Chapter 23: Midnight Leverage

Colet's POV

"Hoy, amininnn!" Sheena teased, nudging me with her elbow. "May something talaga kayo nung girl na nakita namin sa hospital, 'no?"

Gwen smirked, arms crossed as she leaned against the couch. "Tsk tsk, pa-deny ka pa eh. Kita namin 'yung tinginan niyo nung last time."

I rolled my eyes, pretending to be unbothered. "Ano ba kayo, wala 'yun. Friends lang kami, okay?"

Sheena and Gwen exchanged knowing looks before bursting into laughter.

"Friends daw!" Sheena cackled. "Eh bakit parang may something?"

"Alam mo Ate Colet," Gwen added, wiggling her eyebrows. "Kung di mo bet si Maloi, pass mo na lang sa'kin."

Sheena threw a pillow at her. "Gaga! Anong ibigay sayo?"

I scoffed, pero hindi ko maitanggi na may point sila. Maloi and I had this weird dynamic-laging asaran, pero at the end of the day, she was one of the people who truly knew me.

"Ang gulo nyong dalawa," I muttered. "Kung wala kayong matinong pag-uusapan, tumahimik na lang kayo."

Sheena and Gwen exchanged knowing looks before laughing.

"Bakla ka ng taon!" Sheena coughed out.

"Denial." Gwen added.

"Bahala kayo diyan." I waved them off, pero napangiti rin kahit paano.

But the moment was short-lived.

Gwen's expression suddenly turned serious. "Guys, wala pa ring update kay Jho?"

Bigla kaming tumahimik tatlo.

"Talagang bigla nalang syang nang ghost" Sheena murmured. "Wala man lang paramdam."

I bit my lip. "Alam natin kung bakit. Kilala nyo naman si Jho, malakas yun at kung nasan man sya alam kong safe sya."

"Pero hindi ibig sabihin na hindi tayo mag-aalala," Gwen sighed. "What if something happens to her?"

Sheena was about to say something when a loud screech of tires filled the air.

Tatlong itim na van ang huminto sa harap namin.

My heart pounded.

"Takbooo!" sigaw ko, pero huli na.

Gwen barely took a step bago siya hinawakan sa braso. She struggled, kicking at the guy's shin, pero napasigaw siya nang sapilitan siyang hinatak.

"Sheena!" I turned just in time to see her punch one of the guys, making him stumble, pero dalawa pang lalaki ang sumugod sa kanya.

Then, arms wrapped around me from behind, locking me in place.

"Bitawan mo ako!" I thrashed, pero malakas sila-mas malakas kaysa sa amin.

"Mga duwag! Bitawan niyo ako!" Sheena spat, her voice laced with rage as she continued to resist.

"Aray! Sino ba kayo!?" Gwen shouted, her voice breaking as one of the men restrained her hands behind her back.

Then, a sharp sting on my neck-something cold and metallic pressing against my skin.

"Shh... easy," a voice sneered behind me.

I tried to fight it, but my limbs felt heavier with each second.

A voice chuckled from behind.

"Matitigas pa rin ang ulo niyo, as expected."

Nanigas ako.

That voice-

I whipped my head around, eyes widening in disbelief.

"Taneo?!"

Jhoanna's ex-boyfriend smirked, hands tucked in his pockets as he watched us struggle. "Sorry, Colet. Orders are orders."

My blood ran cold.

Mr. Sevilleja's POV

I drummed my fingers against the polished wood of my desk, my patience thinning with every passing second. Stacey had left. She chose to betray me, to abandon everything I had given her-for her.

For Jhoanna Robles.

A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts. "Come in."

The door opened, and Taneo stepped inside, his posture straight but his eyes carrying something unreadable. He wasn't just anyone-I knew what he was capable of. He had history with Jhoanna, a connection that made him useful.

"We have them sir" he said, his voice low.

A slow smirk curled my lips. "Good."

I gestured to the chair across from me. "Sit."

Taneo obeyed, his expression hard. "You're sure this will work?"

I leaned back, studying him. He had a personal stake in this, whether he admitted it or not.

"She will come," I said. "For them."

Taneo clenched his fists. "You don't know her like I do. Jhoanna... she's reckless, alam ko kung gaano ka importante yang mga kaibigan nya sa kanya"

I chuckled. "That's exactly why we have leverage."

I turned to the security monitor, where a live feed showed three girls tied to chairs inside a dimly lit warehouse,-Jhoanna's closest friends. Their eyes burned with defiance, but I saw the fear beneath it. They weren't stupid.

Taneo's jaw tightened. "You're sure you want to do this?"

I picked up my phone and dialed.

It rang once. Twice. Then-

"Hello?" Jhoanna's voice was sharp, guarded.

I smirked. "You've been hard to find, Miss Robles."

Silence. Then, a slow, steady breath. "Sino to'? What do you want?"

Taneo watched as I turned back to the screen, where the girl with short hair shot a glare at the camera. I hummed in amusement.

"You and Stacey will come back," I said coldly. "Or your friends... well, accidents happen all the time."

There was a sharp inhale from her end. "What!?-!"

"Tick tock, Jhoanna." I glanced at the clock. "You have until midnight, no tricks. Just the two of you."

There was a pause. Then, in a voice filled with quiet fury.

"If you hurt them, I swear-"

I chuckled. "Save your threats later, Robles"

Then I ended the call.

The room was quiet.

"She'll come," I said simply, placing my phone down.

Taneo exhaled sharply, his fists clenching. "And if she fights back?"

I met his gaze, my expression turning cold. "Then you'll make sure she regrets it."

Jhoanna's POV

The morning sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the sand. The ocean stretched endlessly before us, waves lapping at the shore in a steady rhythm. It was peaceful-almost like we were in a different world, far from everything and everyone chasing us.

Stacey sat close, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on my wrist as she stared at the horizon. But I knew her thoughts weren't on the view.

"Ano iniisip mo?" I asked softly.

She sighed, resting her chin on her knees. "Kung hanggang kailan tayo pwedeng ganito."

I felt a pang in my chest. "Gusto mo na bang bumalik?"

She turned to me, eyes filled with something unreadable. "Hindi," she said quickly. "Pero alam kong hindi tayo habangbuhay makakatakas."

She was right. As much as I wanted to believe we could just disappear, reality wasn't that simple. Her father had power, resources-sigurado hindi yun titigil

I exhaled, squeezing her hand. "Kahit anong mangyari, I'll stay Stacey don't worry."

She gave me a small smile "Promise?"

I leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Promise."

For a moment, it felt like we had won. Like nothing else mattered.

Then, my phone rang.

I stiffened, dread curling in my stomach as I pulled it out. The number was unknown, but I already knew.

I met Stacey's gaze before answering.

"Hello?"

A voice I hadn't heard in a long time greeted me, smooth but laced with malice.

"You've been hard to find, Miss Robles."

My grip on the phone tightened. "Sino to'? What do you want?."

He chuckled, the sound making my skin crawl. "I know you know me Robles, You and Stacey will come back," he said coldly. "Or your friends... well, accidents happen all the time."

My breath caught. "What?!"

The screen flickered to life. A video feed. Colet, Gwen, Sheena. Tied to chairs, looking bruised but defiant. My stomach twisted.

"Let them go," I said through gritted teeth.

"Of course," he said, mockingly. "Just come back. You and Stacey. Or..." His voice dropped, deadly calm. "Pwede ko namang gawin sakanila yung nanyare sayo, baka mas malala pa"

I sucked in a breath, my heart pounding.

"If you hurt them, I swear-"

He chuckled. "Save your threats later, Robles"

Then, the call ended.

The world tilted. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. Stacey's hand closed over mine, her grip tight.

"They have them," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Her expression morphed from confusion to horror. "Sino?"

I swallowed hard. "Ate Colet. Gwen. Sheena." I could barely say it out loud. "Your father has them."

Stacey stumbled back, shaking her head. "No... hindi... hindi yan magagawa ni dad."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Kung nagawa nya sakin noon, siguradong mas magagawa nya yun sa ibang tao."

She covered her mouth, panic creeping into her features. "We can't just-just walk into a trap!"

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think through the fear. "I know. Pero hindi rin natin sila pwedeng hayaan, Kaibigan ko sila."

Stacey's hands shook. "Anong gagawin natin, Jho?"

I met her eyes, my jaw clenching.

"We end this."

Stacey's POV

My hands trembled as I clutched my phone, my fingers cold and stiff from fear. I scrolled through my contacts, my mind racing, pulse hammering against my ribs. I couldn't afford to panic, not now. Jhoanna's friends were in danger. We couldn't do this alone. We needed backup. We needed someone we could trust.

I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to focus. Then, with a determined exhale, I tapped on a name.

Mikha.

The phone rang once. Twice. My heart pounded with every second that passed.

Then, finally-

"Stacey?" Her voice was groggy, thick with sleep, but I heard the sharp shift in her tone the moment she registered my silence. "What's wrong?"

My throat tightened. The weight of the situation pressed against my chest, but I had no time to falter. I forced myself to speak.

"Mikha, I need your help."

A beat of silence. Then, her voice turned razor-sharp. "Where are you?"

I swallowed hard, glancing at Jhoanna, who was watching me with quiet urgency. "Somewhere safe, for now. But my father-" I took a deep breath, my hands clenching into fists. "He took Jhoanna's friends. He wants us to surrender by midnight, or else..." My voice cracked despite my efforts to sound strong.

A sharp intake of breath. Then-

"Son of a-" Mikha muttered, her anger cutting through the speaker. "Damn it, Stacey. I knew your dad was controlling, but this? This is insane."

"Yeah, I know Mikhs" I muttered, rubbing my temples. My head was throbbing, my body on edge, but I had no time to break down. Not when lives were at stake.

There was a pause before Mikha spoke again, her voice firm, decisive. "Alright. Listen Staks. I have some... connections. People who don't exactly follow the law, but they owe me favors. If we're doing this, we need to move fast."

A flicker of hope ignited in my chest. "You'd really help us?"

"Of course," she said without hesitation. "You're my friend, Stacey. And no one-no one-messes with my friends."

The lump in my throat grew, but I swallowed it down, gripping the phone tighter. "Thank you, Mikha. We'll send you the location once we figure out our next move."

"Got it. Just hang tight. I'll be ready."

The call ended with a final click, and I exhaled, my shoulders slumping. The weight of everything threatened to crush me, but for the first time since this nightmare started, I felt a spark of hope.

When I turned to Jhoanna, she was watching me intently, a small, proud smile tugging at her lips.

"You called back up?" she murmured, her voice filled with something warm-admiration, maybe.

I nodded, breathing deeply to steady myself. "We're not losing anyone today Jho"

Jhoanna reached out, her fingers intertwining with mine. Her grip was warm, steady-like a promise.

Colet's POV

My wrists burned from the tight ropes, the rough fibers digging into my skin, but I barely noticed the pain. My mind was in overdrive, scanning the room, analyzing every detail, looking for any possible way out.

Beside me, Sheena's jaw was locked in anger, her gaze fixed on the men guarding us. Gwen, on the other hand, had gone unusually quiet-her brows furrowed, her lips pressed tightly together. She was thinking, calculating, just like I was.

Then, the warehouse door creaked open.

A heavy silence filled the space as a new figure stepped inside.

Taneo.

My stomach twisted at the sight of him. The dim lighting cast shadows over his face, making his expression unreadable, but the way his sharp eyes flickered between us made my skin crawl.

"Magandang gabi, ladies," he drawled.

Sheena clenched her jaw. "Ano bang trip to' ha!?"

His smirk widened. "Shhh, you're too loud Shee, orders are orders." Then tumingin sya sakin

"Ano masaya kana ba?" I spat, my voice laced with venom.

He smirked, taking slow, deliberate steps closer. "You always had a sharp tongue, Colet."

I clenched my fists, ignoring the ropes that bit into my skin. "Ano bang gusto mo ha!? Ganyan kana ba ka bitter at ka obsessed kay Jho!?"

Something dark flashed in his eyes, just for a second, before his expression smoothed over. Instead of reacting with anger, he let out a soft, humorless chuckle.

"Bitter? Obsessed? " He tilted his head. "No, Colet. This isn't about Jhoanna choosing Stacey. This is about power. And right now, you're on the losing side."

I forced myself to stay calm. If I let my emotions take over, he'd win.

I inhaled sharply, grounding myself. "If this is about power, then kailangan mong malaman na mukha kang tuta ngayon, ginagamit ka lang Taneo!"

His jaw twitched, a tiny tell that he quickly masked with another smirk.

"HAHAHAHAH, sa tingin mo di ko alam?" His voice dropped, quieter now, almost amused. "But unlike you, I know how to play the game"

I narrowed my eyes. There was something in his tone-something I could use.

I leaned forward as much as the ropes would allow, keeping my voice steady. "Eh bakit sunod-sunuran ka pa rin?"

Taneo's smirk faltered, just for a fraction of a second.

Bingo.

"Kilala kita Taneo, matalino kang tao" I pressed, lowering my voice. "Alam kong alam mo na once na patayin kami dito, Ikaw na isusunod nila"

He didn't respond, but I saw the slight tension in his posture. The way his hands clenched at his sides. The way his gaze flickered ever so slightly, as if he knew I was right but didn't want to admit it.

I took a slow, steady breath, deciding to take a risk. "Kaya tulungan mo kami Taneo."

He scoffed, shaking his head. "And why the hell would I do that?"

"Kase alam kong may konsensya ka parin" I said, watching him carefully. "And because deep down, you don't want Jhoanna to suffer either."

Taneo's fingers twitched at his side.

A long silence stretched between us, thick with tension.

Then, finally, he exhaled and looked away.

"I can't promise anything Colet" he muttered, voice barely above a whisper. "But... I'll see what I can do."

It wasn't much. But it was a start.

⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆ ── End of Chapter 23── ⋆⋅𖤓⋅⋆