Play The Game (COMPLETED)

Chapter 33

This gave me hope, something to look forward to.

* * *

The days rolled in quickly... Hindi gaanong naka-bisita si Jax sa akin dahil alam ko na marami siyang inaayos para sa kaso. But my friends always tried their best to see me... And I appreciated that. I appreciated that they're here... That despite everything, they never once wavered.

A day before the hearing, Cha visited me.

"Si Jax?" tanong ko.

Cha drew a deep breath. That alone was enough to make my heart drum inside my chest. I knew... I knew that whatever it was she was about to say, it would scare me.

"Look, I'll be very honest since you're a strong woman and I know you can handle this," sinimulan niya. Agad kong naramdaman ang panlalamig ng buong katawan ko. "Since you couldn't remember that night, the prosecution built a very believable scenario of what could've happened."

Tikom ang bibig ko.

Walang tunog na lumabas sa bibig ko. Rinig na rinig ko ang tibok ng puso ko.

"For some fucked up reasons, walang CCTV sa area kung nasaan iyong bahay. Wala ring kapitbahay. No one can testify that someone else sneaked in. By the looks of it, kayong dalawa lang ni Kier ang nasa bahay ng gabing iyon... And unless Kier willingly stabbed himself, you're the other credible suspect."

Pasikip nang pasikip ang dibdib ko.

Tila ba may naka-bara sa lalamunan ko.

"Look, I'm not telling you this to scare you, okay? We're still working. Trust me, Jax is working so hard kahit na—" sabi niya, ngunit agad siyang natigilan.

"Kahit na?" tanong ko. I started to worry even more. What was happening? Bakit hindi nakaka-punta si Jax dito? "Kahit na ano, Cha? Please answer me," matigas kong sabi.

Pumayag ako na wala silang sinasabi. I contented myself with the little information that they were allowing me to know... but if it was about Jax, I wanted to know. I demand to know.

Cha pursed her lips. "Jax... Jax received a couple of death threats."

Parang huminto ang mundo ko.

Mabilis na sumikip ang dibdib ko.

"It... It didn't look serious, but as a precaution, Jax moved back into their house."

Agad akong napa-hawak sa dibdib ko. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin. It was once thing that I was in danger, it was another to have someone else put their life on the line for me.

"Hey, it's okay," Cha said, but her words were meaningless. Patuloy na naririnig ko sa akin isip kung paano nasa panganib ang buhay ni Jax. "Your friend, Psalm, he helped Jax get some PSG while the threats are still being assessed."

I knew that it was from the Ramirez. Death threats? It sounded like them. Nang buhay pa si Kier, hindi matatapos ang isang araw na hindi ako nakaka-rinig na may banta sa buhay namin. Ito ang dahilan kaya ayokong maging abogado si Jax. Dahil alam ko na dito kami babagsak.

"Katherine—"

"How about you? May mga natatanggap ka rin ba?"

Agad na nag-iwas siya ng tingin. Parang mas piniga ang puso ko.

"It's fine... It's part of the job."

Agad akong umiling. "No, it's not fine. You said it to me yourself, delikado silang kalaban. I know that their enemies have been mysteriously disappearing. Kung paanong nagawa nilang maka-labas si Nathan kahit na malakas ang ebidensya." Mabilis na nanlabo ang mga mata ko. Hindi ako maka-hinga. "Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko kung may mangyari sa inyong dalawa."