"He called just to check on me. He saw the news. I guess he got worried."
"And now he cares?"
She stared at me, her brows slightly pulling together. "Why are you asking like this?"
"Because," I said slowly, stepping closer, "Selena just warned me that this isn't just about those two guys anymore. Someone with influence is behind this. Someone who can manipulate people. Systems. Minds."
"You think Julius—?"
"I don't know what to think, Aurora," I cut in, a little sharper than I intended. "But the timing? It's off. Suddenly he's in the picture again, now?"
She said nothing.
She was trying to rationalize it in her head, I could tell. But even she looked unsure.
"I'm not saying he's involved," I said, softening my tone. "But if Selena's right, we have to be smart. Watch everything. And everyone."
Aurora didn't answer.
She just nodded and sat down on the couch, her shoulders tense, her lips pressed together in worry.
I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Nico.
Me: I need surveillance on Julius Evangelista. Discreet. Starting tonight.
I followed it up with a call.
Nico answered on the third ring. "Lance?"
"Did you trace the call from Selena?"
"No. It was rerouted through some encrypted line. She's good."
"I figured. Listen, I want eyes on someone."
"Who?"
"Julius Evangelista. Son of the president."
There was silence.
"…You're serious?"
"Dead serious."
"Lance, we can't just start tailing the president's son."
"Yes, we can," I snapped. "He just called Aurora out of nowhere after years of silence. Right after Selena warned me not to trust what's on the surface. I don't care who he is. I want to know where he goes, who he talks to, what he knows."
Nico sighed. "Alright. I'll see what i can do."
After the call ended, I dialed another number, someone i trusted from private security.
I wanted guards stationed in the building within the hour. No uniforms. No suspicion.
Just enough to monitor every entrance, every floor. Aurora wasn't going to be alone. Not now. Not while everything in my gut was screaming that we were running out of time.
I returned to the living room. Aurora was curled on the couch, hugging her knees, her eyes flicking up when i entered.
"You okay?" I asked quietly.
She gave me a small nod.
I sat down beside her and gently pulled her close. She rested her head against my shoulder.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't mean to be harsh."
I stayed still for a moment, our hands intertwined, her head resting lightly against my shoulder, like maybe if i didn't move, none of this would escalate further.
But the truth was, it already had. And if Selena was right, then everything we thought we were fighting was just the surface.
There was something else underneath. Something rotting. Powerful. Hidden.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Nico.
Nico: "One of our guys spotted Julius entering a private club in BGC. Unlisted membership. High security. No media allowed."
I stared at the message for a second. A part of me wanted to think maybe he was just meeting someone. Maybe it was harmless.
But i'd learned the hard way that timing is never innocent.
"Lance?"
Aurora's voice was quiet.
I turned to look at her.
Her face was pale, her lips a little dry, her eyes red from stress and lack of sleep. "You need rest," I said softly.
She shook her head. "Don't treat me like i'm fragile."
"I'm not. I'm treating you like someone they want to hurt."
"I can take it."
"I know," I said. "But i won't let you."
She stared at me for a long second, and i could see something flicker in her—something vulnerable and scared, but also stubborn. "Do you trust me?" she asked.
"Always."
"Then tell me everything you're thinking. All of it."
I hesitated.
"Please, Lance."
So i did.
"I think Selena stumbled into something massive," I started, slowly. "Something she didn't expect. Maybe it was supposed to be a simple dig for answers. Just a trail. But the second she sent me that message… the tone—it wasn't panic. It was fear. Calculated fear. Like she was watching her words. Like someone could hear."
Aurora's breath hitched. "Do you think they're tracking her?"
"Maybe. Or she suspects they could."
"And Julius?"
"I don't want to believe he's involved. But even if he's not… he might be a pawn. Or he might already know too much. Or worse, he's playing a part."
Aurora leaned forward, elbows on her knees, pressing her fingers against her temples. "I haven't talked to him in years. Why now?"
I didn't answer.
Because we were both thinking the same thing.
What if this was timed?
What if someone wanted her distracted?
What if someone wanted her vulnerable?
"I'm going to have someone follow him," I said quietly.
She looked up. "Won't that get you in trouble?"
"Too late for that."
She blinked, but didn't argue.
Instead, she stood and walked toward the kitchen. I followed her with my eyes as she pulled two mugs from the cabinet and poured us both some coffee. Her hands were shaking just a little, but she kept going.
I joined her, leaning against the counter as she slid me a cup.
"We don't even know what this is yet," she said after a long silence. "What if we're chasing ghosts?"
"Then we catch them."
She gave me a tired look. "You always make it sound so simple."
"It's not," I admitted. "But we have to start somewhere. And right now, I'm starting with Julius."
My phone buzzed again.
Nico: "He's meeting someone. Woman. Late thirties. Foreign. Looked like an agent."
I showed the message to Aurora.
"Foreign?" she said. "What kind of agent?"
"I don't know. But if she's here, and he's meeting her discreetly, that's not just old friends catching up."
"Can i see a picture?"
"I asked them to get one."
But deep down, I already knew i wouldn't get it. If this woman was truly dangerous or connected to something underground, our people might not even be able to get close.
And if Julius was willingly speaking to someone like her…
I rubbed a hand over my jaw.
"I want you to pack a bag," I said suddenly.
Aurora blinked. "What?"
"I'm moving you to a safer location. Just for now."
"No."
"Aurora—"
"I'm not hiding."
"You're not. You're being protected."
"And what about you?" she shot back. "What if they come after you?"
I hesitated. Then said, "They won't."
"You don't know that."
"I'll be fine."
"Then so will i."
Damn it.
I closed the distance between us and placed both hands on the counter, caging her in. Her breath hitched.
"You're the one they're watching," I said, voice low. "Not me. You were the last to see Selena. Your face is all over the news. And now the president's son suddenly wants to check up on you."
She didn't speak. Her eyes searched mine.
"You can fight me on everything," I added, "but not this."
A long pause.
Then she whispered, "Okay."
I let out a breath i didn't realize i was holding.
That night, I arranged for Aurora to be escorted to a safehouse in Quezon City—secure, discreet, one of the backup homes i used for protection cases back when I still did fieldwork.
Nico sent over two trusted men.
Ex-agents. Trained. Silent. She'd be safe.
We didn't say much in the car.
Just sat there, the silence humming between us. When we got there, I walked her in myself, double-checking the security features.
Once she was inside, I stepped back onto the porch and lit a cigarette i didn't really want.
My mind was racing.
I texted Nico.
Me: "Did they follow him after the meeting?"
Nico: "Yes. Club to hotel in BGC. Then no movement."
Me: "I want to know who that woman is."
Nico: "We'll keep digging."
I put my phone away and looked up at the dark sky.
Somewhere out there, Selena was running. From what, exactly, I still didn't know.
But something told me we were only seeing the beginning.
And we were already in too deep to turn back.