FEROX FOREVER 1: Nothing Sinful ✓

Kabanata 29

Abby

"Thank you, prof," I told Professor Speers before taking the folder she'd given me containing the module reports I'd missed for the past few days I'd been gone.

"No problem, Ms. Solis. Just make sure na i-consult mo rin yung ibang professors mo ha about sa mga naliban mong activities," payo naman niya. She smiled at me and I returned the expression.

To be honest, I didn't need to catch up on all of the missing assignments and projects.

Veric had taken everything for me prior to our impromptu getaway to Italy.

He'd already bribed the school administration so he could take me away without my absence affecting my grades.

Till to this day, I was still wondering how he did it. How he was able to make a bargain with the dean.

Buying out an student would certainly trigger some alarms that could make someone call the cops. Because how could a complete stranger of a man over his thirties could be interested on a college student?

So, to shatter everyone's notion that I had a sugar daddy, I'd went to the dean's office to explain that the School of Medical Technology didn't need to make an exception for me, and that I was willing to fill in the things I'd missed during my stay in Italy.

And now, after a few talks with my other professors across different departments, I found myself walking down the hallway with a stack of folders in hand. Aabutin siguro ako ng dalawang linggo bago ko matapos ang mga 'to.

It would sure keep me busy. And distracted.

It would certainly put my mind off Veric.

Three days had passed since we got home and I never heard anything from him.

It was strange that all of a sudden, he'd just cut me off like that, as if nothing had ever happened in Italy.

I'd felt the first shift of his demeanor way back when we were still in Citadel Island, after our conversation with Kasteel and leaving his office.

Ewan ko kung bakit naging malamig na lang siya sa 'kin, na akala mo'y hindi niya ako kilala.

I stopped by at Tim Hortons for a latte to-go before commuting on my way to Ate Tara's place.

"Abby," she gasped upon opening her door. Agad niya akong yinakap ng mahigpit. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Nice to see you, too, Ate," I mumbled into her neck.

She invited me into her apartment she shared with her live-in boyfriend.

"Where's Landon?" tanong ko saka pabagsak na umupo sa couch.

"At the station," she replied.

"How's the gunshot? You're doing alright?"

"Yeah. Mom and Dad didn't know I'd been shot. Only Landon's," she explained, her eyes clouding in fear immediately. "Did he hurt you? Took you somewhere in Italy to be sold--"

"I'm fine, Ate. I wouldn't be here talking to you if I wasn't," I reassured her.

"He should be in prison," sabi ni Ate Tara.

"And Shawn wouldn't be in the States right now if Veric was convicted," I responded. "Look, he's doing what he's promised to do. You're well. Shawn's getting his treatments from the best cancer research center in the world with the best oncologists by his side. At least we got something good out of what happened."

"You're crazy if you think that we're just going to let him get away with everything."

"Ate Tara..." Napatayo ako. "Just let it go. I don't wanna talk about it anymore. Can we just move past this--"