THE knocks on the door broke Euclid’s stare at Maria. He stood and went to open the door of the interrogation room.
“Agent Fred is asking if we should open the CCTV—”
“No,” Euclid cut off immediately. “Tell him that if he laid his hands on the control, I would kick him out from this mission.”
Maria heard the man behind the door laugh after what Euclid said. She doesn’t know that the CCTV inside this room was closed. Still, she let Euclid remove her cloak without an assurance of her privacy.
“Fred really wanted to see your face again,” he said when he returned to his seat. “Wear it before we step out of this room.”
Maria took the disposable mask that Euclid put on the table. “Is he the man that went inside the room after the raid?”
Euclid nodded. “He’s my partner.”
“How about the other one?” she asked.
“That’s David,” he said. “Don’t worry, your identity is safe with my team—”
“I don’t trust anybody,” she said quickly.
“But, you trusted me when I told you to remove your mask,” Euclid countered and looked into her eyes.
Maria met his gaze. “That’s because you threaten to kill me. And, meeting my death is the last thing that I want to do now.”
“And, you believed that I will actually shoot you in the head?” Euclid asked with a chuckle.
Maria’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of his laugh. But, before all the memories could flash to her again, she ditched them.
“You pulled the trigger, what do you expect me to react to?” she asked back. “I really thought you will kill me right on the spot—”
“Maria, I can’t kill a woman that is pleading for her life,” Euclid said and reached for her hand on the table. This time, Maria didn’t avoid his touch. “You know that—”
“It’s not your thing,” she finished his words as the warmth of his hand caressed her skin. With his touch, Maria felt the feeling of safety that she had already forgotten how it felt. “You can’t even kill a fly back then.”
Euclid laughed, and Maria’s heart jumped. “Now, I found out that a single fly serves a relevant role in forensics.”
Maria knotted her forehead. She doesn’t understand anything that he said. “And, you’re still geeky Euclid that I saw reading a novel on the shore.”
Euclid suddenly fell silent. He looked away from her and raised from his seat. “We should get out now. The medical staff is waiting for you for your blood sample.”
Maria stood. “Euclid…” When he looked at her, she continued. “It was Demi that recruited me in the club.”
The corners of his mouth quirked up. “Then, why did you accept her offer to work in the club?”
Maria swallowed hard. Euclid’s tone of voice suddenly changed again, and she was expecting it. She knew that Euclid was just playing again to get her trust, and she has to keep it up.
“Because I need money to live and support myself here in Manila,” she lied. “When I came here, I have no one to turn to, but only myself—”
“What are you doing here in Manila in the first place, Maria?” Euclid walked towards her. “How did you end up here?”
“It’s a long story, Euclid,” she said and bit her lower lip.
“I have all my time to listen, Maria.” He took her hand. “Don’t be scared. I am here now.”
Maria lowered her head to hide the real emotions in her eyes when she looked up at him, a fake feeling of fear covered her eyes. “My brother died from a heart atFredk, and my mother_____for his death. She hates me to the extent that she wished that it was me that died,” her voice broke, and tears fell down her cheeks.
Euclid squeezed her hand. “Shh… If you’re still not ready to tell it, I’m willing to wait until you’re ready.”
Maria hugged him. And, the moment their body pressed against each other, Maria instantly felt the longing for the man. But, she shouldn’t be entertaining these feelings again. She promised herself that she won’t fall for him again.
“Euclid, please help me get out of here,” she murmured in between tears. “Sara needs me…”
Euclid pulled free from her embrace. “Who’s Sara?”
Maria bit her tongue for its mistake. Still, she has to answer Euclid for him to let her out. She has to fabricate a story. “She’s my friend’s little sister, and she treated me as her mother. She’s alone at our house.”
Euclid looked at her intently, when Maria couldn’t take it anymore, she buried her face to his chest and hugged him. “Please, Euclid…”
“I will send Frederick to your home to look out for the child—”
“No, I have to be the first person that she sees when she wakes up,” Maria insisted.
“The drug test results will be released tomorrow, and we have to detain all of you until there are no results,” Euclid said. “I’m sorry, Maria. But, we have our protocols—”
Maria pressed her lips to fight her tears. But, she can’t suppress it. Thinking that her daughter might cry again when she didn’t see her is heart-wrenching for her.
“Maria, aren’t you tired of crying?” Euclid groaned. He reached her face to wipe her tears.
“I need to go home, Euclid,” she pleaded. “I have to be there when she wakes up.”
Euclid held her shoulders. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do… But, you have to cooperate with everything that our medical technicians need to move forward with the investigations.”
Maria nodded. “I will. I promise.”
Euclid heaved a sigh. “When I opened this door, you’ll pretend that you don’t know me.”
“Why?” Maria asked, with brows furrowed. And, it’s her genuine reaction. “You don’t want them to know that we knew each other?”
“Yes, because if they did. They’ll question the favor that I will give you before the sun rises.” When she nodded, Euclid put her mask on her face. “Don’t ever cry again, Maria.”
She looked straight into Euclid’s eyes. ‘Don’t ever trust him again, Maria…’ she told herself.
***