Lost in the Maze: Elias de Marcel

Kabanata 16

KABANATA 16

Elias' POV

Hindi ko na siya tiningnan pa habang siya ay bumababa at umaalis dahil agad ko na ring iniwan ang lugar. Sa pagpipigil ng galit, umuwi ako sa aming condo ni Atasha, pinipilit na kumalma bago ako pumasok sa loob. Pagkapasok ko, nakita ko siyang nakaupo sa bar island, umiinom ng wine habang nakatutok sa kanyang laptop.

It seemed like there was a strange energy in the air that hinted to Shang that I was nearby. She slowly turned to face me, her lips curved into a sweet smile. However, I did not return her smile; I remained emotionless.

She quickly noticed my lack of reaction and her smile slowly faded. It was like a flower slowly closing at the arrival of night. She raised her wine glass and took a slow sip before turning her gaze back to me.

"Is there a problem?" She asked, her voice full of concern and innocence.

I let out a deep sigh as if carrying a heavy burden. "Do you already know?" I asked, full of hesitation.

Shang furrowed her brow, seemingly puzzled by my words. "Know what? Has something happened?" She inquired, her eyes displaying genuine bewilderment.

I swallowed nervously, feeling anxious, before slowly approaching her. My face remained serious, and my voice was just loud enough for her to hear. "Shang, why did you do that?" I asked, my voice almost a whisper.

I saw confusion in her eyes, her brow furrowing even more. "What are you talking about, Elias? What did I do?" She asked, her voice a mix of confusion and worry.

My jaw tensed with tension, and I shook my head as if searching for an answer in my mind. I turned my gaze to the left, taking a deep breath. In my mind, the question lingered whether she was pretending not to know about what happened, or if she truly had no knowledge of the incident that occurred earlier.

As I turned back, the light from the chandelier danced on her face, giving depth to her eyes as if hiding a mystery. Her attire, made of delicate fabric, moved gracefully with her every motion, and every detail of her presence seemed meticulously crafted to perfection on this evening.

Despite her beauty and charisma, my heart was filled with doubt and questions that I couldn't find answers to. I stared into her eyes for a long time, drawing courage from the depths of my heart needed to confront her.

"Why did you hurt Jocelle? What is your motive? Do you want to kill her?" I asked calmly but with emphasis, while controlling my simmering anger.

She immediately looked down, pressed her lips together, and a mask of emotionlessness covered her face. I couldn't read her thoughts, like an enigma that I couldn't solve. "Why would you ask that? Has something happened to Jocelle?" She asked as if unaware of the situation before she looked down again and continued typing on her laptop as if our conversation never happened.

Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko. "Shang, huwag mo na akong subukang lokohin. Inamin na sa akin ni Simon ang lahat. Ikaw ang nagplano at nag-utos sa kanya para saktan si Jocelle. At ngayon, ako pa ang itinuturo at hinuli ng mga pulis bilang pangunahing suspek sa nangyari," mariin kong sinabi, at sa wakas, nakita ko ang pagtigil ng kanyang mga daliri, na tila biglang nawalan ng lakas sa pagtipa.

Napansin ko ang bahagyang pagkunot ng kanyang noo, at ang kanyang mga mata ay dahan-dahang umangat upang salubungin ang tingin ko. Matagal siyang nakatitig sa akin, tila ba hinahanap ang sagot sa mga mata ko bago siya nagsalita.

"Namatay ba siya?" tanong niya, mahina at walang bakas ng emosyon, na para bang ang tanong ay tungkol sa isang bagay na walang kabuluhan. Ang kanyang tinig ay nagpahinto sa akin, at hindi ako makapaniwala na tumingin sa kanya. "He didn't kill Jocelle, right? I told Simon that he shouldn't, and I guess he listened to me," dagdag pa niya.