"Hey, Clover, don't hotseat my fiancée like that," Andrew said at the time.
Frank had spoken to him earlier, which was why he and Veron went straight to the hospital. For a year, they'd been searching for evidence against Edward, but the man was elusive. Andrew hadn't told Frank about it, knowing Frank's temper.
Still, he knew Frank was secretly trying to find out the truth. Andrew had done his best to hide it, but now that Frank's cousin Clover was involved, maybe it was time to let him know.
"Andrew." Clover acknowledged him. "I know you know something, don't you?"
"We shouldn't talk here. Faith might hear us," Andrew replied.
"Andrew…" his fiancée spoke up.
"Don't worry," he told her. "He needs to know too—especially now that he's involved."
She stayed silent and simply nodded. Andrew ruffled her hair and kissed her forehead.
"Ladies, please, don't tell Faith. She'll only worry. Veron, make sure she doesn't find out that Frank's cousin helped her, alright? She's too caring for her own good." Andrew smiled at the two women.
"Sorry you got dragged into this—you're pregnant," he said to Clover's wife.
She simply smiled, as if saying it was no problem. "Hon, you take care of Faith for now," Andrew told her.
She nodded in agreement.
"Now, we should talk privately," Andrew said to Clover. They moved to a quiet corner of the hospital that was rarely visited.
Once they were alone, Clover broke the silence. "So? We're here now. What happened to her?"
Andrew sighed before speaking. "I know you have some background in this too. Four years from now, after Faith passes her board exam, she meets that bastard."
"And that bastard is her boyfriend now? What did he do to her?" Clover asked.
"Faith wouldn't have said yes to him—she still had feelings for Frank. But that bastard kept showing affection, giving her the kind of attention Frank never did back then. She was torn, but…" Andrew shook his head before continuing. "That man is a con artist. He courted her for almost six months, even after she repeatedly rejected him. Eventually, Faith saw his persistence and gave in. To make the story short—they got together."
"Three months in, his hobby of borrowing money started showing. Since we knew him, we let it slide at first. He started small, but Faith was always the one covering the payments. The amounts grew bigger and bigger, and Faith kept paying."
"What's your basis for saying all this?" Clover asked.
Andrew let out a short, bitter laugh. "I confirmed it myself—he had Faith's debit card."
"What the—" Clover stopped himself, unable to believe what he'd just heard.
"Just last year, I don't know what exactly he planned for Faith, but I'm sure he drugged her to either assault her or do something worse. If I hadn't trusted my instincts that time, she could have been in serious danger."
"You didn't tell Frank? I bet he asked you for updates. Why keep it from him?" Clover pressed.
"Because I want proof. I don't want Faith to be dragged deeper into this. She clearly wants to leave him—I can see it in her face when we're around her—but something is holding her back."
"I found out that after one of their fights, Edward blamed Faith for it. He came to us pretending to seek comfort, not knowing Veron and I already suspected him. We played along, hoping to get proof. That's why Faith can't leave—he blames her for everything, and even her own family takes his side."
Clover shook his head in disbelief. "What's that bastard's name?"
"Edward Carl Gordon Geronima."
"Noted," Clover said flatly.
"I know you'll tell him, and I know Frank will be calling me soon," Andrew said.
"Even if I don't tell him, he'll find out—especially since you hid it from him," Clover replied.
Andrew sighed heavily. They returned to the hospital and spotted a shadow. Andrew immediately recognized the figure.
"Hey, is that the man you're talking about?" Clover asked.
Andrew nodded. "Act like you don't know him."
Clover took out his phone and snapped a picture. "Don't worry. I'm good at dealing with people like him," he said before walking ahead.
Edward noticed them and walked quickly toward Andrew, Clover following close behind.
"Were you the one who saved my girlfriend?" Edward asked, his face full of concern.
If Andrew didn't already know the truth, he might have been fooled by Edward's act. But he no longer believed a single thing this man did for show. Clover smiled at Edward.
"Yes. Is she your girlfriend?" Clover asked.
Edward nodded. "Thank you for saving her. I was worried. I told her I'd go with her." He sighed in relief.
Andrew patted him on the shoulder. "Just calm down. She'll be fine."
"Oh, by the way, this man with me—he's a friend, and that's his wife over there," Andrew introduced Clover.
Clover nodded politely and shook Edward's hand, while Veron glanced at Andrew with a knowing look.
"Don't worry too much. We'll keep you updated about Faith. You need some rest, bro," Andrew said.
Edward exhaled. "Okay. Just keep me posted. I also need to talk to her so she can be more careful."
"Yeah," Andrew replied with a nod.
"I'll visit after my seminar at school," Edward said before leaving.
Before he walked away, he leaned over and kissed the sleeping Mariely on the forehead. "I'll be back. Just rest."
"Even though I don't want to leave her right now, I have to attend this seminar—even if it's Saturday."
"We understand. Just be careful," Andrew told him.
"Let me know about Faith's hospital bills."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of her expenses," Clover said.
"Oh no, I'm so thankful for your generosity," Edward replied.
"No problem," Clover answered with a smile.
"I need to go," Edward said before walking away.
Andrew watched him leave and sighed. "Clover, you don't have to shoulder it."
"It's fine. This way, I can get closer to him. I know he likes being around people with money," Clover said knowingly.
"By the way," Clover turned to Andrew, "does Edward know about Mariely's past relationship?"
"I don't think so. He's never mentioned it, and I think he believes he's her first boyfriend."
"Oh, okay," Clover nodded.
"And remember—Faith doesn't know you, and don't mention you're Frank's cousin," Andrew warned.
"Whatever, fine," Clover replied.
Then they saw her stir. "W—Where am I?" Faith asked weakly as she regained consciousness.
They all breathed a sigh of relief. She held her aching head and tried to sit up, but Andrew stopped her. Just as planned, Clover didn't reveal he was Frank's cousin.
"Thank you," Faith said softly to Clover.
"No problem," Clover replied with a gentle smile.
Her condition wasn't too serious, so she was discharged quickly. Instead of going home, she stayed at Veron's condo to recover. Faith didn't want her parents to worry about her condition.
She was always so considerate. Andrew could only shake his head.