Bente-Quatro 2 - Star Witness (Completed)

2b - 1800H

A/N: Sabi ko nga, huli man daw at magaling, huli pa rin. An update before midnight. Kalimutan muna stress, smile naman diyan.

06:21pm

"Kuya, we're being followed."

Atty. Regine nervously looked behind them. "Anong we're being followed? Sino? Saan? Ginu-good time mo lang yata kami ni kuya para huwag mong sagutin mga tanong ko!"

Maine motioned at the back of the car. "Kuya, yung maroon na Mirage. Kanina pa yan sa likod natin. It suddenly appeared from a corner when we emerged from an alley."

"Alin po, yung Mitsubishi na isang kotse ang pagitan sa 'tin? Ang galing mo ma'am, nakita mo yon? Huwag po kayong mag-alala, friendly po yan. Assurance car, pinasunod ni Chief para i-escort tayo pa-airport."

A/N: Peace 'yo! Wanna buy watch Jo! Practice lang mga bes, tinitingnan lang kung alerto ang bida natin.

Atty. Regine threw her hands in the air. "Huwag ganyan kuya, pang-romcom lang ang beauty ko! Ewan ko 'tong kasama ko, parang agila ang mata."

But Maine remained alert. She's not taking things in stride. Not when Richard is around.

"Sensiya na ma'am huwag daw kayo i-alerto para huwag kayong kabahan, e ang talas pala ng pakiramdam ni ma'am. Mawalang galang na po. Nakakahiya man pero, ano po sagot?" The driver looks at Maine from the rear view mirror, while scratching his head with one hand.

"Kuya, si Boy Abunda ka ba? Hindi naman tayo tsismoso ng lagay na yan?"

"Ay hindi po, si Anjo po ako."

"Anjo Yllana, na kapatid ni Jomari Yllana, na ex ni Aiko Melendez? Ang layo yata kuya?"

"Si Dabarkads Anjo? Naku, hindi po! Anjo Baustista po. Di n'yo natatanong, kilala ko 'yang si Richard. Naipag-drive ko na siya dito sa amin sa Naga. Mabait 'yang batang yan. Tahimik lang."

"O panyera, objection sustained na. Please answer the question of the counsel and the jury."

Now that the imminent danger proved to be a false alarm, she no longer have an excuse not to answer. She should have held her tongue when he ignored her when they entered the room.

After a deep breath and sigh, Atty. Maine began carefully choosing her words. "The first time I met him was early December, more than four months ago."

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A/N: Sandali po nating pinuputol ang hearing para lumipat sa kabilang kotse.

Four months, 16 days to be exact.

Richard remembered clearly the first time Atty Maine saw him. When he hijacked her car. What started to be a 'kidnapping case' as she puts it, turned out to be a 24-hours he'll never forget.

"Ano ang susunod na mangyayari? Sino sila? Bakit and dami na yatang nakakaalam? "

Once again, Nanang intruded his thoughts just as he starts reminiscing. Her silence since they started this trip had been on and off.

But she's clearly agitated. It's evident by the way she kept wringing her fingers in the past 15 minutes, the white of her knuckles showing. He wants to assure her that everything will be alright, but it's not his way to give her false hope.

He was actually surprised by the change in plan.

He was even more surprised to find Maine when they entered the room. He was prepared to meet with lawyers, he was the one who requested it in fact. But he was expecting lawyers from the local PAO office in Naga to get Nanang's deposition. Not city lawyers from the PAO main office.