"How's Faith?" was the first thing Frank asked when Clover called him.
Clover let out a heavy sigh. "I think she needs your help," he said.
Frank frowned. "What? Why?" His questions came one after another, his concern growing with every word Clover spoke.
Is my gut feeling about that man correct? The thought ran through his mind.
"Clover, what did you find out?" His voice turned serious, authoritative. "Please tell me, Clover."
Clover took a deep breath before speaking. "I know you've had eyes on her… and you want confirmation, right? I'm sending you documents that I believe will help explain what's been happening to her. I dug into it myself—judge for yourself."
Frank immediately noted the rare gravity in Clover's tone. Clover rarely spoke this way unless the matter was urgent.
"I also sent you some pictures just now. Honestly, I'm torn about whether I should share them with you or not—I don't want to get ahead of Andrew on this," Clover added.
Frank's brows furrowed when he heard Andrew's name. "So, you mean Andrew knows what really happened to Faith—and he didn't tell me?"
"He's being careful. He didn't want your ex-girlfriend to get dragged into trouble because, from what I discovered and from my interactions with her new boyfriend, he's manipulative."
"Manipulative, you say? Is he hurting Faith? Are those bruises you mentioned his doing?" Frank asked, keeping his voice controlled.
"I guess so. It's possible. That's why Andrew kept quiet. Oh—and you should ask Andrew about the time that bastard gave Faith sleeping pills last year… to rape her."
Frank's fist slammed into his desk. He exhaled hard, forcing himself to calm down. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"I'll wait for your documents and whatever else you've gathered. I'll confirm everything with Andrew—I know he's been keeping a close watch on that man."
"You'll probably receive everything tonight," Clover said.
Frank gave a slow nod, even though Clover couldn't see it.
"It's been five years, Frank. You need to know her situation. Come home before it's too late—she really needs your help right now," Clover urged.
Frank didn't answer. After ending the call, he sat still, trying to calm his trembling body.
He lays a hand on Faith? Never—not once in our relationship did I ever hurt her physically. Who the hell is he?
Attempted rape? God, Faith, this is my fault. If I hadn't left you… if I hadn't been such an idiot… you would never have gone through this. Damn it.
Don't worry, Faith. I'll be there. I'll take you back from him.
But one thing bothered him—why wasn't there any strong reaction from Nathan?
Does Nathan not know what's been happening to his sister? Sure, he's busy with his family, but I know him—he'd never let this pass if he knew.
Manipulative? I see…
Frank opened the pictures Clover had sent. His eyes widened at the sight—marks, fresh wounds, bruises on her legs, her sides, near her neck… and worst of all, on her inner thigh.
The fuck! His thoughts roared. He had assumed Clover meant a simple bruise—this was far worse. She had lost so much weight—so different from when they had last been together.
He also saw the face of the man called Edward. Frank forced himself to steady his emotions.
Please calm down. Please—please calm down.
But his muscles trembled more, his blood boiling. He needed to see the documents Clover mentioned. He couldn't focus on work after that.
He went home early, and the documents soon arrived. The sender was indeed Clover.
He opened them as soon as he got inside, sitting in the living room. Photos spilled out, and he went through them one by one. Then Andrew messaged him—they needed to talk.
Frank stared at the images, reading the narratives attached to them. Each page revealed more about the kind of man Edward really was.
His phone vibrated. It was Andrew.
"Frank," Andrew's voice came through.
"Yeah, I get it. I'm flying back to the Philippines tomorrow," Frank said flatly.
Andrew sounded surprised. "You know already, huh?"
"Yeah. Why didn't you ever tell me?"
"You know what kind of man Faith is with right now. If I told you, Faith would get caught in the crossfire. I tried to work out my own solution, but that bastard knows how to hide his intentions. But when Faith crossed paths with your cousin Clover, I knew that man wouldn't escape Clover's reach."
"Why doesn't Nathan know about what's happening to Faith right now?" Frank pressed.
Andrew sighed. "You read Clover's narrative. He's very manipulative—he loves control. He also puts on a front, acting like he's the nicest man in the world. I think Faith tried telling Nathan, but that bastard knows how to counter every move."
"I also heard he slipped sleeping pills into Faith's drink last year?"
"Yeah. If I hadn't noticed Faith's behavior at that time, she would have suffered more. I think he wanted her body so he could keep her under his thumb forever."
"Then I thank you for that. What else?"
"That bastard never repays the money he borrows from Faith. He even has her debit card. And I heard Nathan's child is in the hospital right now."
Frank's brows knitted tighter. "What happened?"
"Complications. The child needs surgery this week. The money meant for the operation? That bastard borrowed it—and Faith is now the one paying. Veron told me Faith asked to borrow money from her, but I didn't allow it because her debit card is still with that man. That's why Faith is so distressed right now."
"Then just let her borrow in cash—I'll pay you back. I don't want anything bad happening to Nathan's child."
"No problem. But that man can smell money from a mile away."
"I'll let Clover handle him until I can talk to Faith myself—and see with my own eyes that he's hurting her."
Andrew nodded on the other end. "I've changed my mind—it's a bit late, but I already booked my ticket. I'll be there tomorrow."
"Andrew, please take care of her for now."
"Yeah, yeah. You've taken too long."
"I'm taking her back. I have to go pack. Mom and Dad don't know yet. Just message me later about the exact amount for Nathan's child's surgery. I know he's not thinking straight right now because of his kid."
"Yeah. Clover will update me and I'll pass it to you. See you soon. Bye."
The call ended. Frank immediately messaged Clover, telling him his flight was moved up and discussing the details of his plan.
He didn't care about the cost—all that mattered was Faith.
He began packing, ready to head straight to the airport with his passport.
Just a little longer, Faith…