Love or Vengeance

Chapter 5: The Heart's Canvas

Louise's POV

"Besty!!!" Emilie's voice echoed across the airport. I smiled as I walked toward her and gave her a hug.

"You're always on time—nothing's changed," I said.

"Of course! I could barely sleep when you told me you were coming. I was so excited I waited here for like two hours! Hahaha."

Two hours? Is that a joke? I looked at the backpack I was carrying and noticed her eyes drifted to it, too.

"That's all you brought?"

"Does someone running away carry a lot?" I joked, and we both laughed. "Let's stop by the mall—I need to buy some stuff."

"Sure," she said, and we headed straight to where her car was parked.

"Nice car," I said, admiring her black pickup truck.

"Thanks," she replied, even opening the passenger door for me. "Ford F-250 Platinum," she added, referring to the car model. "It was a gift from Dad for my birthday," she said once we were both inside.

More than thirty minutes later, we arrived at one of the biggest malls in Cebu.

"Wow," I breathed out as we entered. It was massive and truly beautiful.

"Did you forget to buy anything?" she asked me.

"I'm starving," I said, pouting.

"Alright, let's eat. But is it okay if we drop these off at the car first?" she gestured to our shopping bags, and I just nodded. After putting our purchases in the car, we headed straight to a restaurant.

I pulled out my compact powder, dabbing it lightly on my face, masking more than just a shine. Gotcha, I thought, my smile faint and calculated. From the moment I stepped out of the airport, I knew—someone was following me. I didn't see him at first, but I felt him. That lingering presence, too steady to be coincidence.

So, I played along, pretending not to notice.

He wore a black jacket and a baseball cap, trying too hard to disappear into the crowd. Tsk. He wasn't even that far—just standing there, watching. Unblinking.

I smirked, keeping my movements casual. What a beautiful welcome, I thought, my fingers tightening slightly around the compact. Let's see how long you last.

"You're already pretty," Emilie joked as she started browsing the menu. "What do you want?"

"Whatever tastes good," I said with a laugh.

"Everything tastes good to you, there's nothing that doesn't," she replied. She's right—I love food, and thankfully I don't gain weight easily, so I never have to diet just to maintain my figure.

She took the liberty of ordering for both of us, giving me the perfect chance to heighten my awareness. Three people were watching me from nearby—subtle, but not subtle enough. Their eyes lingered just a second too long.

Looks like I won't have to work too hard to find him, I thought. He already sent people to find me.

We ate happily while chatting about all sorts of things.

"Besty... can you drop me off at a hotel?" I asked her. I was surprised when she suddenly put her utensils down and crossed her arms.

"Who told you you're staying at a hotel?" goosebumps She's seriously scary when she gets like this. I wanted to laugh when her expression suddenly changed.

"I even went through the trouble of fixing up your room at my place!"

"Your house?"

"Why don't you want the house? Do you want a mansion instead?" She looked pitiful, like she was really worried—hahaha.

"Not really, but don't you live with your parents?"

"Oh, that... They're living in the US now, while I chose to stay here. I didn't want to live alone in the mansion, so I bought my own house and that's where I'm staying now," she explained at length. "Please don't stay in a hotel, Besty?"

"Alright."

"Really?"

"Hmmm... I thought since you're with your parents, I'd just stay at a hotel. You know I just ran away, so I'm probably avoiding your parents' questions."

After we finished eating, we went grocery shopping together for things she needed at her house.

"Louise, you know, all I see in your cart is just food."

"This is food for one week." I replied.

"Looks like it's for one month."

"No, it's not..."

"That's enough, come on," she said, holding my hand.

"Wait..." I stopped her. "I don't have cookies yet."

"What's that?" she pointed to the chocolate cookies in my cart.

"Just chocolate. Wait! Don't rush me, I haven't completed all our ice cream flavors yet," I pouted at her.

"Where do you even put all the food you eat?" she pointed to my stomach. "You don't get fat, but you eat like five people," then she laughed.

"I'll just stay at a hotel, at least no one will tease me there."

"Just kidding, Besty," she said as she gently rubbed my back. "You really can't take a joke... Come on, let's go finish getting all the flavors of ice cream and cookies and all the food we need to buy." She teased me playfully.

After we finished, we headed home. 'Sweet Ville' — that was the name of the village we entered. It was airy and surrounded by many trees. I saw different kinds of houses, probably only about a quarter the size of our mansion in Manila. The mansion where my father and brother were likely already ordering people to find me.

She parked her car in the parking space and we got out.

"Oh, this is yours?" she pointed to a neatly parked motorbike.

"Yup," I said proudly.

"Nice," she nodded while checking out my bike.

"Thanks... I only bought it last year. I had it delivered here by Christian."

"MV AGUSTA F4CC," she said, naming the model of my bike. "Let's go inside, Besty, or your ice cream might melt." She added

Her house is beautiful, with a parking space in front and a small garden. At the back was a small swimming pool. I couldn't help but admire the interior of her house.

"Don't you have any maids?" I asked when I noticed no one else was around except us.

"No, Besty, sorry. I don't want any... but if you want, I can ask the mansion to send a maid here."

"That's fine by me... it's better if it's just us. I don't want maids around either," I said.

They would only get in the way of what I planned to do. Emilie didn't know the real reason I was here. All she knew was that I came to help with her boyfriend's coffee shop and that I ran away from the arranged marriage.

"Come on, I'll show you your room." We went up to the second floor of her house. I saw four rooms; she said two were guest rooms she planned to turn into a music room and a mini theater room.

"Tada!" she said surprising me when she opened the door. And honestly I'm really surprise.

"Hey besty, do you like it?" she poked my cheek playfully.

"Huh? Hahaha, y-yes besty, it's beautiful." She really outdid herself.

"Thank you, besty! I'm glad you like it!" She hugged me tightly.

"Alright, you stay here for now. I still have to organize the stuff we bought."

"I'll help you," I offered, feeling a bit shy since most of the things were my food.

"I've got this," she pushed me inside.

"Enjoy your room, besty!" Then she closed the door.

I looked around my room and wanted to laugh out loud. There was a double-size bed with cherry blossom patterned sheets, blanket, and pillows. A small glass side table sat beside it, topped with a pink lampshade. There was a window seat with four pink throw pillows. A pink bean bag was placed in one corner.

What really surprised me earlier were the four pictures of me, neatly framed in 20R size and hung on the pink wall. The first picture showed me in a floral dress, smiling and looking at the camera. The second was me in a summer dress, talking on the phone. The third was me in a t-shirt and shorts, holding a teddy bear that Emilie gave me as a gift. The fourth was me wearing a two-piece outfit, covered lightly with a thin shawl.

I wanted to tell Emilie to take those down, but I felt shy and besides, I saw how much effort she put into it.

My room's terrace had a glass table and two wooden chairs facing each other. Then I checked the bathroom, which was completely pink.

I quickly organized my things in a closet—what color? Don't ask.

I took a shower and got dressed before going downstairs where Emilie was.

"Besty... can we go to that coffee shop you told me about?" I asked her while sitting at the counter, watching her cook.

"Hmmm... aren't you tired? You haven't rested since earlier."

"No... it's only 3 pm, so it would be a waste of time."

"I'll just finish this then we'll go." She replied.

"Okay... just call me when you're done," I said as I went upstairs and grabbed my laptop. I checked my email and immediately opened the files from Kiera.

Don Bernardo del Prado—he looked like a happily married man. In the photo, he was standing beside his wife and daughter. They looked good together... like a perfect family.

I quickly closed my laptop and slipped it back into my bag.

"Bestie, are you ready?" she asked as I opened the door.

"Wait, I just need to grab a jacket."

"Okay, I'll wait for you in the car."

I put on my jacket and made sure to lock the windows and the terrace door tightly. You never know—cockroaches might climb in. Those cockroaches had been lurking around for a while.

After about thirty minutes, we arrived at White and Black Café.

The place had a cozy vibe, almost like a home from the outside. As soon as you enter the gate, you'll see a small garden with wooden chairs and tables shaded by large trees. Half of the main lounge has glass walls, giving you a full view of the garden and the café's entrance. The coffee shop has an open kitchen design, and beside the counter is a display of various coffee beans.

There's Emilie on the second floor—that's where I'll be working, so we headed up right away. Like the main lounge, the seating upstairs was made up of sofas and glass tables. There was also a veranda, but instead of tables, all the benches faced the same direction.

I sat on one of the benches and watched the sun begin to set. Smart, I thought to myself. That's why all the benches faced that way—toward the sunset.

I unpacked the brushes, paints, mini ladder, and other supplies Emilie had bought for me before I came here. I took off my jacket and tied my hair up tightly. Then I studied the entire wall, imagining what I wanted to create. Emilie told me the best friend's mom is a nature lover.

Emilie helped me move the sofas and tables to one side. I began laying out newspapers all around to protect the floor from paint splatters. Judging by how much space I had to cover, I estimated I'd be working until dawn.

"Aren't you going to wear an apron, bestie?" she asked as she carefully set her "baby" down on the sofa. Her Pentax 645D camera—a gift from her dad and her pride and joy in photography. Though she owned a collection of the latest models, this "baby" was still her favorite.

"It'll just get in my way," I said, watching her prepare some food on the nearby table.

"Let's eat first."

"Where did all this come from?" I asked, curious.

"Didn't I cook earlier?" she asked. "I brought everything because I know how you are." As she continued setting down the food from her picnic basket, she added, "Once you start, you don't stop until it's finished."

"Oh, and I also brought extra clothes, snacks, and your ice cream, Besty—I put them in the fridge downstairs." She's been this caring ever since.

"Thank you, best friend," I said, unable to resist hugging her. "You always think of me."

"You're more than a best friend to me—you're like a sibling," she said sincerely as she opened a Tupperware filled with rice and dishes.

"Wow... food!" I drooled at the sight of chicken adobo with fried garlic.

"Hahaha!" Emilie laughed out loud, and we dug in.

We happily ate, and after we finished, we rested a bit while eating ice cream on the veranda of the coffee shop.

It was eight o'clock in the evening when I started painting, while Emilie was busy taking pictures of me. I just let her do her thing and kept painting.

At 5:27 AM, I put my signature at the bottom right corner of my work.

"Wow, it's so beautiful, Besty!" she clapped and said excitedly.

"Thank you, Besty," I smiled at her. She hadn't slept either, taking pictures here and there. Then feeding me or handing me whatever I needed while I was up on the ladder.

It was a 3D wall painting of two girls with their backs turned, holding hands beneath a Sakura tree, standing and watching the sunrise between two healthy, vibrant-colored mountains.

"If you really look at it, tell me what you feel when you see it."

"I feel hope, peace, and happiness," she said smiling, still staring at the painting.

"Because that's exactly how I feel, Besty, whenever I'm with you." She looked back at me and smiled. "Thank you, Besty, for being my best friend."

"Besty? You're making me cry."

"Tsk! You're just a crybaby... now show me where the restroom is, I need to shower." I was covered head to toe in paint.

"Wait, let's take a best picture first," she said, setting the camera timer for 10 seconds.

After we cleaned up my painting area, we put the sofas and tables back in their place.

After showering and changing, I got to Emilie's car first because she needed to turn on all the CCTV cameras. She locked the main door and the gate, which only came up to my waist, so from here I could see the entire W&B Cafe.

"Let's go?" she asked.

We ate at a fast-food chain and grabbed some takeout to save for later at home.

Once we got back, we immediately dug in again while watching TV.

"Besty, I'm going to sleep now," I said. "You should get some rest too."

"Hmm... I'll just cook something so when we wake up, there'll be food ready."

"Okay."

Just as I started heading upstairs, she called out, "Besty! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome... as long as it's you."

I smiled, went up to my room, and quickly fell asleep.

......................................

Hi-Yu