NOTE: The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the authors. To the extent any real names of individuals, locations, or organizations are included in the book, they are used fictitiously and not intended to be taken otherwise.
OTHER BOOKS OF THE AUTHOR:
She's My Sleeping Pill (Ongoing)
My Wild Little Kitten Is A Mafia Boss (Silver Prize Winner for WPC #201; Ongoing)
Say You'll Love Me Again (Ongoing; Slow burn)
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Jillyanna placed the pot of white roses in a vacant space around her mother's tomb. Every time she visited her mom, she would bring a pot of flowers for her, and she paid a caretaker to help her groom the flowers when she was not around.
"Hey Mom, your space looks like a mini garden now. I brought so many flowers for you these past years. Where shall I place the other bunch next time?" she murmured while standing in front of her mother's grave.
She was wearing a black baseball cap and dark shades, covering her upper face. People who visited their loved ones tended to look at her. She wore a plain white off-shoulder blouse and a modest floral print maxi skirt that hid her long legs.
"Cielo and I successfully launched the new branch of our cafe. I wanted to go abroad and take a short vacation, but I feel like it's a hassle. Maybe I'll go two months from now," she continued to talk to herself, expressing her thoughts to her late mother.
"By the way Mom, Lucian found a new lead for your case, and sooner or later, we will be able to catch the person who killed you. You don't have to worry about me, I'm always careful. See? Your little girl has grown up already." She skipped and turned around as if her mother could see her silly actions.
People found her actions cute and adorable for someone who was already grown. They could feel and see how much she loved her mother based on her temperament while talking to the grave.
Her phone rang, showing Cielo's name on the caller ID.
"Yanna, Dad wants to know what time you'll be home, and Mom is so excited she prepared almost all your favorite food. Ugh, are they your parents or my parents? How come they like you so much?" Cielo's series of complaints made her laugh out loud.
"They like me because I'm pretty and I'm smart," Jillyanna played along while removing some dried leaves from her mother's tomb.
"Shut up, sister! I'm smarter than you. Anyway, come home soon or I'll keep calling you at ten-minute intervals," Cielo threatened her, knowing that she hated answering calls.
"I know, I know. I'm almost done here. I'll be there around 6:00 o'clock in the evening," she responded to her friend's inquiry. Cielo chatted about a few other things before finally ending the call.
Jillyanna slipped her phone inside her bag before facing her mother again. She smiled faintly as she recalled memories with her mom.
"Mom, I won't be staying long. I still have some things to do tonight. I'll visit you again soon. I just hope that next time, I can bring you some good news. Anyway, I'm going home now." Jillyanna turned on her heel and walked away from her mother's grave after bidding her farewell.
She walked towards the parking lot outside the memorial park to get her car. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted a man brushing past her who looked incredibly familiar. The man paused for a brief moment, but he didn't turn around or even cast a glance her way.
Jillyanna shrugged her shoulders, thinking that she might have mistaken him for someone else. She continued walking towards her sedan, a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, without looking back.
She was rummaging through her bag for her keys when suddenly, she sensed someone rapidly approaching her. Relying on instinct, she quickly took a side step to her left, spun around, and grabbed the hand of a woman who was holding a white handkerchief.
The woman was caught entirely off guard, but she immediately reacted, using her free hand to grip Jillyanna's other arm.
Jillyanna twisted her arm to break the tight hold, pushing the woman away from her with enough force to almost slam her into a neighboring car.
"What do you want from me?" her scrutinizing, ice-cold gaze should have made people scram from fear. However, the woman in front of her remained calm and collected, holding out the handkerchief to her.
"You dropped this. I was inside my car, so it took me a moment to catch up and give it back to you," the woman responded, observing her like an insect under a magnifying glass.
Jillyanna took the handkerchief and noticed her initials embroidered on it. "Thank you for giving this back to me. I'm sorry if I hurt you. I was just being careful," she said, offering a deep bow to express her sincere apology.
The woman waved her hand to dismiss the matter before offering a faint smile. "It's good to be aware of your surroundings. I'll go ahead. Take care."
The woman waved once more and left in a hurry, leaving Jillyanna standing there like a statue, deeply embarrassed for mistaking a Good Samaritan for a criminal.
"Sigh. I can't believe I did that again." Jillyanna tucked the handkerchief securely inside her bag before getting into her car.
She pushed the guilt to the back of her mind so she could concentrate on driving. She maneuvered the car out of the parking lot and drove back to Cielo's house.
Little did she know, someone had just taken a deadly interest in her. Her appearance was remarkably similar to the woman he had fixated on for so many years.
A dark smirk formed on the man's lips before he melted back into the crowd. He pulled up the zipper of his black jacket, covering half of his face with the hood.
Earlier, when he had approached her, he was entirely certain he would be able to snatch her—but that unknown woman had spoiled his entire plan.
The man gritted his teeth in sheer anger as he stalked away from the scene.