Every Line Crossed

ELC41

"Lolo and Tito Rion are here!" Aza announced when the door opened showing the two men who just arrived. "Finally!"

"You're waiting for us?" Papa asked him with a smile.

"Yes, yes! Tito Cell said we can only blow the cake when you arrived!"

"Happy birthday, Azariah..." Kuya Rion said to him.

"Thanks, Tito! I'm four!"

"Let's blow the cake! Stand up, everyone!" Kuya Cell announced and shot us a meaningful look.

I breathe deeply before I stood up and sported a wide smile to Aza. Hawak ko ang pulso ni Six para madala siya sa pagtayo ko.

"Shall we sing?" my voice broke a little but I still tried hard to make it sound happy for him.

"Mama, come here! Papa too!"

I smiled at him. "Of course, love."

We sang a birthday song for him. He was all smiling while clapping his hands while singing along with us. His eyes form its own smile even if it still looks puffy. I put my arms around his shoulder and kiss his cheeks.

"I love you so much, baby..." I whispered on his ears.

"It was Eriko Samonte."

My eyes widen when I heard that from Kuya Rift. I gazed in Aza's direction and I saw him, still peacefully sleeping. Six is sitting beside him, looking at our direction with a creased forehead because of hearing an unfamiliar name. But it was not the case for me.

I don't remember having an actual conversation with him but I remember one specific moment of encounter with him. His voice suddenly played repeatedly in my mind. I will always remember that because it already brought a deep mess in my mind once.

"You got a beautiful family, Miss Legrand."

I deeply sighed in the middle of my heart's hard beatings. My stomach felt churning as I realized how Aza's kidnapper was just breathing under our roofs, existing close to us.

"How come?" I asked, almost breathless.

All of them remained serious. Mama was seating next to me. Kuya Cell was on my other side, seating on the sofa's armrest. Papa was in a solo chair just near us. Pareho namang nakatayo sila Kuya Rift at Kuya Rion malapit sa bintana.

The sight of them complete is somehow making me calm down and secure. They all left their works in Manila just to be with me and help me with everything.

"Kill, he was once the President of Le Grand Food Corps. He was kicked out of the position when you entered." Kuya Rift explained.

I gasped when I heard that. I look at them with questionable eyes. Papa's forehead knotted on me.

"Don't stare at me like I did a crime."

"Did you fire him for me?"

"It's the board's decision to make him step down, Kill. He's doing a lot of businesses behind our backs using the company's money. We received a lot of reports about his misconduct and Le Grand Foods continuously went losing a big sum of money without meeting the data. We have to do the right action that we shall take."

"He wants revenge and he wants money."

"But why does it has to be Aza?" I painfully asked.

Hindi ko pa din matanggap. Hindi ko pa din kayang sikmurain na para lang sa lahat ng ito, kailangang mahirapan ng anak ko ng matagal na panahon. They are so evil. They didn't even let a kid pass.