Chapter 71

After days drowned in rumors, search attempts, and silent fear, a strange calm settled over the streets, like a layer of dust resting on chaos. Makizal had returned. And somewhere in that same quiet, Romaric prepared to hunt him down.

But Makizal was a shadow that never stood still. He was never alone, never distracted. He moved through the city like a man walking through smoke, aware of every shift in the air, every eye that lingered too long. Romaric, who once believed he understood the art of surveillance, realized now that Makizal operated on an entirely different frequency.

Meanwhile, Malaya had taken her scheduled month of leave; it was her holiday period. She fled the city for her quiet hometown, driven by a primal need for peace and freedom. Though she knew that one wrong move, one whisper to the wrong person, would trigger the doom Makizal promised, her salary was a necessary chain to feed her poor family. It was a miracle that she had a position and compensation so high, granted immediately upon arrival, for reasons she bore with a guilty mind. She found Makizal, terrifying as he was, “docile” only toward her. She left the moral and physical fight in the hands of the two people she dared to trust: Yada and Romaric.

Across the city, in the secluded villa, Evelyn had seamlessly adapted to Williams’s grueling, precise schedule. Her care was beyond reproach; she was efficient, silent, and entirely competent. Williams’s recovery was now a matter of fact.

Adeline had bravely resumed her duties, fortified by the silence and the complicity of her husband, who had covered her absence with a calculated sick leave. She had sent multiple messages to Williams, expressing her concern and wishing her a swift return. But Williams had never responded.

Miss Kai, meanwhile, had quietly entrusted Romaric with the search for Evelyn, knowing the police could never be involved—the narrative of paranoia and complicity was too thick, and there was no paper trail to follow.

That morning, Adeline was back in her upscale office, the air conditioner humming a soft rhythm against the muted sounds of the city. She had just finished a consultation when her door opened without a knock.

A man, impossibly calm and composed, stepped in. It was Makizal. He moved past the threshold, ignoring the discreet camera mounted in the corner, and settled into the dark leather armchair reserved for patients. Adeline was stunned.

“I didn’t…” she began, her hand flying instinctively to the call button.

“Relax. I come in peace,” he cut in, his voice a low, gravelly melody that instantly put her on high alert.

She looked at him, her professional mask sliding firmly into place. “Who are you?”

“I come on behalf of Williams.”

“Is she doing well?” Adeline asked, immediately realizing this must be the man who replaced Romaric. Williams would never send anyone to handle her psychiatrist.

“She’s alive. That’s why I’m here. To tell you that your services with her are terminated.”

Adeline’s eyebrows arched in genuine surprise. “She didn’t tell me anything.”

Makizal reached into his immaculate suit jacket and tossed a manila envelope onto the polished mahogany table. It landed with a dry, sharp slap. Adeline saw the familiar label: Dr. Williams’s name and a recent date. Inside, she recognized the printout of the specialized blood test Williams had insisted on, suspecting she had been drugged.

Makizal pointed at the envelope without touching it. “What is that?”

Adeline picked it up, her fingers trembling slightly. “It’s confidential. If Williams wants to discuss it, we can do so upon her return.”

He leaned back, arms crossed. “Do you have any other documents concerning Williams?”

Adeline met his gaze, showing no weakness. “No. I never kept anything. All prescriptions went directly to her or to her mother.”

“And your notes?”

“Verbal. Always. That was our agreement.”

She held his gaze. She didn’t blink. She didn’t fold.

Makizal watched her for a long, heavy second before exhaling. “I am not here to break your ethics, Doctor. I am here to make sure… There will be no leaks.”

“Regarding our consultations, you should know that they never took place outside of the private residence. Didn’t Romaric tell you, or Williams herself?”

“I already know that. And I know where you live, where you work, and where your husband works. I know everything about your family.”

She stood, surprisingly calm. “So, you know where to find me. As you can see, I was consulting patients. Williams is not the only one.”

Her tone was sharp enough to cut the air. Brave, but trembling beneath the surface.

Makizal rose to his feet. “Fine. Message delivered. Have a lovely day.”

“Wish her a good recovery,” she added quickly.

“One last thing,” he said at the door. “I know Miss Kai pays for your services. She will be informed regarding your termination.”

She said nothing.

He left the office, taking the manila envelope with him, a habit he had of never leaving a trace. But to think he left someone’s office empty-handed was to misunderstand him. As he stood, he performed a subtle, almost imperceptible adjustment to the underside of the table, placing a miniature listening device. His concern wasn’t Adeline’s ethics but Romaric’s. If Romaric were the only one who brought Williams to these consultations, he would try to contact her.

Outside, Makizal settled into his black, armored vehicle parked a block away. He put a sleek earpiece in his ear and checked the time. It took less than two minutes for him to hear the soft click of Adeline locking her office door, followed by the rapid dialing of a number.

“Miss Kai,” Adeline’s voice was strained.

“Yes, is everything alright?” Miss Kai replied.

Adeline, breathing rapidly, told her about Makizal’s visit and the termination of the contract. Miss Kai, instantly fearful, promised to send protection agents for Adeline and her husband immediately. She assured Adeline she hadn’t heard from Williams since the last brief call. Confirming she was unaware of the contract termination.

Then the question came—

“Have you told Romaric?”

“Wait. I’ll call him now.”

The line ended.

Makizal smirked, amused. “Unmasked.”

Beta watched him from the passenger seat. “So? What now?”

Makizal didn’t answer. He listened.

Adeline’s voice trembled through the earpiece.

“Romaric, he was here. I’m scared. What happened to Marz… what if—”

Romaric didn’t dwell on her emotional state. His training took over. He asked her directly if Makizal had done anything or asked for anything specific. Adeline quickly recounted the termination, but, in her panic, deliberately omitted the detail of the blood test envelope and the dark reference to Williams being drugged.

“Look around you, Adeline,” Romaric instructed, his voice low and urgent. “See if he placed a microphone.”

She argued that he hadn’t moved from his chair, but Romaric insisted: “Check under the table or under the chair. Now.”

Adeline obeyed, and her breath hitched; she felt the cold, hard plastic of the transmitter.

“He listened to us!” she whispered, a sound of utter terror.

“Go into hiding. We should cut off all contact. Now.” Romaric’s voice was the last thing she heard.

“Hello, hello…”

She called back, but Romaric no longer answered. He had smashed his burner phone into pieces and was already moving, melting away into the labyrinth of side streets. Adeline sank onto the floor, realizing she was finished. Makizal had bugged her, and now he knew everything.

At that very moment, Makizal smiled as he pulled the car into traffic. Beta, his colleague and IT genius, watched him from the passenger seat, calm and observant.

“So, what do we do?” Beta asked.

Makizal looked at him, his dark eyes unreadable. “We do nothing.”

“What are you playing at, Makizal? Wait! Did you hear what the psychiatrist said? She knows about Marz.”

“And what do you want me to do? Kill her? She’s a well-connected psychiatrist. It’s messy.”

“We have to silence her. She’s a walking liability.”

“She’s harmless. She will never dare to talk about this.”

“And why are you so convinced?”

“Because she works for Miss Kai. Do you think she’s going to accuse Williams of commissioning Marz’s death, thereby exposing the entire sordid operation of the hospital’s CEO? If she tried that, Miss Kai would handle her roughly.”

Beta understood. Makizal knew the police would never be informed because anyone in Williams’s orbit had only two choices available: expose themselves to the fury of Williams or her mother. Adeline was a valuable pawn for Miss Kai. Romaric and Emilio were not. And Polo, however, was kept because he was the institutional hand that signed the agreements to protect Niran Kai, a necessary tool for the hospital’s survival.

Makizal had barely turned onto the main avenue toward the villa when the incessant calls from the police returned.

“What is it?” Beta asked him.

“They want the Madam’s deposition to move the case forward. I will tell them to wait another week.”

“Tell her,” Beta insisted. “And also tell her about the captive.”

Makizal’s jaw tightened. The reminder of the police pressure felt like a fresh sting of incompetence. Had he been able to neutralize the malicious journalists on time, he would be in Williams’s office right now watching her recount his flawless intervention to the police and congratulating him. Instead, he was stationed outside, forbidden to cross the threshold of her house, trying to fix his blunder like an overly cautious subordinate.

Beta had to prompt him. Thanks to Beta’s deep-web research, Makizal had quickly discovered that Evelyn Hazel was Esther Dara.

He knew that Evelyn Hazel’s documented life began at age 27; before that, a void. This absence led him to federal research methods, and that’s when he found the last pieces: Esther Dara’s wealth, her education, her actual background.

A gnawing question remained: why would Evelyn, a woman of means, conspire with the late Dr. Marz to extort money from Williams? The puzzle piece did not fit.

“Tell Madam,” Beta’s voice resonated again, impatient with the silence.

Makizal suddenly parked the vehicle. “Come closer, I want to tell you something.”

“What?” Beta leaned in, expecting a whispered instruction.

Makizal delivered a swift, violent blow to Beta’s lips, snapping his head back. Beta grabbed his bleeding face.

“Ouch, why did you do that?”

“You still have a lot to learn about your reflexes. You’re slow.” Makizal’s voice was dangerously low. “Get out of my vehicle.”

Beta scrambled out, nursing his wound. Makizal drove away, turning the car in a direction away from the villa. He was going to meet Emilio.

If Marz was gone, then Emilio was the only other person involved in the original Evelyn Hazel scandal who might be able to enlighten him.

Makizal knew that if he informed Williams about Evelyn’s true identity, it would complicate things. As he knew, Evelyn was the only one taking care of her.

Moreover, beyond the Marz case, Williams had reversed her decision a few days earlier: to make Emilio disappear.

“Can I do it my way?” Makizal had pleaded, sensing an opportunity for efficiency.

“Do as you wish,” Williams had granted him, tired and preoccupied with her arm.

Today was the time to finalize Emilio’s fate.

Sa ii ko thanks you for your reading. Every vote and comment helps this story continue.