Chapter 16

Maria froze at her feet when she heard her name. Did he know her? But how? Nobody has seen her face as a Magdalene, except Demi and Boss Doppy, the rest on the club didn't know her, even her real name.

But this man in front of her, spoke her name as if she was someone he hasn't seen in years. Maria stepped back. Who is he? And why did he know her name?

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice was surprisingly steady despite the fear and shock she was experiencing. "Did you know me?"

The man lowered his gun and started to walk closer to her. "Maria…? Is that… Is that you?"

Maria's heart almost skipped a beat. That voice… Her knees started to shake. It couldn't be…

"Maria—"

"Don't come near me!" she shouted and wrapped the coat around her nakedness. "Who are you? Did they send you to kill me?"

The man stopped walking. "Kill you?"

"Who are you?!" She shrieked and covered her face. "Who are you?"

Gunshots and screams from the outside continue, but Maria doesn't care about it anymore. She has to know who this man is and why he knew her. For six years of hiding, Maria struggled to maintain her identity hidden. She agreed to join Boss Doppy's list of dancers in a condition that they will protect their identity and let her use the mask while performing. That's why it's impossible that somebody could know her name aside from the closest persons around her unless this man is part of the group that she escaped before.

And, this meant death for Maria and for her daughter Sara.

"Maria, what happened to you?" The man asked her. The concern in his voice was giving her unbearable pain inside her chest. "Maria—"

"Who are you?!" She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Who are you?"

The man stopped but didn't bother to speak. He just stood there, staring at her as if she's an apparition that will diffuse in the air at any second. His eyes were giving her the kind of feeling that she forgot existed.

'Who is this man?' Maria asked herself. 'Why do I have this feeling as if I know him?'

"What happened to you, Maria…" he finally said. "Why? Why did you become like this?"

Maria watched the man as he slowly took the final steps between them. He raised his hand to reach her face, but she turned her head to the side to avoid his touch. "Stay away from me—"

"It's really you…" he whispered.

Maria glared at him. "If you wanted to kill me, do it now—"

The man clenched his fist. "What happened to you?!" he shouted and punched the wall. "Who did this to you, Maria?!"

Maria's tears fell on her cheeks. She remembered that voice quite well, but it couldn't be him. "Who… Who are you…?"

The man grabbed his hair and pulled it off his head. Maria watched him with wide eyes as he removed the fake musFredhe and facial hair from his jaw. When he looked at her, the tears have started to pool on his eyes.

Maria gasped and covered her mouth in shock. "No…" she shook her head. "It's not you—" Her voice cracked.

"Maria—"

"Don't call me by that name!" she shouted and cried.

Her chest hurt so much that she can't breathe. This man couldn't be the person that she knew, the only person that she trusted, but betrayed her. Maria pushed him away when she tried to hold her. She pushed her and cursed her until her throat hurts.

"Euclid…" Maria whispered between tears. "It's your fault…"

Euclid held her shoulders, and when she tried to sweep his hand away, he pinned her on the wall. "Who did this to you?"

She looked up at him and looked into his eyes. "You…" she said. "You did this to me—"

The door burst open, and two men in a suit walked inside the room, but they both stopped when they saw them.

"Agent Mercado, the whole club is covered," the guy behind the one wearing a tuxedo informed. "You can get out now, sir."

The one in a black tuxedo walked towards them. He held Euclid's shoulders and pulled him away from her, but he refused. "Euclid, you can't hurt her—"

"I'll take care of this tramp," he said and fixed the suit on her body.

Maria felt her heart was being shattered when Euclid called her a tramp. "You're… you're a cop?"

After securing, the suit is well-wrapped around her body. Euclid pulled out handcuffs from his back and placed her hands inside it. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you—"

"Wait, why do you have to put handcuffs—"

"You're caught in an illegal business," he said coldly. His voice suddenly changed. "We will detain you for the meantime until you get an attorney—"

"No! You can't do this, Euclid," she pulled her hand back, but Euclid held her hand tightly. "Please, let me go—"

"I will never let you go, Magdalene," he said, staring into her eyes. "Now that I found you again—"

"Euclid, we have to go now."

Maria turned to the man to plead for help, but she paused when she saw his face. This man is familiar to her.

"What?" the man asked. "Am I that handsome in your eyes?"

Euclid pulled her hands in handcuffs. "Let's go—"

"I-I can't go out like this…" she said and refused to walk. "They can't see my face… please, let me put on my mask."

Euclid smirked. "The mask of immoralities? You wanted to put it on again?"

"Please… Nobody has seen my face." Her voice broke, and tears fell on her cheeks again. "Nobody knew that it was me…"

"It's her right, dude." The man with the familiar face agreed. He removed his coat and put it over her head. "Why did you know him?"

Maria hesitated to answer his question. "He… He told me his name a while ago…"

Euclid smirked. "You're still good at creating lies, huh?"

"Euclid, I don't understand." The man groaned in confusion. "Do you know each other? Are you one of his women in the past?" he asked, pointing at her.

"Fuck off, Fred," Euclid said and pulled her hands again. "Let's go, I can't stay here longer."

Maria tried to walk, but her leg hurt. When Euclid dragged her hands again, she lost her balance and fell behind her. Maria wanted to cry, but she fought her tears.

"Euclid, what are you doing?!" The man named Fred rushed to her side and helped her to stand. "Are you okay?"

Maria nodded. Euclid pulled the handcuffs on her hand, making her squeal in pain.

"Euclid!" Fred stood and snatched her arm from him. "What's the matter with you? You're hurting her hands."

Euclid looked at her, and his eyes were speaking more than just a hateful word at her. For the first time in four years of being a prostitute, Maria felt dirty for herself.

***