AUTHOR'S NOTE: Finally, a PTK update! I know that some of you have been waiting for me to update this story, so I apologize for making you wait. I still can't say if the updates will be regular—as I did when I started writing PTQ—but I will try to post a chapter as soon as circumstances allow me.
CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains references to self-harm and suicide that may be upsetting for some readers. Please be mindful of this sensitive theme and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.
CASTIEL
IF SOMEONE were to jump from the rooftop of Clark Medical Center, that would surely make it in the news. That's what I thought a year ago right after the life-changing accident, thanks to Alaric "the Prick" Esteban. I didn't know when my sister would wake up—not even the top doctors in the hospital could tell. I didn't know if I would ever walk again the same way that I used to—not even the top physical therapist could make that promise to me.
Tandang-tanda ko pa noong nakatayo ako sa dulo ng rooftop, nakatingin sa parking lot sa ibaba kung saan ako babagsak. My Physics class in senior high taught me that my body would hit the white car directly below even with the expected amount of air resistance. Kailangang tumama ang katawan ko roon para ma-activate ang alarm ng sasakyan at makaagaw ng pansin. All I wanted to attract was attention. Kapag natagpuan na nila ang katawan ko sa bubong ng kotse, maa-alert ang ospital at daragsa ang mga tao. Some of them would take photos and videos of me, and share it on social media. I would become a news item in the evening.
People would begin to wonder who I was and why I jumped off the building. They would investigate what I was doing in the hospital. Soon enough, they would find out that I was a patient and a relative of another patient here. More digging would lead to the discovery of my note that I left in my room. There I namechecked Alaric Esteban and his grandfather Aldous Eliseo—who happened to be the chancellor of the university that I was attending—just so everyone would know the truth that they tried to bury. I couldn't say anything because of the non-disclosure agreement that my parents signed. So I was hoping that my death would open the lid of the box that they wanted to remain sealed.
Beep! Beep!
My right hand fished the phone out of my pocket. Priam Torres' name flashed on the screen. Noong una'y nagdalawang-isip ako kung sasagutin ko ba 'yon. I could just ignore him and do what I was supposed to do. He might figure out my plan and convince me to not proceed with it. But I owed him an explanation. He deserved to know what I got on my mind. At least someone should be aware so my efforts wouldn't be in vain.
"Yes, Priam?" I answered the second I tapped the answer key. Tinanaw ko ang city view mula rito. All I could see were the long lines of vehicles stuck in traffic and some tall buildings that stuck out like sore thumbs. It wasn't as majestic as the evening view, but it would do as my final image of this city.
"Where are you, Cas? I checked your room and your sister's room, but you weren't in either."
"I'm on the rooftop," I answered as I tilted my head up the sky. Manipis ang suot kong hospital gown kaya ramdam ng balat at buto ko ang lamig na dala ng bawat bugso ng hangin. "Masyadong nakasu-suffocate ang amoy ng disinfectant at aircon sa room ko. Gusto kong magpaaraw muna at magpahangin. Don't worry about me."
"Rooftop? Why did you have to go there? Kung gusto mong magpahangin, may open-air terrace sa fifth floor. You didn't have to go all the way up nine floors."
"Well, I didn't know that." I chuckled, looking down at the white car below. "But the view is better here. I can see peace and clarity from this vantage point."
"Are you thinking of . . . doing something that you shouldn't be contemplating of?"
"What? No!" I chuckled again, nervously this time. Saan niya nakuha ang ideya na 'yon? "Gusto ko lamang magpahangin. Wala akong balak na tumalon mula rito."
"I didn't say anything about jumping. 'Yon ba ang nasa isip mo? Don't go anywhere. Don't do anything. I'll come to you, okay? I'm on my way there. I'll stay on the line kahit mahina ang signal sa elevator. Don't you drop the call, Cas."
My left hand's grip on the walking cane tightened. I shouldn't have given away my top-of-mind thought. Pwede ko nang gawin ngayon. Pwede na akong tumalon. But my legs hesitated for a moment. They wouldn't move.
In a minute or two, the door to the rooftop swung outward. Priam came rushing out of it. He was panting heavily. After getting out of the elevator, he had to climb a flight of stairs just to reach this place. I even placed a "do not enter" sign on the landing just to discourage anyone from coming here. I wanted a moment of privacy for myself. I didn't want people trying to stop me.
"Cas!" he yelled as he ran toward me. The wind messed his neatly combed fringes. Napayuko siya at hinabol ang kanyang hininga. "What are you doing here?!"
"Perfect timing, Priam," I greeted him as I slid my phone back in my pocket. Him being the last person that I saw before jumping off wasn't bad. "Mas mabuting may pagsabihan ako. I want to make sure that the dominoes will fall the way I intend them to."
"Whatever you're thinking right now, don't." He approached me slowly, his hands outstretched as if he was trying to reach me. His face had a look of worry on it. "Don't do it, Cas."
"It's easy for you and other people to say don't do it because you're not in my shoes," I spat bitterly, my tone rising slightly. "It's easy for anyone to say that everything's gonna be all right when they haven't been through the storm of hopelessness and desperation."
Truth be told, I got fed up with people telling me that everything was going to turn out fine in the end—that this was just a challenge and I was just being tested. Ang daling magsalita kapag hindi ikaw ang nakararamdam ng sakit. Ang daling mag-preach kapag nasa posisyon ka ng comfort at privilege. But these people knew nothing at all. They would tell others that there's a rainbow always after the rain. News flash! A rainbow would not always appear after a storm if certain conditions were not met. Even science could debunk that toxic positivity mindset.
"If you do this, you will let them win." He continued inching toward me while I remained frozen on the ledge. "This isn't the sacrifice that you think will give you victory."
"But they've already won, Priam." I chewed my lower lip as I held back my tears. Kumuyom ang aking mga kamao, halos bumaon na ang aking mga kuko sa palad ko. "My family can no longer file any charges against them. My sister remains unresponsive and hooked up to a machine! I don't even know if I can walk normally again! Meanwhile, Alaric has gotten away with his crime. The least that I can do is to make their victory hurt. By the time that I'm gone, everyone will know the truth about what happened. If I'm going down, I'll drag them with me."
For that reason, I was willing to go through great lengths . . . even if it would cost me my life.
"I may not have been in your position," he admitted. His voice was calm. "I may not know exactly what you're going through. But I'm telling you that this isn't and shouldn't how you solve this problem."
"This problem has already been solved in favor of the offender the second my parents signed the NDA."
"And that NDA will haunt your family even after your hypothetical death! It doesn't matter if you die or not, as long as you speak about the accident, there will be legal ramifications. Pag-isipan mo 'tong mabuti, Cas! You may think that you've already solved your problem, but you're going to leave a huge one to your parents and Cassidy."
"But that is . . . If everyone finds out about the accident, they won't try to go after my family. They'd be fools if they do!"
"Tell me. How do you plan to expose them?"
"I left a note in my room's drawer. Inilahad ko ro'n ang totoong nangyari, mula sa pagkabangga sa amin ni Alaric hanggang sa cover-up ng lolo niya. That's damning enough to ruin their family name and put them to shame."
"Remind yourself again: who brought you to this hospital?"
My eyebrows furrowed. Why was he asking that question? "Alaric's family."
"Do you know why they chose this premier hospital?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Because they're closely connected to the people who run this place!" Priam added. "Now remind yourself again, why did no local media report about the accident involving you, your sister and Alaric? Because his family is closely connected to the people who run those local media companies. His grandfather is even a personal friend of the city mayor."
My eyes went wide. My jaw almost dropped. My hand tightened its clutch on my cane's head.
"Even if you proceed with your plan to ruin them, there's a huge chance that it won't go the way you have anticipated. Do you think the local media will report a suicide incident in our city's leading hospital? The owners of this place will probably pull strings to make sure that news won't see the light of the day. Even if it does, do you think the contents of your note will be published by the local media where Alaric's family has some influence? And even if they do publish it and cause public uproar, they can legally go after your family. You will not only cut off their support to you and your sister. You will also put them in a tedious legal battle."
"No, no, no." I shook my head frantically. Mapahahakbang na ako paurong nang maalala kong wala na pala akong tatapakan.
So all my plan would be for naught? Kahit anong sakripisyo ko, sila pa rin ang mananalo? That was so unfair!
Priam took a step forward, standing just two or three meters away from me. "I know that you are good at strategy games, but this is not the type where you are going to win. No matter where I look at it, with all the corruption and connection of the people involved, there is no clear victory for you. May chance pa rin na umayon ang lahat sa plano mo, pero mababa lang 'yon."
"This is so . . ." I went down on my knees and pulled my hair. I thought I had it figured out! I thought I got them! "W-What should I do then? Kung balewala ang plano ko, paano ko . . . paano ko . . ."
Priam knelt before me and patted my left shoulder. "The first thing you need to do is to get better. Kapag okay ka na, doon mo na isipin kung ano'ng pwedeng gawin. The way they got away with everything did not sit well with me. So if there's a way we can find justice for you and your sister, I will help you with it."
"But . . . But . . ." Tears could no longer stop flowing down my cheeks. I tried to wipe them with my bare hands, but they slipped through my fingers. "What if we can't find it? What if my sister can't get the justice that she deserves?"
"At the very least, she will have you," he told me, caressing my back. "Imagine how heartbreaking it will be for Cassidy if she finally wakes up and finds out that you're no longer here. Kaya mo bang masaktan siya ulit?"
Umiling ako. Hindi baleng ako na ang masaktan. Hindi baleng ako ang magsakripisyo. She had already suffered enough. Sobra-sobra na nga para sa tulad niya. She didn't deserve any more pain.
"Then live. For her. For your family. For your future."
And that was how Priam saved my life almost a year ago. All he had to do was to slap me with the grim possibilities. Masyado akong nabulag ng kagustuhan kong mabalikan agad si Alaric the Prick at ang pamilya niya na hindi ko napagtantong mas makasasama pala imbes na makabuti ang plano ko. If it weren't for him, my family would have been in a worse situation today. A huge part of me was glad that I listened to him.
"Cas? Cas?"
My eyes slowly opened. I saw Priam standing before me. For a second, I thought that we were in the USC office, but I remembered that I wasn't allowed there until my exile was over. I found myself seated on the couch with my arms crossed. Dinig ko pa rin ang beeping sound mula sa machine. Nakatulog yata ako habang binabantayan ang kapatid ko.
"Priam," I greeted him as I grabbed the walking cane on my left. "I didn't know na bibisita ka pala today."
"I've decided to drop by," he replied as he slid his hands into his pockets. He turned his head to Cassidy who was sleeping peacefully in the bed. "I haven't visited her since the finals week."
I got to my feet with the help of my cane and walked toward him. "I'm sure she'd be happy to see you. Baka nga naririnig niya tayo ngayon."
"May update ba sa kondisyon niya?"
Marahan ang pag-iling ko. "It's still the same as before. The doctors can't tell when she's going to regain her consciousness. She may. She may not. Only time can tell."
He heaved a long sigh as he looked up. "Her birthday's coming up in a few weeks, right? How old will she be by then?"
"Eighteen. This will be her first birthday here." I frowned, my clutch stiffened. "Her waking up will be the best gift ever."
We gazed at the serene face of my sister. She had been in a coma for more than half a year that I had almost forgotten what her voice sounded like. I could watch her videos just to remind me of it, but that was going to be painful to me . . . and my parents. She was the reason why I kept on fighting. Everything that I had done so far, I did it for her.
The door swung inward. My mom smiled at us as she entered the room. Bumili siya ng pagkain mula sa labas kaya ako muna ang nagbantay. Parang dito na nga siya nakatira dahil araw-araw na siyang nandito at minsan na lamang kung umuwi.
"Priam! Mabuti't napadalaw ka?" bati niya sa kasama ko. "Matutuwa si Cassy na makita ka ulit!"
Nagmano si Priam at nginitian siya. "Kumusta po, Tita? Sorry kung ngayon lang ulit ako nakabisita. Medyo naging busy po kasi kami sa council at sa finals."
"Wala 'yon!" tugon ni mama bago inilagay sa mesa ang pinamili niya. "Sobrang na-appreciate ko nga kapag may bumibisita kay Cassy. Alam kong busy kayo pero nagagawa n'yo pa rin siyang dalawin. Wala akong masabi kundi pasasalamat."
"Priam," I whispered, " can we talk outside for a moment?"
His eyebrows knitted, then relaxed. "Sure."
Lumingon ako kay Mama. "Ma, bibili kami ng drinks ni Priam sa may vendo. Maiwan ka muna namin dito. May ipabibili ka ba?"
"Wala na, Cas. Nabili ko na no'ng lumabas ako kanina. Ako na munang bahala kay Cassy."
Sabay na kaming lumabas ng kuwarto ni Priam at nilakad hanggang sa marating namin ang vending machine. Cassidy's room was an executive suite located at the eighth floor. I would thank Alaric's family for shouldering this level of accommodation and care, but he was the reason why we were here in the first place.
"How's Fab?" I asked first. "I saw a photo of you together this afternoon. Kahit wala na ako bilang director at scriptwriter ng fake relationship n'yo, mukhang alam n'yo na ang gagawin."
"She's getting busy with her rehearsals," Priam answered. He stood before the machine. "Nagpaalam siya sa akin na baka mabawasan ang pagkikita namin tuwing afternoon at early evening. I told her that it's okay."
"Good—"
"And I also told her that I might drop by the rehearsals from time to time. I may be her pretend boyfriend, but I still need to show full support to what she does, right?"
I smirked. "Well, you know exactly what to do."
Ever since I got exposed as the mastermind behind the fake news about Fabienne, I had excluded myself from their narrative. Nangako ako na hindi ko na siya kakausapin at hindi na rin ako makikialam. But fret not. Oplan First Lady could do well without me. I had already given them the blueprint. All they needed to do was follow it.
"So . . . Is there anything important that we need to discuss?" He inserted a fifty peso bill in the slot. He pressed the button for iced coffee twice. "Is that why we're here?"
I sat on the couch beside the vendo and stretched my left leg. Itinabi ko sa gilid ang aking cane. "I know that I'm still suspended. I also don't want to talk about council stuff outside the uni, but this one's urgent."
Priam ducked to pick up the two cans in the dispenser. He offered one and took the seat next to me. The silence in the cold hallway was relaxing, but the news that I was about to break to him would be stressing.
"I don't want to talk about council stuff too." He opened the lid of his can and took a sip from it. "But it seems too important. What do I need to know urgently?"
"Maybe I should start by saying that we've got a problem. A serious one." I also opened the lid of my drink, but I only stared at the hole. "Let that sink in first."
"Huh?" He was about to take a sip, but he put down his drink. He turned to me with a puzzled expression on his face. "What is it this time?"
I sucked in a breath as I prepared myself to explain. "Remember the voting on the Freedom of Information bill? Valeria and I found a way to ensure that we would get five votes. Little did I know that it wasn't needed because Alaric's bloc was voting in favor of it."
"And?"
"Let's just say that our method was unconventional. Alaric found out and now he's using it to threaten us."
"What?!" he exclaimed. Muntik na niyang mabitiwan ang kanyang inumin. "Ano ba'ng ginawa n'yo?"
"We figured out that some CampuSite accounts who spread the disinformation about Fabienne were traced back to the College of Computer Studies areas. Ginamit namin ang info na 'yon para pasunurin si Chevy. If he voted in favor of the bill, we promised to not expose him."
"You mean you blackmailed him? My goodness, Cas!" He sprang from his seat and paced back and forth in front of me. "Blackmailing a chairperson of the College Student Council? What you did is absolutely wrong!"
"I know it is, but it's the only way we could have passed the FOI bill."
"It was all for naught, wasn't it? Because Alaric's bloc eventually voted for it."
"He tricked me," I spat, my fists clenching. "He made it appear that he and his cabal would be voting against it, forcing my hand to resort to extreme measures. Now he's using my own trick against me."
Damn that prick! Just when I thought that I had already outsmarted him, he pulled that stunt and made me look like a fool. Kahit masakit, aaminin kong nahulog ako sa patibong niya. Masyado akong naging reckless kaya nagkaroon tuloy siya ng bala laban sa amin. But what's done was done.
"Val knew about this plan of yours?" He took a pause from pacing. "And she approved of it?"
I gave him a slow nod. "I needed her to set a meeting with Chevy."
"What were you two thinking . . ." Priam muttered. He didn't yell it out, but his disappointment was felt in his tone. "This puts the USC in a precarious position. And this is on you, Cas. Val has some liability, too."
"I know it's my fault." I raised both of my hands in surrender. "I'll do better next time, once my suspension is over."
"There can be no next time," he countered with a shake of his head. "Sana'y naiintindihan mo na kung gaano ka-risky ang mga gano'ng plano mo. If you're going to act on behalf of the student council, you should consult me first. Always. You should have consulted me before you made that move on Chevy."
"I want to insulate you from the consequences just in case it doesn't work out the way I had intended," I argued. "The little you know, the better. That way, you can have plausible deniability."
"But I am the president and this is my council, Cas." Priam halted in front of me. "Kung wala akong kaalam-alam sa pinaggagawa ng mga officer ko, ano'ng klaseng message ang ipinapahiwatig n'on? How can I be an effective leader of the student body if I can't control my own council? Our critics will have a field day. And it looks like they're about to have one."
He had a point there. "Sorry, I didn't think it through. But all I want is to shield you from the potential fallout. Wala akong intensyon na i-undermine ang authority mo. That's why Val agreed in the first place. She wanted to shield you too."
Silence ensued between us as we sipped from our drinks. This whole Chevy business was not my best work. Masyadong messy, masyadong maraming butas. Nautakan na nga ako, madagdagan pa ang atraso ko kay Priam. I couldn't afford to give him a series of disappointments.
"What does Alaric want?" He sat next to me. "You said that he's using that info to threaten us?"
"Well . . ." I sucked in a deep breath before narrating to him what went down in my encounter with Alaric the Prick at the staircase.
"You're currently on leave, but I thought you might want to have a first look at my motion for today's LEXECOM meeting."
"What is this?"
"I'm invoking Article XIV, Section 2, Subsection 5 of the Elysian University Student Government's Constitution and Bylaws. I'm formally filing an impeachment complaint against USC President Priam Torres and USC Vice President Valeria Encarnacion for committing a form of misconduct that undermines the integrity of the council."
"W-What kind of misconduct are you talking about?!"
"The USC tried to blackmail one of the CSC chairpersons to vote in favor of the Freedom of Information bill. Remember your meeting with Chevy in that forsaken restaurant? Priam may not have been there in person, but it's not too far-fetched to assume that he gave you his blessing to proceed with that unscrupulous act. If that's not impeachable, I don't know what is."
"You . . . !"
"I already told you, didn't I? You will be the cause of the USC's downfall."
"You need six votes to impeach the USC president. You only have five votes with you. Your motion will fail."
"Then I need to convert one of the three ex-oppositionists or that lone independent in the committee. You know how persuasive I can be. It's my turn now, Cas. This is me officially declaring war against you and the USC."
I gritted my teeth as I stared at his smug face. Kung pwede kong ihampas ang cane ko sa kanya, ginawa ko na. But that would be unbecoming of me as a student council officer. We were also within the range of the surveillance camera. Kung anuman ang gagawin ko sa kanya, mahahagip 'yon sa footage. Baka mas madagdagan ang sakit sa ulo ni Priam at ng USC.
"But," he averted his gaze for a few seconds, "I am a merciful person. Priam and I may not be allies, but I respect him as the USC president. He didn't have the mandate to begin with since he didn't win majority of the votes and he apparently stole the presidency from my partymate. But rules are rules. He is the president—a respectable albeit an unpopular one."
"Are you coming to anything resembling a point?" I asked impatiently. Ang dami pa niyang paligoy-ligoy. Bakit hindi niya ako deretsohin? What else did he have in mind?
He grabbed the folder from me and hid it behind his back. He inched closer and stood face-to-face with me. Bahagya akong napatingala sa kanya dahil mas matangkad siya sa akin. Like an animal, he was trying to intimidate me with his size. Well, he's an animal. There's no debate about it.
"I can have him impeached or . . . he can step down," he spoke every word so slowly as if he wanted me to take time digesting each of them. "He and Valeria. I also want him to make a pledge that he's not going to run again in the next student council elections."
"You want him to resign?" Instead of being scared, he actually made me chuckle. "You want him to escape before you bring out all the pitchforks? Ganyan ka ba katakot kay Priam?"
"It's better to step aside with his dignity in tact than be dragged out of his little office. Him being impeached will put a stain in his clean record. I want to spare him from that embarrassment. He doesn't deserve it. Told you, I am a merciful man."
I threw my head back in laughter. Tinitigan niya lamang ako hanggang sa matapos ako sa pagtawa. All the tension that I had felt began to ease. "Look at you, Alaric. You're trying to make it look like you're doing him a favor. But the truth is, you're not certain if your impeachment stunt will succeed. You're also afraid that he has a shot at beating you in the student council elections. That's why you want to eliminate the competition as early as now."
His lips curled into a smirk. "I wouldn't play this card if the odds were not in my favor."
"You're short of one vote to impeach him and Val. And you're not sure if you can convince at least one of the other four CSC chairpersons. This is not you being merciful, Alaric. This is you being desperate. You're threatening to take us down with a gun, but you're afraid that you might miss us with your aim. So you want Priam to point it to his head and pull the trigger himself. A sure-fire victory for you."
He took in a deep breath then looked down. "I'm trying to give you a way out, but you fail to see it—"
"—I'm calling your bluff—"
"—I will give you a week," his voice drowned out mine. "If he doesn't resign, the motion will make it to the floor. Then, we'll see if I'm bluffing or not. Are you sure you want to play this game?"
And that's what happened in my conversation with Alaric the Prick. I got nervous at first, but I realized that there's still a way out of this dilemma.
"My resignation, huh?" Priam muttered, his head hanging low. "He's right, you know. If I were concerned about my image and my record, leaving now would be better than letting them kick me out."
"I'm willing to take the fall for this one, but only if you'll accept my resignation," I said as I looked him in the eye. I was willing to be held accountable, but he wasn't giving me the chance. Dalawang beses na niyang tinanggihan ang pagbibitiw ko. Maybe third time's the charm. "I won't be lying. I won't be making things up. I'll tell them the truth, na ako ang may pakana nito."
"It's too late for that, Cas. It doesn't matter anymore if it's your idea or not, if I knew about it or not. Everything that you do in your capacity as a USC officer, I'm ultimately responsible and accountable for it. The buck stops with me. It will be my head on the noose, not yours."
"Then I'll find a way to get you out of that noose. Kung anuman ang pinaplano ni Alaric, hindi pa siya gano'n ka-confident na magwo-work 'yan. If he were sure, he wouldn't have given us one week to think about it. Him being merciful is a load of bull."
He propped up his arms on his knees and took a long, deep breath while staring at the white wall in front of us. Muli na namang natahimik sa upuan namin. I sipped from my canned coffee as I waited for him to say a word.
"Cas," he called my name gently, "you know how much I support your quest for justice. That's why I agreed to take our stewardship of the student body as the opportunity to do exactly that. But maybe . . . there's another way."
My head turned to him. "No, Priam. You're not suggesting to—"
He gazed back at me. "You've gotten worse since we took office. All these schemes, all these manoeuvrings—it put not only me, but also the people around us in a position we can get hurt. Fab. Val. Soon, the rest of the council. It's not just me who's enabling you. It's the illusion of power brought by our positions."
"No, you're not going to resign, Priam. If you do, you're going to let Alaric win. And when he does, there won't be another way. We're in a perfect position right now!"
"If you're willing to find a way to get us out of this impeachment mess, then you can also find a way to fight him in another way."
I clicked my tongue. Oo, posibleng makahanap pa ako ng ibang paraan upang malabanan si Alaric the Prick. Pero hindi 'yon magiging kasing-effective kung kami pa rin ang may hawak sa USC. We got a fighting chance in this position. We had the high ground! Giving it up would be disadvantageous.
"Okay, fine." I let out a sigh. "You may resign the presidency—"
"—I don't need your permission to do that—"
"—but give me five days to exhaust all possibilities. Just five days," I cut his words short. "Kapag wala akong nahanap na paraan upang malusutan natin 'to, sige, mag-resign ka kung gusto mo. Pero bigyan mo muna ako ng chance para masiguro ko kung meron o wala na tayong laban sa banta ni Alaric."
Priam stared at me long enough that it made me feel uncomfortable. But I didn't look away from him. He must see my resolve, which he must have admired since that day.
"Fine. You've got five days," he replied in a resigned tone. Parang sinabi niya lamang 'yon para pagbigyan ako bilang kaibigan niya, hindi dahil naniniwala siyang magagawan pa namin ito ng paraan. "Once those are up, I shall resign the USC presidency."
"Thank you, Priam."
We finished our drinks and returned to my sister's private room. She was still sound asleep, as always.
I darted a sidelong glance at Priam. I got a trick up my sleeves that could make him reconsider his thought of resigning, but I would only use it if all else failed. Masyado pang maaga para ilapag ko ang baraha na 'yon.
For now, I had to make sure that everyone in our team would fall in line.
♔
NEXT UPDATE: Our First Lady returns to the stage!
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