TRINITY: The Secret of the Old

Chapter Two

I quickly closed my laptop before he could get close, knowing he was a meddler.

"Nothing, I just looked at something." I brightened my smile as I looked at him and stood myself up from sitting at the study table's chair, and hugged him. His haircut style still hasn’t changed. Still the clean cut with his side bang. 

"How's your trip?" he asked.

"It's good. It's perfect." I lied. Nothing will change if I say no.

I sat on the side of the bed while he remained standing, seeing he did not believe what I was saying. "Then? You, Shin. How are you?" I changed the topic from me to him.

He combed her hair using his hand and smiled at me. "Well, It's good. No bodyguard at all."

"Weeeh?" My eyes widened, and my mouth slightly opened. How is that possible? 

"Yes." He nodded in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yay! Not fair. Why do I have still my bodyguard?" I muttered. Papa was unfair.

His face was laughing. "I don't know. Ask Papa about it."

Aish, that's not fair. Do I have a bodyguard for the rest of my life? I can't do what I want because of that flashy bodyguard. I'll talk to papa, I can't just have a bodyguard, and Shenjie doesn't have one. I picked up the phone and was ready to call Papa.

Shenjie sat on the study table chair in front of me. He put his arms on the back of the chair and rested his chin. "As far as I know, dad will transfer you to the school where I used to go. Tell me, Trinity, did you do something silly and throw you here?" he inquired, giving me that inquisitiveness.

Aish! Papa cannot be reached. I stared at him in surprise. "I don't know, and I didn't do anything to make him angry. I'm a sensible child."

"Eh? Isn't it? Impossible without having any trouble, missy." The amusement in his tone, and I grimaced.

I put the phone on my lap and thought. He was worried if I had done something wrong or been stubborn, in Papa's opinion. Aish! Nothing really. I couldn’t help but scratch my head.

"Nothing really, as long as papa just transfers me to the school having no absolute reason, even if I ask him why papa is just silent. Weird, isn't it?" I expressed my annoyance at him.

 He blew the bangs covering his eyes with a frown facial expression before combing it with his hand back into place.

"I don't know if weird is fit. As I know, Papa is like that."

"You're right, Shin." I nodded. That's really how our father is, and it's no wonder.

After Shenjie left, I went back to what I was doing on the laptop. He was going somewhere, so I was the only one here except for the helpers, gardeners, and my bodyguard. Even if I want to leave and go to April, I can't do it, especially someone is watching me. It's ok if mama was here for mama will help me. Hays! I miss mama, and I hate being away from her.

I googled Vellas University, a well-known school in the Philippines where I am transferring. Why just a school page? It doesn't have a website. I looked at the posts and pictures on the page. Until I stop scrolling through a photo, I zoom in on the image to see those faces in the picture. Even if his face was not focused, the familiar face was in him. It looks like the cameraman had taken him accidentally and did not notice the background.

"He is studying here. Will Shannon be happy if I show him this picture?" I asked myself wondering, and leaned at my seat. Brows furrowed darting on his image.

Why not I try? And I saved the image to the flash drive and continued to scroll when suddenly my phone rang. Unlisted number, who is it?

I answered the call, but I did not speak first. No one knows my number except April, Danica, and Shannon. I will first listen to the voice of who it is.

[Hi, Trin, it's Danica, my new number. ]

I lost my bad feeling when I found out that it was Danica.

"Lora! How are you? I thought you wouldn't call.”

'Of course, I'll call when I find out you're in the Philippines now, you deceiving bitch!’ And I heard her chuckle. ‘You will be with April; Shannon and I don't know when we will be back there.” I noticed the bad feeling in her voice on the other line. 

Danica Marie Slynder is one of my friends besides April and Shannon. The four of us were in grade school, but after high school, Shannon and Danica migrated to the states while April was here in the Philippines. When will we meet again? Aish! April was just around the corner, so it would be difficult for me to escape, especially since I didn't know the whole house. I miss the group of four of us.

"What's wrong? You know, we're still not complete. We're just the two of us here, and then you're there? It would be best if you went here so that Best Friends Allies will be back again," I suggested.

'Soon, if ever. Where did your kind daddy send you to school again? Huh? Maybe you did something wrong? '

I rolled my eyes. "Duh! I'm such a good daughter, noh. I didn't do anything to make Papa angry and throw me here in the Philippines. I'm upset but happy too. However, I will surely miss Mama so much." I will miss mama a lot. I hope Papa just brought her here for fair, right? I'm sure mama will be sad there.

"Really, huh? Should I believe you? 'I heard her laugh. I don't think it. She's my best friend so she should believe me, right?

"I don't know about you; you know me, Nica,” I asserted seriously. Suddenly she ceased her laughter on the other line.

'Yeah, I'll talk to you later, be careful there beh. Love you, mwah chopchop!' And a laugh she had again. She was really crazy.

"All right, no take care. Bye, I hate you mwah mwah stupee,” my response with a cackle, and in unison, we laughed. I missed them so much.

I went back to looking at the post, maybe I could find another pic of him, but until the last post, there was no other pic. Did Shenjie know the man? It can be yes or no. I will ask him if he knows Carlo Carter Escalona.

I went out of the room, and I was just going to get a drink. I've been thirsty before, and I've been calling Roger before to get me a glass of water, but I waited a few minutes for him to answer and hoped for nothing.

Where is Roger? He was not in the room. Where could he go? I went down the stairs. I passed the library; I stopped when I heard my brother's voice and another voice of a man I did not know and Roger's voice, they were conversing. The door was slightly opened. I tiptoed and walked silently into the library's entrance, and peeked.

"I think she will be safe as of now. They won't know she's here." Roger's voice. I peeked slowly. A man standing next to Roger turned his back while my brother sat on the chair of his desk. When did he come home? Why didn't I notice his car?

Who are they talking about?

"I hope so," My brother Jerwin's voice was solemn. "We just need to keep her away from them no matter what. Her life will be in danger when they know who she is. Roger, I need you to find the person I told you before when you came here."

"Yes, Master." I was shocked when Roger said Master to my brother Jerwin. As I know, sir was what he called my brother and papa.

"You may leave now," he said as they have done. I hurried to the kitchen before they knew I was listening to their conversation.

I quickly fetched water from the dispenser and didn’t notice a maid cleaning the sink. To my surprise, I was startled a little bit, and she took the glass in my hand and put it in the sink.

"I'll put it on, senorita." said the maid to me. I just nodded and thanked her.

Who is my brother talking about? Who is she? My mind floated when I returned to the room. Without Roger, what did my brother order for him, and who is Roger looking for?