10 - Trey

"Trey. I want her back home now." Mr. Samson sounds really angry. "Make sure the boy wouldn't know about it."  

"I'm sorry, sir. What do you mean? She's doing fine here." I tell him. I haven't seen any danger so far, only that she's falling deeper and deeper in love with Mark - which, I might add, is not a big thing at all since I'm sure they're gonna end up getting married anyway, most especially that their parents already opened some businesses together. So, what's the fuss?

"Listen carefully, Trey. I don't want to see my daughter getting hurt. Just...please. Send her home." His tone of voice tells me he's at the verge of crying. 

"Sir. I know I'm kinda out of line here. But, she's happy here. You don't want to see her running away again, do you?" I have to at least defend her. After all, she's my friend. 

"Trey, don't tell Cristina. Promise me."

"What is it?" I'm getting nervous now. 

"Mark is getting arranged."

I almost drop my phone at that. "I'm sorry. Arranged ... you mean...?"

"Yes, Trey. He's getting married. There's some problem with their family business and his dad had to marry him off to the daughter of Aymes. Remember that man?" 

How can I forget? He's one of the big businessmen Mr. Samson helped put to jail before because of money laundering and extortion. But, he was able to bail himself out. Unfortunately for him, because of the charges, he lost a lot of big investors. 

I look towards Cristina and Mark at the bar laughing at each other's jokes. I can't help but ache for the both of them. Especially for my friend. 

Yes, she's a bitch most of the time. Well, I guess that's just because she's used to getting what she wanted. But, she's not really evil. I mean, she's just enjoying her life. She's actually an extraordinary friend. She's helped me and other friends of ours in times of need. I'm not just talking about money. She's always been there for us even though she'd just show up and tell us how wrong we are right in our faces. But, that's just how she shows how she cares. 

Not to mention her unconditional love for Lara. Yup! The girl who betrayed her. I don't know where she got all that endurance and kindness whenever she's faced with Lara's tantrums. The girl almost killed her for fuck's sake and she still forgave her. 

I admit, she had her share of guys. But, the first person she's ever loved betrayed her. 

And now this? I wonder what exactly she did in her past life to deserve such kind of bad luck. 

So, even if I know her dad's gonna kill me, I talk to Mark. 

"Take her as far away from both your parents as possible." I tell him. I give him all the things they would need to start their own life in a place where they can live freely on their own. I've used my connections and the money Mr. Samson sent me to take care of Cristina. 

"Why would I do that?" He asks, a bit confused. "What are these for?" 

"Mark, there's some trouble in your father's business. And...." I look at him, hesitating to continue. I don't know how he would take this. 

"And what?" 

"They're marrying you off, Mark."

He sits there, frozen. Tears are starting to form at the brim of his eyes but he tilts his head up to stop them from flowing. "No." He shakes his head. "This is not true."

I bring out the documents that would prove it and that's when he lets out his tears. "I'm telling you, Mark. If you want to be with her, take my offer and flee."

He gets up and leaves without saying another word, leaving behind the envelope I handed him. 

I truly thought he'd accept it. I was 99% sure he would. I guess I was wrong. 

Two days after, I'm in a place outside Seoul, hunting for this man I'm very suspicious of, when I receive a call from a crying Cris. 

"He left for LA and he didn't even tell me."  She says. And at that very moment, I know he might not be coming back. 

"Fuck!" I'm already at the man's hotel door, but I have to run out and get in the car as fast as I can. "Just stay where you are. I'll be there in less than two hours." 

Fortunately, the traffic isn't that heavy. I'm able to get to her in a little more than an hour. I take her to my apartment. 

She knows that I know why Mark left. But, I can't find it in myself to tell her. 

"Damn it. Do you have to keep secrets from me, too, Trey? Can't you just be a friend and tell me?" She asks in tears. "Where have you been anyway?"  

I can't tell her either why I'm really here. She'd hate her dad even more and I'm sure she'd panic and do stupid things again. 

"Cris, look. I am being a friend." I tell her. "Now, what did he say in his letter?"  

After reading what Mark had written for her, I'm now thinking he might come back then. He wouldn't ask her to wait if he wouldn't, right? I mean ... from what I see, Mark is as in love with her as she is with him. He wouldn't make her expect and then crash her heart, would he?

"See? He loves you." I assure Cristina. "He wants you to wait. Is that hard to do?"

And that triggers her ire. 

"You're not any different from Lara." She shouts. "What do you want from me, huh? Money? You wanna take over the firm, too?" Her eyes are just full of hatred and hurt. "Well, you know what, Trey? Fuck you."

That just pissed me off. How dare she tell me that? I've done nothing but to be her friend. How can she spit those words out?

I grab her before she can exit the door. "Cris, I am not anywhere near Lara. Do not even compare me to her." I say, looking really angry. 

But, then, she's been through a lot. If I were her, I would doubt everybody close to me. Because of what she experienced with Sean and Lara, she's skeptical about everybody. 

"We're doing this for you." I tell her. If only she knows that I'm just here to protect her. 

But, she won't take any of it. She storms out of the room and before I can get to her, my phone rings. I am about to cancel the call, but when I see who's calling, I immediately answer it. 

"He's checked out. You missed your chance." The informant tells me. 

SHIT! 

This guy I've been following around - I've seen him near Cristina before and the way he looks at her just gives me the chills. I know Briggs is in China and they're planning something big in LA, so I can't help but be more protective over Cris. 

This man is slick. Every time I had a chance on cornering him, he gets away. That was the nearest I could get to him, but because of the brat, he slipped out of my fingers again. 

AAARRRGGGGHHHH!

I'm just frustrated right now. I regret taking this job. If not for Cristina, I would've gone back to LA already. The thought of leaving her behind when there's obvious danger lets me stay. Plus, I don't want to be going back to the cheap cafe I worked part time in. 

My phone rings again as I slump on the sofa. 

"Where the hell is she, Trey? Why is she not here yet?" Mr. Samson's angry voice makes me sit up straight. 

"Sir, Mark left." I tell him. "He left her."

"Oh my God. My baby." I know he's in tears. "Bring her home, Trey."

"I can't." I tell him honestly. "Mark lives in LA, too. The engagement would be there, too."

"Shit!" I hear him pounding the table. "Just....Make sure she's safe. I'm counting on you."

Two weeks has passed. I watch Cris becoming more and more dependent on alcohol and her pills. I want to stop her, but I can't even get near her. She hates me, I'm sure of that. It hurts me to see her slowly crumbling. What more if she learns the truth about why Mark left? I don't even want to imagine that. 

The only thing I can do for her is to make sure no harm goes to her. I would follow her on weekends and work on trailing the mysterious man when I know she's safe in the company. She'd go to bars alone, getting drunk on her own. There were instances when I had to take a taxi for her because she'd be sitting by the street at the brink of sleeping. I don't think she'd noticed me at that time. 

But, one night, I see her running out the bar, looking all scared. Her face is pale, like all her blood had been drained out of her body. 

I know something happened in there. I don't get to know what really happened because she wouldn't tell me. She insists on drinking more at a bar in Hongdae. I drop her off there. It's a busy place and I'm sure the man doesn't go to places like this. 

As soon as I see her get in, I go back to the place where we came from. But, whatever or whoever Cristina saw in there, is already long gone. 

Weeks pass by and I can't help but curse Mark in my head. How can he not even call her? Why would he not just show her a single sign that he's thinking of her? What the heck is going on in LA that he doesn't have time to check on her?

So, when I finally receive a call from that asshole - Mark, I can't help but sound pissed. Even more so when the first thing he says is about Mr. Briggs - not Cristina. Does he really love her?

I have to lash at him and tell him what shit Cristina is going through. I hear him crying on the other line. 

Your cries can't do anything, Jackass.

I want to yell at him more. And if it's only possible, beat him until he'd look like Tyson's punching bag. 

But, what he said earlier makes me think. Especially the one about what's happening in the company. I remember Mr. Samson mentioning it the last time we talked, but he didn't give me details. I asked him. But, he said I should just be concentrating on watching Cris. 

You know me, I'm nosy. So, I immediately call Mr. Samson's new secretary. 

"What's going on?" I ask Sherry. 

"First, they have confirmed Mr. Briggs' location. He's in Guangzhou. And, he's made calls to Mr. Aymes a couple of times. Plus, they're moving up the wedding date to a month after the engagement. I don't really know what's the connection of all this to the firm, Trey. But, the boss is getting more and more troubled. 

It would be a long story if I tell her. "Just do what I tell you. You don't have to ask questions." I bark at her. "Make sure to keep tabs on Sean. I know he's still behind this somehow. I just can't figure out how."

"About that. Sean has made a call to Korea weeks ago."

"What????" I yell. "Why don't I know this? Who did he call?"

"Cristina."

FUCK! "What date?"

"I'll send you the details. Plus..."

"What again?" 

"He made another call just today to London."

"Who?"

"The number is unregistered. I'm still trying to locate which part. I'll update you soon."

Sean called Cris? Why don't I know this? 

GOD! The time she ran out of the bar. She was clutching her phone. Could that be it? We fought that night. She didn't want to tell me because I didn't tell her about Mark. SHIT!

I have to call Mr. Samson and tell him what Sherry just told me. 

"How can this slip pass you?" He yells. I expected that. 

"Sorry." 

"By the way, who's giving you info on Sean?" 

"Oh...uhm...." I can't tell him about Sherry. He might fire her in an instant for keeping this a secret. So, "I have a friend inside, sir." I just tell him. 

"Nevermind," he sighs then. "Just....the engagement is nearing. Make sure Cristina wouldn't be anywhere near here. You get me?"

"Yes, sir." Out of curiosity, "Are you attending?" I ask. 

"You think I could stand seeing him without thinking of putting a bullet on his head?" 

I guess not. If I, just a friend, am already thinking of ways to kill Mark, it would be even more difficult for a dad to control his anger. 

I don't tell him how depressed Cristina is though. He might act out of anger and start a shooting spree at the Tuan's household. I won't want that to happen. So, every time he asks me about Cris, I only tell him about her training. 

One day, I get another lead on the man. I heard the trainees are going out with Cris, so I confidently left her and drive hours away from Seoul. Unfortunately, the man evades me yet again. But, not before I take a picture of him and send it to Mr. Samson. He's shocked to see it. 

"Do you know him?" I ask him. 

"Can't you identify him, Trey? Even with that scar and a tanner and older face, I'd recognize him anywhere." He says, breathing raggedly. "That's Ed."

I gasp in disbelief. "Ed? As in Lara's dad? The one who's supposed to be dead and cremated beside her daughter's tomb? That ED? H...How?"

"My God!" He exhales. "I...I don't know... When they found his body.... it was...Holy Shit."

"What?"

"Have you noticed any other scars in him?" He asks. 

"His arm ..." I suddenly remember, "It looks like it's been burnt. He's always wearing a cap so I couldn't really see his entire face. He has a very distinct way of walking though....kinda like he's limping or something."

"Stay on him, Trey. I don't want him anywhere near Cris. You hear me? If my theories are right, he let everybody believe, even his daughter that she had killed him. He could be after Cristina for revenge."

"But, why Cristina? Why not Sean or Mr. Briggs. They were the reason why Lara killed him in the first place." I say, really confused right now. 

"I don't know." He's puzzled, too. "This could be a separate case from Briggs or he could also be working with them. Who knows. These psychos are just unreadable. Just.... check on Cris. Call me later when you see her."

When I get to Seoul, I almost want to die right there. 

"She flew to LA with Jackson." One of the trainees say. 

FUCK!