Aiah's Pov
"What's the update about denise lee?" I asked.
"Jho and colet already followed her every movements. We can commence the plan tomorrow lunch." Maloi said.
Maloi ended the video call meeting. Mikha's gonna have lunch with denise at lee residence. Bibigyan siya ni maloi ng spy camera at voice recorder.
"Knock knock attorney maraiah." Mikha said.
"Mikha." I said.
Mikha's infront of my table. Sa pagka-excited ko, tumayo ako kaagad sa upuan at niyakap siya.
"H-Hi, i just arrived and i went straight here." Mikha said.
Nagulat ata siya sa yakap ko.
"You're flustered." I said.
"You always got that effect on me." Mikha said.
"Nag chat ka sana." I said.
"I know you have a meeting, maloi told me." Mikha said.
"I'm glad you're home." I said.
"So am i, let's go watch a movie tonight at my condo just like i promise." Mikha said.
"You kept your promise." I said.
"Of course, especially for you." Mikha said.
Her cheeks are blushing, how cute.
"I wouldn't missed every time i get to be with you." Mikha said.
Inayos ko agad gamit ko at hinawakan kamay niya.
"Then let's go, i can't wait to watch a movie with you." I said, smiling at her.
Umalis na kami sa firm at pumunta sa condo niya. Nag shower muna ako bago kami nanuod. Our food for tonight is chicken wings, popcorn and soda.
"How's baguio?" I asked.
"It's the same but the people there kinda miss me cooking at my restaurant there." Mikha said.
"Mikhs pwede magtanong?" I said.
"Sure aiah, ask away." Mikha said.
"Did you try to have a crush in other people besides me before?" I asked.
"I did try but it didn't last long because my heart always beat only for you." Mikha said.
I leaned my head on her shoulder.
"I wanna know you more." I said.
"You will aiah." Mikha said.
Hinawakan niya kamay ko habang nanunuod kami. I wanna talk about what we are right now but i'm just too happy that we're spending time together.
The next day lunchtime, the plan has started. Mikha and denise are having lunch at denise's house. Naka-stand by kami ni maki at maloi's team sa isang bahay na malapit lang. Nung una rinig namin pag uusap nila pero ilang sandali bigla nag-wawala wala ang signal ng voice recorder. Yung spy camera gumagana pa.
"Ano nangyare sa voice recorder?" I asked.
"Either yung signal or inoff ni mikha." Jho said.
"Maloi may ibang plano ba si mikha?" I asked.
"Aiah kalma ka lang. Trust mikha." Maloi said.
I tried to stay calm, ilang sandali lang nawala din signal ng spy camera.
"Mukhang may jamming device sa loob ng bahay." Colet said.
"Pag hindi pa lumabas si mikha in eight minutes, let's go with plan B." Maloi said.
Hindi ako mapakali, hindi nalang sana ako pumayag sa planong ito. After five minutes, lumabas na si mikha gamit car niya. Naghintay kami ng three minutes bago siya sinundan. Sa cafe ang meeting place. Pagkadating namin sa cafe ay wala siya sa loob pero meron ang car niya sa parking lot.
"Ms. Maraiah queen arceta." Staff 1 said.
Pumunta ako sa counter.
"Here's your ice matcha latte." Staff 1 said.
Hindi lang drink ang binigay ng staff, kundi sikreto niya binigay sakin ang isang phone. Alam ko kay mikha yun. Bumalik kami nila maloi sa headquarters nila.
"Maloi phone ni mikha." I said.
"Tama ka colet na may jamming device sa loob ng bahay." Maloi said.
"Mautak si mikhs, ginamit niya phone para mag record." Colet said.
Binigay ko phone ni mikha kay colet.
"Ano phone password ni mikhs?" Colet asked.
"0827, birthday niya at birthday ni aiah." Maloi said.
"Birthday ko?" I said.
"Sinabi niya sakin noon." Maloi said.
Tinignan namin video files, ang dami na-video ni mikha. Enough evidences para sa case.
"Yes, ang galing ni mikha." Maki said
"Guys may problema tayo, si mikha." Jho said.
"Nasaan si mikha?" I asked.
"Tinignan ko cctv ng cafe even sa parking lot. Nakita na pumasok si mikha pero hindi siya lumabas." Jho said.
Jho showed the cctv videos of the cafe.
"Then sabi ng isa sa mga staff ay lumabas si mikha sa back door." Jho said.
"Maloi baka naman may binigay ka sa kanya na tracking device." I said.
"Aiah here's the videos. Use it tomorrow for the hearing." Maloi said.
"Maloi si mikha." I said.
"We will find her. You should focus on the hearing tomorrow. Kami na bahala maghanap sa kanya." Maloi said.
"Gusto ko din tumulong hanapin siya." I said.
"Maloi's team will handle the situation, let's go back to the firm." Maki said.
"I promise i'll call you when we found her. Aiah just go." Jho said.
Seryoso ang tingin sakin ni jho. I went back to the firm with maki. We're discussing the evidences in the conference room. After an hour, kuya bryan entered the room.
"I heard about the situation." Bryan said.
"I haven't received any calls yet from jho." I said.
"Aiah calm down, mikha already knows the risk." Maki said.
"She promised she'll be safe." I said.
"And she will be, just have faith in maloi's team. Lalo na kapatid ni maloi si mikha." Maki said.
"Finish the trial tomorrow, let's end it so mikha's effort will not go to waste." Bryan said.
"I'm still worried." I said.
"We know but we have to do our job first." Maki said.
I nod at maki, please be safe mikha lim. The next day, i may be focused in the court but deep inside i'm thinking of her. Jho said they haven't found her yet. The hearing ended with justice winning over crime. I went to the hallway, the people who watched the hearing congratulated me.
"Aiah." Denise said.
"Denise." I said.
"Thank you for winning the case." Denise said.
"Aren't you mad that your father is gonna be in prison?" I asked.
"No, i'm actually happy that he's gonna be there for his sins. Before i'm mad at myself that i can't do anything to help the victims. I'm thankful that mikha talked to me." Denise said.
"You already know she's talking to you for us to get more evidence?" I asked.
"Yes, i helped her. Hindi ko namalayan may jamming signal sa bahay, siya nakapansin. While eating lunch, i secretly told her to use her phone instead to video the evidences you need. Aiah since high school almost all of us knows that mikha has a crush in you. I like her but i know that i can't beat you in her heart." Denise said.
"She accidentally confessed to me last week." I said.
"I admire her for being loyal to her feelings for you. Wanna know what she told me yesterday?" Denise said.
"What?" I asked.
"She said that she wants to be that someone better for you. Someone who will do anything for you even without you asking for it." Denise said.
"Mikha and i haven't talked about what are our current relationship status. Ngayon nawawala pa siya." I said.
"Then try to talk to her about it, we're not teenagers anymore aiah. She's really slow in that kind of topic." Denise said.
"Thanks denise for helping us." I said.
"I'm the one who should be thanking you guys." Denise said.
Denise bid farewell and left. Dumiretso ako sa office ni maloi pero si colet at jho lang ang meron. Halata sa mukha nila na hindi pa sila natutulog.
"Colet any news yet?" I asked.
"Wala pa din." Colet said.
"I won the case but the person i want to see right now is missing." I said.
"Maloi and the rest of the team are outside again, they are trying their best to find mikha." Jho said.
"Mikha may not look like a strong person but she is smart and she will find a way to get back to us." Colet said.
"Thanks guys for the comfort." I said.
"By the way, mikha told me to give you this kahapon bago nag-simula ang operation." Colet said.
Binigyan ako ng susi ni colet.
"A key?" I asked.
"The key for her condo, she said that she wants you to hold it for her. " Colet said.
There's a sunflower crochet keychain in the condo key. It's the one i gave her during high school, the token.
"She always cherish the keychain you gave her." Jho said.
"Jho i hope she's safe." I said.
"Aiah she fell first but you fell harder." Jho said.
I guess that metaphor is true, i really fell harder for mikha. I went to her condo then i sat on the couch and looked at the kitchen. Pag nandito ako, nakaupo ako habang nanunuod, pinapanuod ko siya magluto o hinahayaan niya ako tulungan siya.
"Please come back mikha." I said to myself.
I closed my eyes while thinking of mikha then fell asleep. I woked up by the sound of the doorbell. I stood up and opened the door. Bumungad sakin si mikha na may mga pasa at nanghihina siya.
"A-Aiah." Mikha said.
She was about to fall on her knees but i quickly caught her body.
"Mikha wake up, don't fall asleep." I said.
"M-My body feels weak." Mikha said.
I slowly help mikha to get inside and let her seat on the couch.
"I'll call maloi." I said.
"S-Stay." Mikha said.
She holds my hand. I sat beside her then sent a message to maloi that mikha's here.
"What happened? Bigla ka nawala nung nasa cafe na kami." I said.
"It was gelo. He ordered someone to kidnap me, i recorded his voice. I still have the voice recorder colet gave me." Mikha said.
I hugged mikha. Gelo's gonna pay for what he did.
"I kept my promised i'm safe." Mikha said.
She smiled at me.
"How can you still smile when you're hurt? We have to get you to the hospital." I said.
"Because i'm glad that you're the first person i see." Mikha said.
"I'm glad you came back. Paano ka nakatakas?" I asked.
Before mikha could answer, the doorbell rang. I stood up and opened the door. It's maloi.
"Aiah where is she?" Maloi asked.
"Nasa couch." I said.
She came inside the condo and sat beside mikha.
"What happened? Where were you? Who did this? You should have found a way to call us lalo wala phone mo." Maloi said.
"Maloi slow down with the questions." Mikha said.
"Slow down? Mikhaela lim look at yourself." Maloi said.
"Let's get mikha first to the hospital. " I said.
"I'm fine, i just want to sleep." Mikha said.
"Mikha lim we will get you to the hospital whether you like it or not." I said.
"Yes attorney." Mikha said.
Maloi and i helped mikha get into my car then she followed our car to the hospital. We're in the hallway waiting for the doctor to finish checking mikha. I also told her what mikha said to me.
"The restraining order didn't stop gelo, the only solution is ipakulong na siya." Maloi said.
"First we have to find him. Here's the voice recorder." I said.
I gave the recorder to maloi. After a few minutes, mikha is transferred to a private room. I played different kinds of songs, also singing a bit while she's sleeping.
"You really have a nice voice since high school." Mikha said.
"Gising kana pala." I said.
"How long was i asleep?" Mikha asked.
"An hour and a half, tinawagan na ni maloi parent's niyo." I said.
"Aiah have you seen gelo before i came back?" Mikha asked.
"Not yet. If i saw him, i would have already punched him for hurting you twice before and now i'll make sure he's going to jail." I said.
"His voice sounds obsessive and crazy. Aiah don't go out alone, baka kunin ka niya." Mikha said.
"Let him try and i'll fight him." I said.
"Aiah i'm serious." Mikha said.
"I'm serious too mikha, i know taekwondo." I said.
"Oh right." Mikha said.
I tucked a stray hair behind mikha's ear.
"Aiah i wanna ask you something." Mikha said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"The set up may not look romantic and it's only simple but here goes. Can i court you maraiah queen arceta?" Mikha said.