*Who's My Eternal*
*Haynes House — Batangas, One Week Later*
The house was big. Beautiful.
Mrs. Jennie braided her hair when Cherry couldn't lift her arms.
Mr. Nicholas left books by her bed. _"For when you're bored."_
And Nicklaus...
Nicklaus was there. Every day.
He showed her the garden. Taught her how to use the coffee machine. How to play cards. How to laugh again, even if it hurt.
"You're quiet," he said one afternoon. They were by the pond. "But you're not invisible. Not here."
Cherry looked at him. Really looked.
He was kind. No tricks. No asking for anything.
They were getting along. Perfectly.
Like the brother she never had.
Like... something else. She didn't know yet.
But at night, it all came back.
Mrs. Anna. Alone.
Elian. Not knowing.
Mama.
_Did they bury her? Was she cold? Did anyone cry for her like they cried for Papa?_
The questions hurt worse than the bruises.
*That Evening*
"Can I borrow your phone?" Cherry asked Nicklaus. Voice small.
He handed it over. No questions. "Code is 0601. My birthday."
Cherry's hands shook.
She only knew one number by heart.
Elian's.
The one he made her memorize before he left. _"In case you lose your phone, Pink. Call me."_
She dialed.
Pressing each number slow. Like a prayer.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
*Vancouver — Harkwell Mansion, Same Time*
Elian's phone was on his desk.
He was gone.
Meeting downtown. Steve — Mr. Harkwell — was teaching him about offshore accounts. About being _Arthur_ in front of people.
He forgot the phone.
It rang on the desk.
A female staff member walked by. Young. New. She saw _Unknown Number_ flashing.
Picked up. "Harkwell Residence. Hello?"
*Batangas*
Cherry froze.
A woman's voice.
Soft. Professional. _At his house_.
Answering _his_ phone.
Her stomach dropped.
_He moved on._
_Of course he did._
_Why wouldn't he? I'm gone. Dead to him._
She didn't say anything.
Couldn't.
Just stared at Nicklaus, who was watching her, worried.
Then, quiet, she ended the call.
Handed the phone back.
"Thanks," she whispered.
"Cherry?" Nicklaus asked. "You okay?"
She nodded. Lied.
Went to her room.
Closed the door.
And finally understood.
Elian was _Arthur Harkwell_ now.
He had a new life. New people. Maybe a new girl.
And she was nobody.
Just Cherry from the bay.
With no home. No family.
She slid to the floor.
And for the first time since the cliff,
She didn't cry for Mama.
She cried for him.
*Harkwell Mansion — Late Evening*
Elian walked in. Tie loose. Head full of numbers and _Arthur Harkwell_ signatures.
The maid met him at the door. "Sir, your phone. It rang earlier."
He took it. Saw the missed call. Unknown number.
"Who called?"
"A girl, sir," the maid said. "But she didn't speak after I said hello."
Elian froze.
A girl. Didn't speak.
His brain did the math fast.
_Cherry._
Only Cherry would call and hang up. Only Cherry would hear a woman and panic.
"Fuck," he muttered.
Because he _knew_ her. Too well.
She was sensitive. Proud. Quick to think the worst when she was hurting.
She'd think… she'd think he had someone.
He hit redial. Fast. Heart pounding.
It rang.
And picked up.
"Hello?" A guy's voice. Young.
Elian blinked. "Who's this?"
"Nicklaus. Who's this?"
"Elian," he said, voice tight. "Elian Eldridge. Can I talk to Cherry? Please. The girl who called earlier."
A pause. Then: "Hold on."
*Haynes House — Same Time*
Nicklaus walked to her door. Phone to his ear.
Knocked soft. "Cherry? The number you called earlier is on the line."
The door opened.
Cherry looked wrecked. Eyes red. Face pale.
She took the phone. Didn't look at Nicklaus.
He nodded and walked away. Gave her space.
She put it to her ear.
"What do you want?" Her voice was ice.
"Cherry, Pink, listen—"
"You don't need to explain," she cut in. Fast. Sharp. Like she'd been holding the words all day. "You're someone else now, Elian. Big status. ."
"Cherry—"
"Of course you'd find someone in your standards," she kept going. Voice shaking now. "Not someone like me. I was too stupid to believe we'd have a future together. That was my mistake."
Elian's blood went cold. "_What?_ No— Cherry, it's not—"
_Click._
She hung up.
Elian stared at the phone. "Cherry?"
Dialed back.
_The number you have dialed is not reachable._
Blocked.
He called again. Again.
Nothing.
"FUCK!" He threw the phone on the couch. Ran a hand through his hair. "Cherry, please don't do this."
He muttered to himself, pacing. "Please, Pink. It's not like that. It's _never_ like that."
But the call wouldn't go through.
She was gone again.
*Haynes House*
Cherry dropped Nicklaus's phone.
Slid down the door to the floor.
Covered her mouth with both hands.
To stop the sound.
Because it hurt.
God, it hurt.
She told herself it was better. Cleaner. He had his life. She had… nothing.
But knowing it and feeling it were two different kinds of dying.
Nicklaus found her there ten minutes later.
Didn't ask.
Just sat next to her. Back against the door.
And waited.
Elian didn't think.
He called Lola Anna.
Hands shaking.
It rang once.
"Lola," he said the second she picked up. "Something's wrong with Cherry."
"_Apo?_"
"I got a call. From a guy. Cherry was there. She called me, heard the maid, and hung up on me. She thinks— she thinks I have someone. She said I'm 'Arthur Harkwell' now and I don't need someone like her."
His voice cracked.
"She blocked me, Lola. I can't reach her. What's going on? Why isn't she calling me back?"
Silence.
Then Lola Anna gasped. Loud. Shaky.
"Cherry is alive?"
Elian froze.
The world stopped.
"...What?" His voice went flat. Dangerous. "Lola. What do you mean _'is alive'_? What happened to Cherry?"
Lola Anna realized.
Her hand flew to her mouth.
"No— no, _apo_, I— I meant—" She scrambled. "I meant _'she's alive and well'_, not— not like— I just… I haven't heard her voice in days, you know? I was worried. That's all."
The excuse was thin. Paper-thin.
Elian closed his eyes. Exhaled.
His chest hurt.
"Don't scare me like that, Lola," he whispered. "Don't ever say that again."
"I'm sorry, _apo_. I'm sorry." Her voice was wet. "You just… you scared me too. With the call."
He sank onto the couch.
"I messed up, Lola. She thinks I replaced her. She thinks I forgot her."
Lola Anna swallowed her tears. Swallowed the truth.
"_Apo_, listen to me," she said. Forced her voice to be steady. "You are doing something big now. Mr. Harkwell chose you. You cannot lose focus. Not now."
"Lola—"
"I will talk to Cherry," she said. Fast. Before she broke. "I promise. I'll find her. I'll explain. You focus on what you're doing there. For her. For us. Okay?"
Elian was quiet.
Then: "Okay, Lola. Okay. Please… please tell her I'm sorry. Tell her it's not like that. Ever."
"I will, _anak_. I will."
He hung up.
Stared at his phone.
Blocked.
"Fuck," he whispered.
*Manila Bay — Lola Anna's House*
The phone dropped from her hand.
She slid to the floor.
"Alive," she whispered. "She's alive."
And then she broke.
Sobs tore out of her. Loud. Ugly.
Noa heard. Ran in. "_Nay?_"
"She's alive, Noa," Lola Anna cried into his chest. "My Cherry is alive. But where? Where is she? Is she hurt? Is she hungry? Does she know we're looking?"
Noa held her. Said nothing.
Because there were no answers.
Only a torn nightgown.
And a promise that was killing them both.