Later that evening, dinner was ready at Mama Cruz's residence. Everyone gathered around the table, the aroma of the meal filling the room. Kane, seated at the head, was asked to say the prayer.
"Dear God, maker of heaven and earth, and even the food we're about to eat, protect us and guide us from all our enemies," Kane began, his voice steady but full of emotion.
"Bring my sister back to us, so we can be a full family again. I know You are watching over her, but we miss her so much. Please bring her back to us, so we can sit at the same table and share a meal once more. I'll keep on blessing Your name, Lord. Amen."
"Amen," everyone responded softly, their voices filled with hope.
Then Valerie slammed her spoon against the table, startling everyone. "Kendra! Kendra! What is going on here?!" she shouted, frustration blazing in her eyes.
"This is unbelievable! I'm left in the dark while everyone else acts like nothing's wrong! Why won't anyone tell me about my model?" She jabbed the spoon toward him, her voice shaking.
"Oh gosh, I hate all this," she muttered, pushing her plate aside. Without another word, she stormed off toward her room.
Kane jumped up, moving to follow her. "Valerie, wait! Don't...."
Mama Cruz laid a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "Let her be, Kane," she said gently. "She's angry and scared. She needs time to process everything on her own."
The dining room fell silent, the clatter of cutlery fading as Valerie's footsteps echoed up the stairs. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, the tension hanging thickly in the air.
Kane sat back down, rubbing his forehead. "She's really hurting, isn't she?" he muttered.
Mama Cruz nodded, her eyes distant. "Yes… and the more we shield her from the truth, the heavier it weighs on her. She'll come back when she's ready. All we can do is wait and support her."
The family returned to their meal, but the warmth around the table had shifted. Laughter was gone, replaced by a quiet, lingering sense of longing, a hope that one day, the empty emotional space would be healed, and the family would feel whole again.
After dinner, Mama Cruz was in her room when she heard a soft knock on the door.
"The door is open," she called.
Valerie walked in, eyes red, and knelt in front of her mother.
"Mom… I'm so sorry for the attitude I showed earlier. Please forgive me," she sobbed. She wiped her tears and Mama Cruz gently lifted her onto the bed.
"Hey, baby… forgive me too. I know what you feel in this little box," she said, pointing at Valerie's chest.
"Your beautiful model… the one you met at the playground… is Kendra Sunshine Cruz, your elder sister," Mama Cruz continued, her voice trembling with emotion. She paused, then laughed softly through tears.
"Kane! I know you're eavesdropping, come join us!" she called. Kane shrugged, raising his shoulders in an 'I've been caught' gesture, and entered the room.
"This beautiful sister of yours went out one particular night and never returned. She was among those kidnapped years ago," Mama Cruz explained. "But God being so good… my little angel brought her back, even though we don't know where she lives yet."
"Then why don't we post her pictures around?" Valerie asked eagerly.
"No, Valerie," Mama Cruz said gently. "Mr. Cruz became a drug addict after losing her and seeing her picture alone made him mad till he later passed away. I just want to keep a low profile until I find her."
Valerie reached over and wiped a tear from her mother's cheek. "If Pangay Playground is where I need to stay and play… then that's exactly what I'll do to bring my big sister home," she declared confidently.
She grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote in bold block letters:
"OPERATION: FIND MY BIG SISTER, MY MODEL!"
She pasted it in every corner of the room, stepping back to admire her work.
"We're going to be one big family again… hurraaaay! Cheers to the happiness that's coming!" Glasses of champagne were raised and clinked. For the first time in a long while, everyone felt a sense of relief, and that night, they all slept peacefully, hearts full of hope.
The next morning, Ivan was already on the move. His mind raced through every detail Mr. Mann had given him. BM-8275W, the midnight departure, the strange change in course, the bloodied island. Each fact was a thread, and he had to follow them all to find the truth.
He pulled out a map of the harbor, tracing the ship's original route to Malaysia and the unexpected deviation toward Thailand. Notes and markings cluttered the margins. Somewhere along that route, hundreds of lives had vanished, and it was up to him to uncover what had happened.
Ivan's phone buzzed. It was Mr. Mann again, confirming a contact at the last known waypoint of the cargo ship. "He's expecting you," the voice said. "Be careful. Some of the people involved are dangerous."
Clutching the phone, Ivan's jaw tightened. "I'm not leaving without answers," he muttered under his breath.
Hours later, he arrived at a small, worn-out dock on the outskirts of the harbor. The sun glinted off the water, masking the dark secrets hidden beneath. An old fisherman waited, his gaze sharp despite his age.
"You're Ivan, right? Mr. Mann said you'd be coming," the fisherman said. "I saw things… strange things with that ship. Things you might not want to hear."
Ivan nodded, taking a deep breath. "I need the truth. Every detail you remember. Lives are at stake."
The fisherman's eyes narrowed. "Then follow me. But be warned once you step onto that path, there's no turning back."
Ivan followed silently, determination written across his face. Somewhere out there, Kendra Sunshine Cruz waited, and he would find her. No matter the cost.
They stopped near an abandoned warehouse. The fisherman gestured for Ivan to stay back while he opened a hidden side door. Inside, stacks of shipping crates lined the walls, and dusty ledgers sat piled high.
"Look here," the fisherman said, handing Ivan a ledger. "BM-8275W, the cargo ship. Everything about its last voyage is recorded here."
Ivan flipped through the pages, eyes scanning the unusual notes, routes, and hidden entries. Then he froze. "Two hundred people… no official records… hidden destinations…"
The fisherman's face grew grim. "Exactly. They weren't supposed to arrive at any legal port. This ship… it was meant for human trafficking. Children, young adults… people taken from their homes, sold like cargo. The 'engine breakdown' and course change were all part of the plan to avoid detection."
Ivan's hands tightened on the ledger. "But… the ship sank, didn't it?"
The fisherman nodded solemnly. "Yes. Before they could transfer the victims, something went wrong. The ship broke down, then sank. Blood, chaos… some survived, some didn't. That girl, Maryanne… she's the only one we know who made it out alive, though she's still in a coma."
Ivan's jaw clenched. Rage, frustration, and determination surged through him. "So their plan failed… but someone survived. And that means there's still hope. I'll find her… and anyone else they might have taken."
The fisherman studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Careful, lad. They've covered their tracks well. And even with the ship gone, others involved might still be out there."
Ivan tucked the ledger under his arm, glancing at the horizon where the sun was beginning to dip. Somewhere beyond those waters, the truth was hidden.