Song of Torment

Chapter Eight

Chapter 8: The memory of our happiness

"Hey, Love," I greeted her and tried to kiss her but she turned her face away from me so I only got to kiss her in the chek.

"Hmmm. Someone's grumpy," I said before heading straight to my room to change my clothes where she also follow me.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"At work. Where else? Also I had a meeting with some members of the gang which happens to be here."

I took off my business attire and wore a jogging pants.

"Ahhh. I didn't know that the gang already have a female member now. And also your meeting includes a lunch date."

I stop when I’m about to put on my shirt and look at her. And there I saw how the frown in her face to something else as she looks at my face down to my chest, to my abs. I can't help but grin on her reaction and the desire I see in her eyes. She closes her eyes and then look at me in the eyes again.

"I saw you with a girl this afternoon. I called you and asked what you’re doing but you lied to me! You said you're going to meet your clients but then I saw you on a restaurant near the building you work at. You’re laughing with a girl!”

Her tears are streaming down her face so immediately went to her to hug her but instead she pushed me and even kick me!

"Don't touch me! Just go and be with your lover!"

Cassidy and I have been dating for 2 years now. Ever since that day when she opened the door for me and I said how much I love her, we started going out. Then a month after, we became official.

She’s always jealous but I always fine her cute whenever she's jealous. Mostly she get jealous to the wrong girls. I also never got the chance to introduce her to my parents because she doesn’t want to go back to the Philippines. When I ask her why and if she doesn't miss her Tito Max, she will dodge my questions and open a new topic. Well, Tito Max always visit us at least once a month.

"I already told you before that if ever you will find someone else, don’t let this relationship grew into something deeper. Let’s end it immediately so we won’t end up hurting and hating each other. It’s better that way than to cheat on me," she cried harder.

I’m trying my best not to laugh out loud again because she might punch me or kick me again. But I guest she already notice.

"Now you're laughing? Are you enjoying seeing me like this? Hurting?!"

"Love," I called her as I try to hug her again but then, there it goes. She punched me. "s**t!" I guess teaching her martial arts is really a bad idea.

"I told you not to touch me! Let’s break up!"

My eyes widen.

"That's my sister!" I blurted out. "She handles the finance department of our company that's why she's here. I need her here. That's my sister, Love!"

"Stop lying! You’re always making excuses on all the girls I’ve seen you with! At first it was your cousin. And then your niece. Then the last time is your childhood friend which is a transgender who is sexier and much beautiful than me! Now it’s your sister?! Are you sh*ting me?!"

I sigh and get my wallet. Fron there I took my picture when I was a teenager with Rhyme who is holding my hand with a poker face while looking at the camera. There’s even a letter on the back written by my Uncle Crystol, Mom’s twin brother. It was shot when Rhyme and I went on a vacation to their private island.

"Here," I gave it to her.

"How would I know if that's her?"

I took another picture from my wallet. It was Rhyme’s elementary graduation and my highschool graduation. Our graduation happen on the same date so we had a chance to take a picture together wearing our graduation gown. There's also a letter behind the picture. The letter is written by Rhyme for me while I also gave her a picture of us, which is our creative shot for that grad-pic with a letter also on the back.

"Do you believe me now?" I ask and she nod but keep her head down. I walk in front of her to make her look at me and kiss her.

"Sorry," she said.

"Not enough," I complained so this time she’s the one who kissed me. I deepen the kiss before she can even pull away. I grab her nape and kiss her deeper.

"Matt," she said as she catch her breath when I pulled away.

"You're the only woman I love, Cassie. Even if other girls will strip naked in front of me, you’ll still be the only girl I’ll ever love."

She looked at me. Still not convinve.

"Really? You’ll not desire them or lust over them?"

"Well..." I hesitated.

I keep my mouth shut and just look at her. That’s when she pulled away from my embrace and went out of the room. She was about to go out of the apartment when I stop her. I grab her hand and made her look at me.

"Well I might look at her body and admire it but that won't change my feelings. My feelings for you are stronger than any lust in this world. I love you, okay? You’re the only woman I desire”

That made her blush so she just hug me to hide her face.

-

"Matt," Ethan called me.

It's been two weeks since I last talked to Cassie. Ethan is doing job I asked him to do but he was having a hard time looking on Cassie’s records where she was admitted when she lost our child. Tap on the other hand is also having a hard time finding that Aldrin. This is all new to us. It was always easy for Ethan to hack other’s database and to Tap to find someone. Which also makes my suspicion that there's something off on Cassie’s disappearance years ago.

When I fought Cassie, I could say she's really strong. Rhyme or even Ryle won’t be able to defeat her. And I think it will also be hard for Ethan to win a fight over her. She has the strength and power that only Liam can do. She can really put a fight against me.

"I got it," Ethan said that got my attention

"What?"

"I got her record from the hospital and also from the Blue Note."

I immediately walk towards him and get the folder on his hand.

"The reason why you lost your baby, it's not because of some car accident, Matt," he said and sigh. "Before the car accident happened, she already lost the baby. She was tortured. She had two broken ribs. A major injury in her left hand. And after some investagation, they found out that she lost the baby because she was kicked and punched on her stomach over and over again."

"...This happens because of you. It's all because of you, Matt!"

"Who did this to her?"

"No one knows. I think she pleaded her doctor not to tell anyone the real reason why she lost her baby that's why all you know is she had an accident. Also the police didn't catch whoever did that to her. I even hack their database but there was no record about it."

Ethan turn the pages and stop on the Blue Note Company's files.

"The Blue Note is owned by Louie Taylor. He was the one who brought Reigan in the hospital. I ask Tap to look into his records and it says that Cassie stayed with him while she was in LA. Also according to Blue Note's files, Cassie is their weakest artist. She has beautiful voice but she always lack in emotion and connection. She also can't play any musical instruments for months because of her injury. But when her injury healed, the first instrument she held is the piano. It was Louie who taught her how to play it. And when she started singing while she plays the piano, she became their best artist."

I closed the folder and turned away. I just stared into the city which can be seen into the glass window of my office.

"She had a hard time just like you," he said and gave me another folder. "That's Aldrin's files."

I opened it and started reading the content.

"He's been missing for about a year. Then his body was found in the ocean. His leg is tied on a rock so his body didn’t resurface on the water. Some divers found his body."

"How did he died?"

"A bullet was found in his skull which they assumed the reason of his death."

I run my fingers harshly on my hair. They manage to gather a lot of information but these informations just made me more uneasy!

The day Cassie left, she left with Aldrin. She's with Aldrin! Then a day after, Liam got kidnapped and found dead in an abandon building. Cassie didn't even showed up into his brother's interment. I just found her three months after in the hospital.

Knowing all this shits, maybe she's with her brother the night before Liam died. The reason of her not coming to his interment, maybe because she's still in the hands of the kidnappers.

I immediately get my coat and car keys.

"Ask Tap to know where Cassie's house. I'm sure she's not living with her Tito Max," I told Ethan. I always visit Tito Max and I know how much he misses her niece so Cassie is surely not staying in his house.

"Already done." Tap entered my office and gave me piece of paper containing an address. My eyebrows furrowed when I recognized that address.

"Are you sure this is her address?" I asked Tap and he just nod at me. "But.."

I just chose not to say another word and left.

I drove as fast as I can. When I reach the house, I saw a little boy playing in the frontyard. My heart beats faster. The gate is open so I come near him.

"Who are you?" he asked. He even has an accent.

"Hi. I'm Matthew. How about you?"

Before he can even answer, someone called him.

"Ros! Where are you?"

I stand up and wait for her to come out. Just the sound of her voice makes my heart go crazy. After 9 years she still has the same effect on me.

"Frontyard, Mama Rei!" the child shouted.

"Your mo-"

She wasn’t able to finish what she’s about to say when she saw me.

"Someone name Matthew is here, Mama. Who is he?"

I look at the boy name Ros. He looks like the boy version of Cassie.

"Get inside, Ros," she told the boy which he followed.

"I didn't know you had a child. How old is he?" I asked.

"Turning 10," she answered making my heart beats faster. “But he’s-”

"Rei, who’s there?"

I turned my gaze to the woman behind her. I’m already expecting to meet her her.

"Heiz," I said with a sarcastic grin. Shock is written all over her face.

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