Atty. Christine Villeza
"Don't be so shocked, Attorney Christine. I already investigated y'all before meeting you here."
Kinuha na muna ng isang taga-linis ang mga pinagkainan namin kaya naging malinis at malawak na ulit ang lamesa. We placed every folders, paperworks, and evidence on the table. We were only working on this discreetly. Mabuti na lang din at wala masyadong tao at wala masyadong nakakikilala sa'min dahil baka pagkaguluhan pa kami rito.
"But don't worry, Attorney, tayo lang naman ang makaaalam." dagdag pa nito at ngumiti nang bahagya sa akin.
I smiled back while I was removing my laptop from my laptop bag. "Well, it doesn't really matter. Wala namang issue roon." Dahan-dahan siyang tumango habang nakangiti pa rin sa akin.
"So, at what part where we shall start?" Jelsey cued and started typing on her laptop as well. These past few days, she's too invested in doing this case well. That might be because I was in hiatus for a month so she has to carry the burden of defending Mr. Billionaire alone.
But here I am now, I can now focus on the case more. Siguro ito na ang simula ng totoong laban. We just have to win the last court trial then it's a sure thing that Sandoval's verdict will be not guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
"About Charisse Villaluna." I replied.
"Yeah, that Sandoval's fiancé." Rina seconded. Siguro'y may alam na siya sa kaso ni Sandoval dahil hindi na siya nagtanong ng mga mabababaw na impormasyon. Hindi nga siya nagtanong kung bakit kami agad nagsimula kay Charisse eh.
Well, what more can we expect on her? "She's into vlogging and blogging. She has 207k plus followers on youtube and more than a hundred thousand on her other social media accounts. Dumami pa nang mabalitaang na-comatose siya. The sympathy is on her and on her brother, John Tyler. Kaya karamihan sa mga tao'y gustong ipakulong si Sandoval." Rina added while looking at her laptop.
That's impressive. Marami na talaga siyang nalaman sa mga pag-uusapan pa lang namin ngayon. Napangiti naman si Jeffrey kahit naglalaro ito sa kaniyang cellphone. Nasa isip siguro nito'y hindi siya nagkamali sa pagpili kay Rina para tulungan kaming imbestigahan ang kaso.
"Did you already watch some of her youtube videos?" Jelsey asked Rina while intently looking at the latter. She has a deadpan expression and I don't know why. In any way, I can feel her hostility towards Rina. Malay ko, baka nai-intimidate or something.
Or baka may kinalaman ito sa "relasyon" nila ni Jeffey. Luh? Meron ba?
"Yeah." Rina replied.
"What can you say about them?" tanong ko naman habang nakatingin sa camera ni Sandoval na naglalaman ng mga videos nila ni Charisse. "I mean, is it good? Lovely? C-Cringe?"
Napatingin sa akin si Jelsey at bahagyang ngumisi habang umiiling-iling. Si Rina naman ay halatang nagpipigil ng tawa. "Bitter." Jelsey scoffed.
"Why? Mayroon naman d'yang mga cringe couples ah! Malay mo isa sila do'n." I argued. Mas lalong natawa si Rina sa aking sinabi.
"Hindi naman sila cringe, Attorney Christine, hahaha! They were a bit lovely pero 'di ako kinikilig. I felt like there's something in it." Ngumiti si Rina muli sa akin bago humarap sa laptop niya.
"Something what?"
"Something strange." Rina answered. "Kayo? Napanood niyo na rin ba 'yong mga youtube videos ni Charisse?"
I answered first. "Yeah, Jelsey and I watched all her videos all-day long yesterday. Minimal lang 'yong parang strange scenes. At tsaka medyo. . . uhm. . . cringe talaga."
Napangiti muli sila pero mas pinili nang ipagpatuloy ang ginagawa nila. Jelsey was copying and transfering all the contents of Sandoval's camera while Rina was downloading all Charisse's youtube videos. Ako? I was encoding all our notes yesterday, so we can print it in a formal paper later.
Pangit naman kapag 'di organized ang gamit 'di ba? Nakakairita kapag magulo.
"I'm finished having all the contents of Sandoval's camera here on my laptop. Siguro simulan muna nating panoorin 'yong mga private videos nila?" Jelsey acquiesced while looking at us. She smiles occasionally, unlike before when we were deliberating ideas in my house. Ano kayang problema nito?
"Let's go."
Una naming pinanood 'yong eksena na pupunta silang kusina para magluto. I don't know why these are the first scenes that we have watched. Sandoval was wearing an apron on his naked top while Charisse was wearing a nice dress. Charisse was the one holding the camera in full smiles. "Hello, guys! Here we are again, cooking in my cute kitchen." Charisse said.
"These are drafts." Severina commented.
"Of her vlogs?" I asked.
"More like of." Nakatuon lang ang atensyon nito sa pinanonood namin sa laptop ni Jelsey. "Wala namang iba."
Napairap na lang ako sa hangin at nagpatuloy sa panonood. It was a normal, lovely vlog from the start, even if it as a draft or their practice or something. It was like a perfect shot until Charisse was startled by Sandoval's loud chopping. "What the fvck are you doing, Anthony?"
"W-What fvck?" Sandoval asked calmly while removing his apron from his body.
"You're chopping too hard like a mad chef! You know what. . . nevermind." Tumingin ito sa camera at ibinaba 'yon. Her eyebrows were madly furrowed. "Let's just start this over again."
Then the video stopped.
"What can you two say, Attorneys?" Rina asked while looking at us. I guess we've had to dig further. I mean, yeah, this was just the start but it was very intriguing already. We might get some more tea if we watch all of their videos.
Jelsey heaved a heavy sigh and looked at us. "Charisse was an arrogant bitch." Jelsey spat like a poison. Napatingin naman si Jeffrey na nasa tabi niya.
"Yeah," Rina agreed. "She's fake. Most of her vlogs in Youtube, she was like an angel there. Ngayon, parang galit na galit agad siya sa simpleng bagay lang."
"Baka naman badtrip lang sila no'ng araw na 'yon. Or may misunderstanding sa pagitan ng mag-fiancé or something?" Jelsey doubted Rina's idea.
"That could be a possibility. . . normal lang kasi 'yon." Rina considerated the idea. "By the way, was he always like that?" Rina asked me while emphasizing the word 'he'.
"What 'like that'? Submissive?" I asked back.
"Yeah."
"As to my knowledge and experience, yes he is. Sa mga babae, submissive siya. Hindi raw kasi siya pumapatol sa mga babae lalo na kung simpleng bagay ang naman ang pinagtatalunan. Most of the time, yes, pero 'di naman palagi. Basta. . . he's good." I said while staring at Rina intently.
"He's your ideal man?" Rina suddenly asked.
"He was once mine." Umiwas ako ng tingin sa kanilang dalawa. "And yes to that question." I heaved a heavy sigh.
It is weird, right? Panonoorin mo kung paano mag-bonding 'yong ex mo pati 'yong bago niyang karelasyon. And take note, Charisse was already Sandoval's fiancé. How good is that?
Yeah, I am being sarcastic here. That was a freaking nightmare.
But I had to do what I need to do. I am his lawyer, an attorney, the main defender of his case in court. Kailangan ko siyang tulungan para makalaya siya. I will do everything just to give the liberty back to him, para makasama na niya ang pamilya niya rito sa Pasig.
Yeah, I will do everything and anything. Even if it means of watching Charisse and Sandoval kiss and have sex in one of their videos.
"But I think, something's really weird. Like the words coming from their mouth weren't an impromptu or the likes." Rina acquiesed. Napatingin na ako sa kanilang dalawa dahil sa kaniyang sinabi.
"Sinaulo nila 'yong mga sinabi nila? Or may binabasa sa likod?" Jelsey asked, vexed. Maging ako ay naguguluhan din. Hindi ko naman napansin 'yon eh.
"Yes, but either of which, both are scripted." Rina pointed out. Maging si Anthony ay tuluyan nang binitawan ang cellphone niya at nakinig na lang sa amin. "I mean, that was just a theory. Isang video pa lang naman ang napapanood natin, maikli pa."
Nang matapos nang mag-copy ang lahat ng videos sa laptop namin ni Rina ay isinara na rin namin ito at iniligpit. Medyo pagabi na rin kasi at ayaw ko namang abutan ng dilim sa parking lot na ni-parking-an namin dahil walang kailaw-ilaw do'n. We all stood up and went outside the Startbucks. Nandoon lang pala naka-baragbag ang kotse ni Jeffrey kaya napailing ako. Bawal 'yan eh. . . ako nga sa malayong parking lot pa tumigil.
"I commuted from my house to here eh. Jeffrey, will you take me home?" Tumingin ito kay Jeffrey habang inaayos nang maigi ang laptop bag niya. She looks very elegant because of her tight-fitted dress. Gandang-ganda na tuloy ako sa kaniya. No wonder why she's a model.
Jeffrey looked at Jelsey for a second, then looked at Severina and smiled. "Y-Yes, sure." Pumunta na ito sa kotse niya at pinagbuksan si Rina ng pinto.
Bago pa sumakay si Rina ay lumapit ito't ngumiti sa amin. She came closer to Jelsey and said, "Jeffrey's yours, Attorney Jelsey. He was just a friend to me. And I don't like to be in a relationship with the rat of The Times."
Natawa ako sa aking isipan. Alam niya rin pala? Maybe it wasn't an issue to us now because we weren't affected in any way. Wala pa naman siyang nadi-disgrasyang ibang tao.
"And, I think Jeffrey loves you too." Ngumiti si Rina pagkatapos nitong bumulong. "Bye, Attorneys! Tawagan na lang tayo para sa mga updates." Sumakay na ito sa kotse ni Jeffrey at sabay na umalis.
Jelsey was stunned for a moment. Napatingin ito sa akin na parang hindi makapaniwala. "A-Ano raw sabi?" Jelsey shuttered while confirming what Rina had said.
"Sayong-sayo na raw si Jeffrey. Isaksak mo sa baga mo." Natatawa kong sambit kaya isang malakas na hampas ang inabot ko sa kaniya. Tanging mga tawa't harutan lang ang dinig habang papunta kami sa parking lot.