"Veron, what made you call?" Nadia asked.
They were now sitting in a small café. He had just accompanied Nadia and was surprised to find that it was Veron she intended to meet. He sat beside her.
"I just want to ask you something," Veron said, watching them intently.
Veron sighed before speaking. "H—Has Faith remembered anything about her past relationship with Frank?" she asked them.
His brows furrowed, and he looked at Nadia before turning back to Veron.
He let out a deep sigh before answering.
"We haven't noticed any signs that those memories have returned," he said, although he recalled the times Faith would cry from nightmares.
"Maybe her memories are haunting her again. I noticed earlier that she was crying, and in her dream, she was with Frank," Veron added.
Nadia leaned back in her seat as they heard that. "She hasn't fully regained those memories yet. Please, Veron, you're close to her—keep an eye on her," Nadia pleaded.
Veron nodded silently. They had known Veron before and were now realizing that she was one of the few who knew what happened in Mariely's past.
"I'll go now," Veron said, excusing herself.
"Take care, Veron," he said with a small smile.
Just as she was about to leave, he called out to her. "Thank you for always being there for Mariely, Veron."
Veron smiled back at them. "I should be the one thanking you for letting me know, Faith."
"I'll keep my promise not to make decisions for her," she added.
Suddenly, she gasped, as if something had come to mind. She returned to her seat and pulled out her phone from her bag.
He and Nadia exchanged a glance.
She showed them a photo, and Nadia gasped upon seeing it. He took the phone from Veron without asking for permission.
"When was this taken, Veron?" he asked, voice shaky as he tried to control the emotions rising in him from what he was seeing.
"One of Faith's students sent it to me. S—She doesn't know about it yet," Veron explained. "I—It was a while ago, but that student kept sending me photos and videos… of Frank being with other women."
He took a deep breath and handed the phone back.
"Fuck!" Nathan growled through clenched teeth, his voice filled with rage.
Nadia didn't say a word, trying to calm him down and keep him from doing something reckless.
"Does Ely know about this already?" he asked.
"N—Not yet. I told the students not to tell Faith," Veron answered.
He nodded solemnly. "Has Ely noticed anything suspicious?" he heard Nadia ask.
"I don't know. She rarely shares anything," Veron replied.
He sighed deeply, nodded, and looked at Veron. "Where is Ely now?" he asked.
"She said she had plans with Frank today," Veron answered.
"There it is," he thought grimly.
***
Meanwhile, Clover Thane Luarto—Jordan—had been noticing how his cousin Frank often went out claiming to have "important matters" to attend to. Out of curiosity—and since he was on a date—he brought along his girlfriend.
"Isn't that Sir Frank?" "Clarisse, his girlfriend, asked.
"Yep," he answered casually.
He saw Frank with a woman. She was in uniform—a teacher's uniform. He recognized where it was from. He smirked.
That bastard, he thought.
He looked at the woman and frowned.
Huh? Wasn't he just dating someone else not too long ago? he wondered.
He even saw them chatting and laughing happily.
"Babe, what do you think of that woman? Is she pretty?" he asked Clarisse.
She observed her. "She's pretty. She's not flashy, but she's naturally attractive," Clarisse replied.
He frowned at her answer.
"Are you being generous with your words?" Clover asked her.
She met his gaze. "No, I'm not. I'm just being honest."
He didn't argue and simply nodded.
"Oh, let me take their picture," he thought, quickly pulling out his phone and snapping a photo of the two.
Afterward, he dropped Clarisse off at her modest home. They shared a passionate and heated kiss outside.
"Clover, I need to go," she whispered while her arms were wrapped around his neck.
"Okay, be careful," he said, kissing her again. His hand wandered and fondled her breast.
"Please stop," she murmured.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, letting her go as she fixed her disheveled clothes and said goodbye.
He went home too.
The next morning, Clover arrived early at the company. Apparently, his brilliant cousin Frank was already there.
He grinned.
"Hey, good morning," Frank greeted.
"Yeah," he replied, watching Frank busy with documents at his desk.
"What's wrong? Didn't score last night? You seem grumpy," Clover teased.
Frank looked up. "Score?"
"Yeah, I saw you with your new fling last night," Clover replied.
He showed him the photo he took. Frank stared at it but didn't deny anything.
"So?" Frank said.
Clover shook his head and walked closer. "When did your standards drop? You're dating someone clearly not your type?" he asked.
Frank just sighed. "Remember what I told you back in high school?"
"Which part? You had so many girls back then," Clover said.
"You must remember her. You know Nathan Gill, right?" Frank asked.
Clover's brows furrowed.
"You're kidding," he said. Frank had a relationship back in high school with the girlfriend of one of their classmates—a long one, with someone who didn't even attend their school.
"Yeah, it's her. She forgot everything about our relationship because her brother made her believe nothing ever happened. I'm just bringing it all back now," Frank said with a smirk.
"No way. How long have you been dating now? Is that why you always rush home?" Clover asked.
"I don't know. Two months?" Frank said casually.
"T—Two months? You dated her for almost half a year before. What's your plan? Just playing with her again?" Clover asked in disbelief.
"She forgot everything, so I'll make sure she remembers. Don't worry—I'll break up with her soon," Frank said.
Clover didn't respond anymore. He just shook his head at his cousin's foolishness.
Frank always surprised him—none of his relationships lasted. Once he got bored, he broke up instantly.
Two weeks was often the longest. Now it's lasting months? he thought.
He turned back to his own work. He didn't want to get involved in this mess again.