BRIAN POV

"Why don't you go inside?" I asked Logan and Nathalie when I saw them still standing beside the closed door of the library.

I raised my brow when the two stayed silent. Knowing Nathalie, she's the other part of Natasha that is always complaining about everything. Yes. You hear that right. Natasha has a multiple personality disorder.

Natasha who is known as a sweet and lovable kid, but too stubborn sometimes.

Then it came to Nathalie when she's 7 years old. Nathalie is the persistent one. Aside from the fact that she's always complaining even in every small thing she's best at her archery skills.

And Ohh did I mention that Nathalie is part of the Marthiani mafia? If not? Now I did.

I don't know how that happened though. All I know is that she's braging in my room one day and telling me that Alex wants her to do something and she wants me to train her. I didn't ask why or what would be the reason why she wants to learn from me because I just found myself on training her secretly and the rest was history.

And there is Nicky, the one who loves modeling. The innocent but not so innocent one. Nicky is in love with…..
My thoughts interrupted when the door in front of me suddenly opened by Jacovie itself.

I motioned my head to the two to follow me inside. And as we entered I saw guns and knives in each of them.

"Natasha?!"

"Nathalie!"

I don't know who said that 'cause all I know was they all gasped when we entered the room.

Okay? What's going on here?

I shook my head as I made my way beside Hanz who still looked dazed for whatever reason it is.

I gently put my laptop on the table and then sit beside my brother.

When I look back at Logan and Nathalie they are still standing beside the closed door of the room.

"Care to explain what this is?" I was intrigued when no one wanted to talk.

"You knew?!" Patricia asked.

"Knew about what?" I retorted.

"About Marthiani!" Oh. I averted my gaze on Mae when she said that. So? Did Alex tell them already?

I take a glance at Alex who's already looking at me. When she shook her head no. That's when I realized that she didn't tell anything. So?

"I'm sorry Brian." Nathalie whispered suddenly.

"For what?" I was confused. What's really happening here?

When I look at Logan he just crosses his arms over his chest as he shrugged his shoulder.

I roamed my gaze at everyone and that's when I noticed that they were still aiming their guns at each other.

"Sai." I called. He gave me a disapproving look but I just nodded at him then motioned to drop his gun down which he reluctantly made as he sigh heavily.

Drew and Red did the same thing then took their own seat.

While Kevin just grinned at me sheepishly. Tsk.

Hindi ba dapat siya ang pumipigil sa mga to? Ano sa tingin niya ang ginagawa niya? Minsan talaga hindi ko alam kung mas matanda ba siya sakin sa inaasal niya.

When I looked  at Nathalie she mouthed again the word 'sorry' which I don't really understand why but when Mae cleared her throat to get my attention that's when I realized why Nathalie was sorry.

"Kailan mo pa nalaman to?" I asked, referring to the information inside the envelope that she gave me.

"When Alex started acting weird."
She simply said.

"Ohh.. Well… remember the day when you told me we're going home?"Mae asked her. Alex just nodded her head. "I know that something's off, that's why I asked Seed to give me some tracking device and recorder but of course I didn't tell him…."

"You didn't tell me you're going to use that on Alex." Seed argues as he cuts Mae's words.

"Exactly! Because if I told you there's no fucking way that you can keep a secret."

"Abat….."

"Language woman." I said sternly at Mae. Which caused Seed to didn't finish his words.

"Tsk."

"Actually I already forgot about the recorder not until Patricia here was bubbling about her brother. On how you are willingly obliged to drive your car back home. On how you seemed to know him already before you even met each other. How you seemed to feel comfortable around him. How you exchange ...."

"Get to the point!" Alex said in a bored tone.

Mae scratches the back of his neck while pouting then mumbling something to herself.

"Well…. As I was saying. I asked Zian to investigate for me when he said something about Natasha when you went off for a week. Well of course as expected Zian can't say no to me. I also asked Patricia to look after Hanz when he's….."

"Shane Marie!"

"Well Alex if you just let me finish…."

"Then don't play around the bush."

"Tsk. Okay. Okay. Atat lang ang peg?" Mae murmured more to herself.

"Ang dami pa kaseng sinasabi."

"May sinasabi ka Sharmain?"

Sharmain just sneered at her as she shrugged her shoulders.

I groaned in frustration when they bicker back and forth with each other.

"Okay. As I was saying. I gathered information on why Alex acting weird this past few weeks. I let Patricia to hack the Laptop of Natasha last week which we found out about Nathalie and Nicky. I didn't know that Natasha has a multiple personality disorder until Patricia found it……" She paused, then gave me another brown envelope and an USB?

".....Ito lang naman ang nakita namin sa Laptop ni Natasha." She said while I opened the envelope just to find out what was inside.

I gasped when I saw all the information and also the copy of the contracts between Jacovie and Alex. How? I mean how did Natasha have this information?

"Ito naman ang nakita ni Sai sa computer ni Hanz."

Mae handed me another envelope.

"You open my computer?" Hanz asked in disbelief.

Mae simply shrugged her shoulders as if it's the normal thing to do.

"And this is what I found out." She gave me another envelope. I frowned when I saw what's inside.

"Who is this?" I was confused.

"Why don't you ask Ethan?" I knitted my brow as I looked at her. What does she mean by that?

I'm about to ask Ethan when Alex grabs the envelope on my grip.

"Who is this?" Alex also asked. But when she looked closer at the picture she gasped as her eyes widened and her grip on the picture became tightened. Her golden brown eyes become darker because of anger when she looks at Ethan.

She's about to grab the collar of Ethan's clothes when Jacovie grabbed her by her waist to prevent her from attacking Ethan.

"Who the fuck is this?" She angrily asked as she tried to pry the hands of Jacovie on her waist.

The twins rose up on their seat but Patricia held the arms of Sai to stop him while Hanz holding Seed arms then whispered something in his ear. Seed flopped back his body on his chair while pouting and cursing under his breath.

"Alex!" Nathalie called out but Logan was already holding her arms to stop her.

"I'm fucking asking you Ethan! Who the fuck is this?" The anger on her voice made my body shiver. Ethan stiffen on his seat while Sharmain and Clyde fidgeting on their seat at the same time.

Ethan took a deep breath then locked his gaze on Alex. "That's Niel. Nolan Niel Clark Lopez. The younger brother of Noah Clark Lopez." He said, whispering the last words.

Brother?

"Younger Brother?" Alex asked in disbelief.

"Why don't you……"

"Ethan!" Jacovie said in a stern voice.

"You knew?" Alex whispered. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I have reasons." Jacovie said flatly as he loosen his grip on Alex's waist.

"Reasons?" Alex asked confusedly. "Like what?"

Jacovie pinches the bridge of his nose then turns his back to Alex but Alex grabs his arm to stop him at his pace.

"What reasons?" Alex asked coldly and that's my cue to stand on my seat to stop her. Because at this point I know Alex was trying her best to calm herself.

You can see the hatred and betrayal in her eyes.

I can't blame her though. Even I myself will feel the same way if I'll be the one in her situation right now.

But of course I plopped down forcefully on my chair when Hanz dragged me down unexpectedly by my arm.

"You don't need to know." Jacovie simply said without any emotion in his voice.

Alex knitted her brows at him as she let go the arms of Jacovie on her grip. Alex opened and closed her mouth a few times then shook her head. You can see the doubt on her eyes while still looking at the back of Jacovie. Alex sighs in disappointment as she tries to hide the hurts in her eyes.

           *****__________________*****

I composed myself while sitting next to my brother when everyone got themselves together. But I still feel uncomfortable when I feel the burning eyes digging a hole in my side. I just know who's giving me that death glare and no need for me to confirm my suspicion.

Alex gave each of us a brown envelope and when I opened it to look at what's inside Patricia beat me by saying or should I say more than a question something in disbelief that I myself don't know what to say either.

"Blueprint of DONNELLEY COMPANY?" Patricia asked whispered.

"What about this? What's the catch?" Sai asked calmly swaying his swivel chair left to right while tapping his fingers on the arm rest of it.

"I got a call from someone a few days ago. He's warning me that if my friend is going to continue intruding on his business he will explode the whole building. That's why I asked Ellie for some help." Jacovie said without hesitation locking his blank gaze to Sai which didn't reach for my liking.

Even if he's blocking all his emotions he's being obvious that he didn't really like Sai because of jealousy.

If he's that afraid na baka mahulog si Alex kay Sai then why didn't he pursue Alex until she gave in. Not unless he's afraid that Alex will reject him?

Can't he see how Alex looks at him? Isn't it obvious that Alex also likes him more than he will ever know? Oh man. How can you be with each other if the two of you are too stubborn and keep denying your own feelings towards each other?

"Brian!"

I didn't know I zoned out that long when Alex called my name.

I cleared my throat and sat properly as I pushed back up my glasses to hide myself from embarrassment.

"You're saying?" I asked Alex innocently while flipping the tone of papers in front of me.

"You're zoning out." Alex muttered unbelievably.

"Am I?" I asked back without glancing at her.

"Brian!" She called my name again. This time more firmer.

"Hhmm?" I humm as I took a glance at her. Alex looked at me with her typical bored look and I mouthed the word 'what?' on her. She just raised a brow on me then shook her head in conceivably.

"Aren't you going to ask who called Jacovie?" Patricia was the one who exclaimed, giving me her skeptical look while crossing her arms over her chest as she raised a brow in me.

I knitted my brow as I looked at Jacovie, questionable but he avoided it. His eyes danced aggressively around the room but he looked long enough at Logan which made me sneer inside.

Now I know why he didn't tell me about the call. This should have been related to Logan's New case. I should have known this coming. I've been warning him ever since he told me about it. And look what he's done now? This will be going to be a long run. I should not listen to him.

My eyes drifted slightly from Patricia who's giving me a death glare then I sighed heavily. I still have to deal with her after this.

"I'm just his Lawyer plain and simple." I said monotonously.

At least that's what I want to think it is.

The truth was. I'm not really a part of the Ferriera and Marthiani Mafia. It's just that I need to be part of them because of my father. It happens to be that my Father was the Lawyer of Ferriera and Marthiani Mafia and I need to continue his legacy and become a Lawyer of Marthiani Family because Logan is the new Lawyer of Ferriera family.

And I hate to admit the fact that I owe my new life to Althea. And I'm thanking Alex for what I am now. For what I become now. Because, if she didn't help me back then when my father almost gave up on me I don't know what I will become these days. Maybe I'm still rotten my ass inside the jail.

Yeah. You heard it right. I used to take drugs when I was younger than them. I'm into a fight almost everyday. Maybe because I hate my life. I hate to admit the truth that I was adopted by a millionaire at the age of ten. Because of my abusive and a drug addict father and not so caring mother I ran off at my home when I was eight. And I ended up at a foster house.

That's when I met Mr. Daniel Desmundo Ferriera and Althea Desmundo Ferriera, best friend of Mr. Kim Holley Parker.

Mr. Kim was the one who adopted me. At first I'm wondering why Mr. Ferriera was not the one who pulled me out of the foster house. Not until……

"Brian?!" My thoughts brought back to reality when Hanz called my name while poking my side.

I look at him bewildered. When he sighs and slouches back on his chair whispering something to himself which I didn't understand. I just smiled at him half-heartedly.

Tilting my head on my side, I looked up to see Alex just to be greeted by her unimpressed look. I swallowed sharply. Sitting properly on my chair propping my elbow on the table and rested my chin on my intertwined fingers. "I'm listening." I said trying to act uninterested at all. But the truth was I also want to know who's the caller.

"You're slacking out Brian." Alex said flatly. Looking at her I see disappointment in the corner of her eyes.

"Exactly! I'm just stating the fact that not because I'm his Lawyer doesn't mean that he'll be going to cinfide me everything that happened to his life. And what are we doing here anyway?" I said in one breath. Feeling irritated at the way she looked at me. Adding the fact that I still feel the burning gaze from Patricia.

"Oh my God!.... " Alex said sarcastically, placing her right palm over her heart to become more dramatic and making an unbelievable look. "....what happened to Brian? This is so not you." She added sighing heavily while shaking her head unexpectedly.

I narrowed my eyes on her as if she'd grown two heads and I groaned in disbelief not understanding what her problem was.

"Are you with us now?" Alex said flatly tapping her fingers on top of the table mockingly.

I groaned deeper and just nodded my head, slamming my back on the swivel chair to give her my full attention.

Alex grinned at me triumphantly.

Crazy woman nowadays. Tsk.

"As I was saying. We need to fix everything until he finds out about our plans. So…. I'm pairing you guys up….." She started calmly. Too calm that I found it weird. How did she even do that? How can she be so calm if she knows that her life is in danger. Again. "....someone who needs to defuse all the bombs in three days…."

" Paano natin malalaman kung nasaan nakalagay ang mga bomba?"

"The reason why I'm giving you….."

"Make sense."

"If you're just let me finish Seed….." Alex said irritatedly while pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Sorry." He interjected half-heartedly.

Alex sighs heavily while mumbling something in herself. Then she scratched lightly the ring that was hanging on her necklace absentmindedly but when her action registered on her system she cursed many times under her breath. She hides the necklace inside of her letter graphic crop tee blouse trying to hide all the emotions in her eyes.

When Sai groaned in disbelief while his gaze locked on the ring finger of Jacovie the rested freely on the armrest of his swivel chair while swaying it back and forth.

I cleared my throat to get his attention and when he looked at me I raised my hand to simply brush my hair with my fingers while looking at him.

He shifted a little on his seat, rubbing his palm in front of his jeans then staffing it on his front pocket. But too late because Patricia beat him by asking the question that I don't want to hear.

Because the truth was. I don't want to add my mistake by not telling her the truth. Even if It's not my story to tell. And I feel guilty by hiding it from her.