Chapter 49: Sign of the Four IX (Epilogue)

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A/N: This is the epilogue part of Chapter 49, not of the story. Since this update may contain a major revelation, I'm asking you not to post any SPOILERS. Reaction posts, memes, and GIFs are okay, as long as they do not give away the context.

Let's not ruin other people's reading experience. Thank you!

 Thank you!

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LORELEI

"I'm sorry for asking you to meet me on a weekend."

WE FOUND Sir Johannes of BEYOND waiting for us in the Diogenes Cafe. Since it's a Saturday, kaunti lang ang customers dito. He's been reading a magazine before we reached his table. Isa-isa niya kaming kinamayan kagaya noong una naming meeting. He then motioned his hand to the four vacant seats across him.

"Teka, bakit tatlo lang kayo? Nasaan na 'yong isa? Si Jamie, tama?"

I was about to take my seat, but I instantly froze upon hearing her name. Nagkatinginan kaming tatlo nina Loki at Alistair bago ako tuluyang nakaupo. Wala ni isa sa amin ang nakasagot. None of us had the courage to speak of what happened to her.

It's been days since the rooftop incident. Hindi ako nakatulog nang maayos nitong mga nakalipas na araw. Who could sleep sound at night when they witnessed what I had witnessed? Since then, a sight of anything that is red could make me almost puke. It's so tragic that I choke up whenever I try to speak of it.

"Nevermind," sabi ni Sir Johannes nang hindi kami nakasagot. He must have read the mood. "Baka busy siya ngayon kaya hindi siya nakasama sa inyo, 'no? It's the weekend anyway so she might have other plans."

I forced a smile and tried to make it look like that everything's still okay. He's wrong. Jamie had no other plans for today.

"So!" Sir Johannes rested his elbows on the table and put one hand on top of the other. "What should we be discussing first? The contract or the manuscript?"

"The contract, sir."

Inilabas ko na ang folder na naglalaman ng kontrata at maingat itong ipinatong sa mesa. Our eyes met before his fingers dragged it to his side.

"I want to be one of your writers, sir," I said, looking at him directly in the eye. "My lawyer told me that the terms are good and will not put me in a disadvantageous position."

After two days of waiting, I finally got word from my late dad's secretary Nancy. Isinend niya sa akin via email ang opinyon ng isang lawyer na well versed pagdating sa mga kontrata. In his message, he explained the terminologies that I didn't understand and my obligations once I signed it.

So far, a good deal.

Ngumiti si Sir Johannes bago pa man niya binuksan ang folder. Nang makita na niya ang kontrata at ang pirma ko sa ibaba, lalo pang lumawak ang kanyang ngiti. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he put the contract down and signed the part reserved for him.

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