, sissy. I will not let that monster hurt you again. Whatever happens, I will see you before the end of the 48 hours. Ejay.

I walk down the stairs, lost in the image of my elder sister suffering at the hands of Ejay. When I look up, I find Deep's parents already settled at the dining area, and I stop at the stairs, contemplating whether to join them or not, but Deep saw me before I could make up my mind. He signals for me to join them, and I start my way to where they are, head hunched down because the four eyes are on me.

"Greetings, sir, ma'am!" I humbly greet them when I reach them, taking a seat beside Deep, right across his parents. They look so young for their age, I must say.

"Greetings." They answer together.

"Okay, Gia, meet my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Azzua De’Mario. Mom, dad, this is Gia Wilson." He says so, and we exchange a few pleasantries before they resume their important discussion.

It's so difficult to be in this situation. They are discussing the catastrophic incident that occurred in their hotel, while I, who is responsible for that, am seated right across them. I feel like I am mocking them. I feel so uneasy and restless, more so because Deep's mother is throwing me some not-so-friendly glares. I can't blame her, though. He is their only child, and the duty of a parent is to protect their children from any possible harm or danger. I myself knew from the beginning that I wasn't good at being around him. I was a threat to him, and Ejay has done an excellent job of proving me right.

"Alright son. But do everything you can to speed up the investigation, because if we don't get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, son, our image will be stained. We will have a very big problem if this doesn't get resolved." His father says it calmly, but the worry is detectable in his deep voice.

"We trust you with this son. And I am sorry to inform you that the board has called for an emergency meeting tomorrow at ten." His mother says it with her sweet Indian accent.

"I understand, mom. I will be there," Deep says.

"Okay son. On to the next issue." His mother speaks once again, and Deep tenses. I guess what this subject will be about, and I know how difficult it is for him to do this. So I move my hand to his thigh, where his hand is moving up and down, and I grab it, intertwining our fingers. "The wedding preparations are coming along just perfect. So, you and Alia should relax and concentrate on your parts, okay?"

"Aah..about that mother..I." he pauses to take a deep breath while his parents look at each other.

"What is it, Deep?" His mother quizzes, but Deep just stares at her. I squeeze his hand under the table, and he looks at me. I nod my head at him, and I know his parents can sense that we are communicating.

"You know what, son? Just forget it. I know you are nervous about your wedding, but relax. Everything will turn out just perfect, you will see. Actually, I want to take this opportunity to invite Gia to perform at your wedding. Can you fix us somewhere, my dear? Please?" She is pleading with me. But what do I say? I would be pleased to grant her request, but...

"Forgive me, mother. I'm sorry, mom and dad. I will have to disappoint you again. A second time! You won't be becoming grandparents yet again." They all look at him in bewilderment, their eyes filled with numerous questions.

I also look at him because, again? A second time? What does he mean by that? The shame and guilt in his eyes saddens me, and so I look away. He can't hide it, and he can't deny it either. He is still feeling guilty for what Alia did.

"I don't get you, son. What exactly do you mean? We have sent all the invites, and the preparations are almost done. So what are you saying?" He heard the deep voice of his father.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put you through this. I was so ashamed to face you; that is why it took me so long to tell you this." All ears and eyes are on him as he breaks the news that tore the hearts of his parents into pieces. "There will be no wedding. Alia doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. She didn't want us to wed so soon. She left." Silence has befallen us for ages.

Maybe his parents are waiting to wake up from what they think is a dream—a horrible dream. They don't have just a hotel to rebuild, some compensation to do, but also the humiliation of canceling their son's wedding. Poor family.

"What the heck is happening?" His mother brats out. She is deeply thunderstruck and shaken.

"Don't worry, mom. I will take care of it. It's my mess. I will handle it. I'm sorry."

"Have you tried talking to her? I'm sure she will listen to you. She loved you, son." She says.

"Maybe she did, mom. But not anymore. It's been four weeks now since she left. I have gone by every single day wishing and hoping that she will reconsider because I didn't want to see you devastated. But I have to face what it is. She is gone. The wedding will not hold." Deep says.

"Take it easy, son. Maybe the pressure was too much on her side, and that was the only way she knew how to handle it. Maybe she will return, son, and you two will patch things up." His father comforted him.

"But I can't just fold my arms and wait when there is no sign that she will return, father. The embarrassment will be too much if I put this on hold any longer. I will take care of the cancellation of the wedding."

"Do what you think is right, son. We trust you." His mother nods her head, and Deep nods too, faking a very weak, small smile that doesn't last a sec. "Okay, let's have a small talk. You and I." His dad adds

"Sure." I let go of his hand, and they excused themselves to have the man-to-man talk on the balcony.

"So, Gia." His mother calls after the gentlemen disappear from our sight, and I turn to her, fear consuming me.

"Ma'am?" I call.

"How long have you known my son?"

"Two weeks, ma'am." I say it without hesitation.

"Are you sure?" She suspiciously asks

"Yes, ma'am. Why?" I hope she does not have any absurd ideas in her head.

"Nothing. Just asking, and I won't like it if you are lying to me." That sounds like a threat. A harmless one, though. Or maybe something I really need to take seriously. But I have not lied to him.

"I have no reason to lie to you, ma'am. You can confirm with your son if you don't believe me." I say.

"No need. Listen, I have nothing against you, Gia. Believe me. I hate what is happening to you, okay? I honestly hope that the mystery surrounding you gets solved soon so you can have peace of mind. No one deserves to go through all these." She says.

"Thank you, ma'am. I…"

"However," huh? What now? "My duty as a mother is to protect my son. He is my only child. The only thing his father and I have Without him, our lives, all the wealth we have, even the Azzua tittle, are all useless. I won't say anything for now, but if it comes to a point where Deep's life will be put at risk because of you, Gia, I will have to ask you to stay far away from him." She sounds dead serious. There is a tinge of gentleness in her voice or glare.

Here is the irony, ma'am. I have put his life at risk once. No, twice, but it won't have to get to that point because tomorrow I am getting out of your son's life. I want to protect him more than you can imagine.