A/N: This is the epilogue part of Chapter 48, not of the story. Since this update may contain a revelation, I'm again asking you not to post any SPOILERS. Reaction posts, memes, and GIFs are okay, as long as they do not give away the context.

Let's not ruin other people's reading experience. Thank you!

LORELEI

IT'S BEEN days since I buried my father in Manila. He was laid to rest in the mausoleum where my mom was also buried. His friends and acquaintances, most of whom were high profile personalities, attended the ceremony and offered me their condolences.

Just a week ago, I attended Maggie's burial. This time, I attended my dad's. Two heartbreaks in a row. I sometimes wonder how my heart could handle any of it.

I still couldn't believe that he's gone. But what choice do I have? Kailangan kong tanggapin. Masakit ang katotohanan, masakit ang reyalidad, pero hindi ko na mababago kung ano ang nangyari. My late dad would have wanted me to keep my head high and carry on his legacy, whatever that meant.

The day after the burial, I went back to our apartment in Pampanga. Kahit na weekend kung kailan dapat sana'y nagpapahinga sila, pinuntahan ako at sinamahan nina Alistair at Jamie, at siyempre ni Loki. They were my support system. They were there in my darkest days. We talked about a lot of stuff, watched movies on Netflix and played card games, just to get my mind off the sorrow that crippled my heart.

The pain that I felt wasn't only because of my dad's death. What also shattered my heart was the truth that my uncle, who twisted my real dad's simple wish of remembering my mom, had him killed.

I felt pity for him, especially when he was being taken away by the police. But I struggled to find it in my heart to forgive him for what he did.

Sunday came. Nancy, my dad's loyal secretary, scheduled a meeting between me and my dad's attorney. She's been calling me more frequently now, always saying sorry for disturbing me. Ang dami niyang sinasabi sa akin, halos lahat ay mga bagay na hinihingan ng approval ko. Karamihan sa mga 'yon, wala akong idea. They're mostly about business, which I had no knowledge of.

The attorney, who was the executor of father's will, pulled out a piece of paper from a sealed envelope. He went all the way here in Pampanga to read the last will and testament. Naglupong kami sa living room ng aming apartment unit. Apart from Loki who leaned against his room door, Alistair and Jamie were also there for me. They flanked me on both sides in the couch.

"I, Walter Rios, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, and not acting under undue influence or intimidation from anyone, do hereby declare and proclaim this instrument to be My Last Will and Testament, in English, the language which I am well conversant. I give and bequeath the entirety of my assets both liquid and otherwise, and of my properties to my only daughter, Lorelei Rios."

Jamie squeezed my hand and caressed my back while Alistair gave me a wry smile. I drew in a sharp breath. Some would think that I should be happy that I got everything. How could I? My dad is dead. If I had other greedy family members, they'd be jumping up and down by now.

But if only I had the choice and the power, I would give up all these assets and properties in exchange of my dad's life. I wanted to continue where we left off. I wanted to have a better understanding and relationship with him.

Unfortunately, that's not how the world works. That's not how life works.

No matter how many or how much these bequests cost, they wouldn't be enough to fill the void in my heart. Nothing in the will could make me any happier at the moment.

"However, your late father modified the will by adding a line last month," the attorney said. "A condition."

Umangat sa kanya ang mga mata ko. Maging sina Alistair at Jamie ay napatingin sa kanya.

"Ano po 'yon?"

"You shall not abandon the Rios name," he answered with enough emphasis on the family name. "Even after you get married. If you fail to abide by this condition, all of the assets and properties shall be donated to charity."

Halos magdikit ang mga kilay ko. Hindi ko naintindihan agad kung bakit kailangang may gano'n. Honestly, for me, the condition wasn't that difficult to follow. My dad's like telling me, "don't forget to breathe or else you will die."

"Your late father didn't tell me why he felt it necessary to add that condition," the attorney continued. "Bottomline is, at all times, you must keep the Rios family name with yours. For instance, if you were to marry—what's your name, boy? Loki Mendez?—you shall be known as Lorelei Rios or Lorelei Rios-Mendez, not Lorelei Mendez."

I see. Now I get it. My dad possibly thought that I would look for my biological father. He might have also feared that I would change my surname once I learned of the truth. Keeping the Rios name is also keeping his legacy alive. Even in death, that's still what he's after.

"I understand."

"Do you have any questions?"

I shook my head. The will reading was concise and the words were easy to understand. Wala pa siguro akong tanong ngayon dahil hindi ko pa nare-realize kung gaano kalaki o kabigat ang iniwan ni papa sa akin.

Tumayo na ang attorney, nginitian ako at nakipagkamay na sa akin. "I look forward to meeting you again soon. We still have a lot of things to discuss."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate you coming all the way."

"It's my duty, Miss Rios."

Nagpaalam na siya sa akin at sa mga kasama ko bago siya tuluyang lumabas ng aming unit. Sandaling nagkaroon ng katahimikan sa living room, tila pina-process pa namin ang maiksing meeting.

"Magandang idea 'yon, ah?" bulong ni Jamie na siyang bumasag sa katahimikan. Nanliit ang mga mata niya habang pahaplos-haplos ng kanyang chin. "If I'm gonna marry my Loki dear in the future, mas gugustuhin kong tawagin na Jamie Santiago-Mendez kaysa Jamie Mendez lang."

My eyes squinted at her. Hindi ba masyadong maaga para isipin ang mga gano'ng bagay? Surely, Loki's not the only guy she'd ever meet in her life. She might meet someone better in the future. No one could tell.

"Not many women know that changing their last names to that of their husband's is only an option," Alistair said, making me and Jamie turn to him. The words "Oh, really?" could be read from our faces.

And I am of those women. I always thought na kailangang palitan ang apelyido kapag ikinasal na. Naisip ko nga minsan na parang hassle kasi kailangan mo ring ipaayos ang surname mo sa mga official document.

"There's no law in the Philippines that compels women to adopt their husband's last name after marriage," Loki added. Sunod na nagawi ang tingin namin sa kanya. "It's more of a custom. My mom prefers to call herself Frigette Corazon-Mendez. She said she doesn't want to lose her identity. If you call her Attorney Mendez, she's gonna lecture you about Article 370 of the Civil Code of the Philippines and the patriarchal marital traditions that need to be... challenged."

Hindi na ako magtataka kung ipinaglaban ni Tita Frigette na i-retain ang kanyang maiden surname at idagdag ang apelyido ni Tito Odinaire. She's a fierce woman who wouldn't be afraid of speak out her mind.

"Ikaw, Loki dear? Gusto mo bang i-adopt ng mapapangasawa mo—which might be me—ang apelyidong Mendez?" tanong ni Jamie. How straightforward! "I am open to any option, by the way."

Loki shrugged. "Does it matter in the grand scheme of things? Decades after our deaths, no one will remember our names, unless you're a hated president or a revered national hero. If you're gonna be a footnote in history or just an ordinary citizen, the name won't matter at all."

Here he goes again. Jamie was only asking a light question, but he took our discussion about surnames to a depressing turn. Couldn't he just answer yes or no? Gaano ba kahirap 'yon sa kanya? Well, at least, he's being himself again.

Jamie showed us her white teeth in an awkward smile before turning to our friend. "How about you, Al? Ipipilit mo ba ang apelyido mo sa magiging asawa mo?"

"Whatever my future wife and I will agree upon," Alistair answered, shrugging his shoulders too. "If she's not comfortable with taking my family name, that's fine with me. I will understand her."

"The best compromise is to use hyphenated last name for women, if their spouses want them to take their family name," Loki chimed in. "That way, women can keep their identity and the surname of their husbands. A win-win situation, don't you think?"

"Well, sort of. Ang problema, marami pa rin ang hindi nakaaalam niyan."

"Hindi kaya ma-hurt ang ego—"

"Look!" I interjected as I interrupted their discussion. I appreciate the lecture, but is this the right time to talk about marriage? "This is an interesting topic, but we're not going to get married in the next five years, right?"

"Well, 'di mo sure," pabirong sagot ni Jamie. May pang-aasar ang ngiti niya sa amin.

I surely wouldn't get married in the next five years. Or even ten. Ni hindi pa nga 'yan pumapasok sa isipan ko. I wanted to enjoy my youth, my freedom.

"So what should we do today?" tanong ni Alistair. Napatingin siya sa clock display ng kanyang phone bago iniangat ang kanyang mga mata sa amin. "Gusto n'yo bang pumunta sa mall at manood ng movie?"

"May bagong movie na showing ngayon, 'di ba?" tugon ni Jamie na may pagpalakpak. I could feel her excitement. "I read good reviews about it! Baka pwede nating panoorin? Come on! Gusto n'yo bang mamatay tayo sa boredom dito sa apartment n'yo?"

"We can watch movies on cable or on Netflix," Loki replied. I kinda expected him to make that argument. Hindi niya masyadong hilig ang lumabas ng apartment. "We can also order food and drinks with a few taps on our phones. Thank technology for these conveniences. There's no need for us to go outside. We can chill here all day."

"Ano ka ba, Loki?" nakapamewang na sagot ni Jamie. Siyempre, hindi siya magpapatalo. Kung may number one promoter ng gala sa amin, walang iba kundi siya. "Ibang-iba ang feels kapag sa cinema tayo nanood. Iba ang ambiance. 'Yong large screen. 'Yong dimly lit na surroundings. 'Yong nakakayanig na tunog galing sa speakers. 'Yong lamig ng aircon. 'Yong chance para magyakapan! 'Di mo mapi-feel 'yon dito sa apartment! Well, pwede naman kaso iba pa rin kapag sa sine ginawa."

Sandaling napaisip si Loki, nakakrus ang mga braso. I highly doubt he's taking into consideration the things that Jamie mentioned. "Let's say that I agree to come with you for the sake of companionship. But how are we gonna get to the mall? Alistair's car is in a wreck. Have you bought a new one already? I didn't hear any car engine when you arrived here."

Oo nga pala. Wala nang nada-drive na sasakyan itong si Alistair mula noong mabangga ang kotse niya sa puno malapit sa campus gates. When we went to Manila for my dad's burial, we had to be picked up by Nancy. Siya rin ang naghatid sa amin pabalik sa Pampanga.

"Should I call our family chaffeur?" Loki asked, drawing his phone. "Let's hope no one's using the car—"

"Bakit hindi na lang tayo mag-commute?" tanong ni Alistair. Napatingin kami sa kanya. What a bold suggestion. Nasanay kami kasi na sumasakay sa kotse niya.

Loki furrowed his eyebrows. "You serious? You want us to go through the hassle that is public transport?"

"Medyo hassle nga lalo na kapag kailangang lumipat-lipat ng sasakyan," sagot ni Alistair. "Pero mas mae-enjoy mo ang pagko-commute kapag may kasama ka. Hindi mo mamamalayan ang hassle at ang pagkabagot sa traffic."

Since I transfered here in Pampanga, I rarely rode a jeepney or a tricycle. Masuwerte ako dahil may mga sasakyan ang mga kakilala ko. Kung hindi available, nagbo-book ako ng ride sa TNVS app.

"Sabagay, sanay naman akong mag-commute," komento ni Jamie na may kasamang pagtango. "Why don't we go with Al's idea? That sounds fun! Magkakasama tayong apat kaya paniguradong walang mabo-bore sa atin."

"But our safety—" Loki tried to chimed in, but Jamie covered his mouth.

"Kung safety rin ang pag-uusapan, nandiyan naman si Al," singit niya. "Tanga ang magtatangkang holdapin o dukutan tayo. Gusto ba nilang magkaroon ng black eye o mabalian ng buto?"

I sincerely doubt that Alistair would go that far in protecting us, unless it's a life-threatening situation.

"I have no problem with commuting. Well, I haven't done much commuting," I admitted. Kung 'yon ang kanilang trip, makikisakay ako sa kanila. No pun intended. Maging magandang experience sana ito sa akin.

"Kaya sumama ka na, Loki dear!" pagsusumamo ni Jamie. She locked her arms into his and tried to pull him closer to us. "Hindi masaya kapag hindi tayo kumpletong apat!"

Natahimik si Loki nang ilang segundo. Halos matumba siya sa paghila sa kanya ni Jamie. Ipinikit niya ang kanyang mga mata at napabuga ng hangin. "Fine. I might need a breather too since we've been through a lot lately. But no to romantic movies. I promise I'd walk away out of the cinema if you choose a cheesy film."

"Yehey!" Halos magtatalon sa tuwa si Jamie. Tiningnan lang siya ni Loki habang napangiti naman si Alistair sa kanya.

I cleared my throat, getting their attention. "Do you mind kung may daraanan muna tayo bago pumunta sa mall?"

As much as possible, I don't want to dampen the mood. Hey, we're gonna have fun. But since we're going out, I thought I might hit two birds with one stone.

"Saan mo ba gustong pumunta? Gusto mo bang dumaan tayo sa amusement park? Do you want to scream in a rollercoaster ride?"

I shook my head. "I want to check something first. About my dad. My real dad."

"Oh..." Naglaho ang ngiti sa mga labi ni Jamie habang nagbato ng may pagkabahalang tingin sa akin si Alistair. Loki only bowed his head.

Sabi ko na nga ba. Magbabago ang mood kapag nabanggit ko ang tungkol doon. Was it a bad idea?

"Sure, why not?" Alistair asked, smiled at me. "Let's get that thing off your mind—"

"—tapos mag-e-enjoy na tayo non-stop! Hanggang kinabukasan!"

"But the mall is only open until nine in the evening and will not open until ten in the morning the next day."

"Alam ko 'yon, Loki dear! Naging figurative lang ako!"

Nag-ayos muna kami bago namin iniwan ang apartment. It felt strange na wala kaming kotse na sasakyan para sa gala namin.

We called for one tricycle—yeah, just one. Pinagkasya naming apat ang mga sarili namin doon. Si Alistair na ang pumwesto sa likod ng driver habang tatlo kaming nagsiksikan sa loob. Jamie and I took the seat while Loki sat on the small space in front of us. He immediately regretted coming with us.

Hindi lang si Loki ang nagrereklamo, kung 'di maging ang tricycle driver. Masyado raw kaming kuripot. Pwede raw na tig-dalawa kami sa dalawang tricycle, pero pinili naming magsiksikan. He kept on mumbling until we got to the jeepney terminal. When Jamie gave him fifty pesos—with a "keep the change" note— ngumiti ang driver sa amin at hiniling na pagpalain kami ng Maykapal.

Sumakay na kami sa jeep at nakipagsiksikan sa ibang pasahero. I felt uncomfortable rubbing elbows literally with the other passengers.

"O, dalawa pa sa kaliwa! Tatlo pa sa kanan!" sigaw ng barker.

"Grabe naman itong si manong!" reklamo ni Jamie. "'Di na nga magkasya ang pwet ko sa upuan tapos dalawa pa?"

Natawa sa kanya ang ibang pasahero. Maging kaming dalawa ni Alistair, napangisi. Napatakip tuloy siya ng bibig. She felt really embarrassed and sorry, hindi dahil nainsulto niya ang barker, kundi dahil nawalan siya ng poise. Napaka-unbecoming daw sa kanya ang gano'ng language.

Hinintay naming mapuno ang jeep hanggang sa makaalis na kami sa terminal. Habang papalapit kami sa aming unang destinasyon, magkahalong excitement at anxiety ang nararamdaman ko.

I don't know anything about my real dad, but thanks to my uncle Fritzgerald, I was about to find out more.

A day after he was arrested by the police in my hospital room, he sent a message to me through Officer Estrada. He said he wanted to meet me in person. To tell me more about my dad. I reluctantly agreed to meeting with him.

Masama pa rin ang loob ko sa kanya. He's the one who turned my life upside down. He's the one who dragged me into the mess that made me feel miserable in the past few days. No matter his intentions, he still made the worst decisions. His crimes were unforgivable. I may not forgive him for what he did, but he deserved to be heard by me. After all, he knew some things that I did not.

When we met again a few days ago, he told me the hiding spot of the key to the apartment he rented while he's teaching in Clark High. Apparently he brought some of my dad's personal effects there. Kapag daw dumating ang araw na sasabihin na niya sa akin ang totoo, balak niyang ipakita ang mga 'yon.

But fate had another plan in mind. That's how we ended in this situation.

Nakailang sakay kami ng jeep bago narating ang address na ibinigay niya sa akin. Umupo lang kami ng kalahating oras, pero nakaramdam ako ng pagod. Commuting was such a hassle! Mabuti't may mga kasama ako kaya 'di ko namalayan ang paglipas ng oras at ang pagod.

We had to use Google Maps to look for the location of my uncle's apartment. Nagtatanong-tanong din kami sa mga taong nakasasalubong namin. Thanks to Jamie's charming skills, we got the answers that we wanted.

Eventually we reached the compound where the apartment was located. Hinanap namin ang room number at huminto sa tapat nito. I looked for the flower pots nearby. Iniangat ko ang isa sa mga 'yon at may nakitang spare key sa ilalim. I picked it up and looked at my friends. They all nodded at me.

Ipinasok ko ang susi sa door knob at dahan-dahang ipinihit ito. I pushed the door slowly and entered the unit. Sumunod sa akin ang mga kasama ko.

What greeted my eyes was a plain interior arrangement of what seemed to be a living room. Halos walang kagamit-gamit dito maliban sa mga mesa at upuan. Wala ring TV set o kahit anong entertainment appliances. It felt to me that my uncle Fritz didn't make an effort to decorate his unit.

I was kinda expecting something that would instantly surprise me the moment I set my foot inside.

"Napaka-boring naman dito!" komento ni Jamie na umupo sa isa sa mga monobloc chair. "If your uncle had money to hire gunmen, surely he'd have money to buy stuff, right?"

"Jamie," Alistair called, looking at her. I tossed a glance at her too.

Napatakip siya ng bibig, tila napagtantong may mali siyang sinabi. "Oops. Sorry! I didn't mean to—"

Well, that's the truth. That's exactly what happened. We didn't have to pretend that it's an elephant in the room.

"Maybe there's something more in his room." Loki nodded at the direction of a closed door.

Nagawi ang tingin ko roon at agad kong pinuntahan. Nakabuntot pa rin ang mga kasama ko sa akin. I turned the knob, but the door wouldn't budge. Sinubukan ko rin ang susi na hawak ko pero hindi gumana.

"Should we take it down?" suhestiyon ni Jamie. "There must be something in there. Hindi niya isasara ang kuwarto niya kung wala siyang importanteng itinatago riyan. I always lock my room kapag may ayaw akong makita ng katiwala namin."

"We don't want to pay for the damages in the unit, do we?" tanong ni Alistair. "We can ask the landlord or landlady to lend us the spare key. Kamag-anak naman ng kanilang tenant si Lori kaya malamang maiintindihan nila."

"Al, nakalimutan mo na ba? Our friend Lori is now super rich! She inherited everything!" tugon ni Jamie at saka umakbay sa akin. "Do you think she can't afford to pay a damaged door? Kahit sandaang pinto, makabibili itong si Lori. Kaya nga yata niyang bilhin ang buong apartment na 'to!"

"Why don't we just pick the lock?" Loki suggested. Inilabas niya ang kanyang wallet at iniabot sa akin ang isang paper clip at maiksing wire. "Do the honor."

I could have gone with Alistair's suggestion, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try Loki's idea first. Lumuhod ako sa tapat ng pinto at ipinasok doon ang lockpicking tools ko. With just a few twists and turns, I heard a soft clicking sound. Ipinihit ko na ang doorknob at marahang itinulak ang pinto.

What I saw inside that room made me gasp. Even my friends were taken aback by the sight. The living room may be boring. But his bedroom was... I don't know how to describe it in words.

Photos of me in different angles were plastered across the wall. Karamihan doon, nakuhanan habang nasa school ako. Halos magmukha nang malaking collage ang dingding. Meron ding pictures ng mga taong nakasama ko. May photo naming apat nina Loki, Alistair at Jamie habang nasa cafeteria. May photo naming dalawa ni Luthor. May photo kami ni Sir Jim Morayta. May photo rin kami ni Stein Alberts.

"Your uncle must be so obsessed with you," Jamie muttered, touching one of the photos. "He kept track of all your moves! Pasensya na, ha? Pero medyo creepy."

If I didn't know my uncle's intentions and connection with me, I would have thought that he's a dangerous stalker who might do me harm.

Lumapit si Alistair sa dingding at napahawak sa litrato naming dalawa ni Luthor. That must have been taken in the archives section of the library. There were only two places in Clark High where we could have secretly met. Either on the rooftop or in the library.

Nagtungo naman si Loki sa kabilang side. Ibang set ng litrato ang nakadikit doon. Meron ding newspaper clippings kung saan naka-highlight ang pangalang Rios. I quickly noticed a photo of my dad Walter with an X on his face. He had other photos there where he's wearing tux. If memory serves right, that's the outfit he wore during his birthday party. The gunman that my uncle hired must have sent him those photos.

Sa isa pang side ng kuwarto, may mga napansin akong hindi familiar na mukha sa larawan. In one of them, there were two men standing next to each other. Magkaakbay pa ang dalawa. I recognized one of the faces as my uncle's. But the other one... They had some similar facial features, like the color of their eyes, their noses, their lips. Could that person be my dad?

Iginala ko pa ang aking mga mata. Nakapukaw sa atensyon ko ang isang litrato kung saan nandoon din ang lalaking 'di pamilyar ang mukha sa akin. He had a pen in his one hand and a book in the other. He was seated behind a long table where a woman stood beside him.

I gulped as my eyes widened. That must be my mom Lauretta! So the man beside her is Friedrich Rivera, my biological dad? I carefully picked the photo from the wall to take a closer look. Napahaplos ako sa mukha nina mama at papa. Since they were involved in a forbidden love, this must be one of their rare photos.

I wish I could have spent more time with my mom.

I wish I could have met my dad.

I wish they saw how their daughter grew up.

The truth is, I still felt conflicted on what to feel about my mom's infidelity. If my uncle's words were to be believed, she had a reason why she did what she did. My real dad also had his own reasons. But what they did was wrong. My dad Walter may have had his shortcomings, but he didn't deserve to be cheated at.

Well, I don't know the full story. I only know some fragments of it. None of them would be able to tell me their version of the story anymore. None of them could tell me the truth.

What I want right now is to complete the puzzle of my being. And I finally found the missing piece.

"Lorelei Rivera," I heard Loki spoke behind me. I quickly turned to him, his arms folded. He looked at the photo in my hand then at me. "How does that sound to you?"

I chuckled. "The name doesn't sound as good as Lorelei Rios. Baka dahil nasanay na ako na Rios ang apelyido ko kaya hindi magandang pakinggan sa akin."

"They're the same thing anyway." Loki looked up at the photo of my dad and uncle. "Rios and Rivera. They both mean 'river.' So you won't entertain the idea of changing your surname in honor of your biological father?"

I slowly shook my head as I caressed the face of my dad in the photo. "I have to honor my two fathers—the one who gave me life and the one who raised me. I'm going to keep the Rios name to carry on my dad's legacy. I still have my real dad's blood running in my veins and his genetic material in my DNA."

"Excellent choice," Loki muttered. "Do you want us to give you the room? So you can process everything?"

Umiling ako sabay tingin sa kanya. "There's no need for that. I'm fine with having you guys around."

To my surprise, he patted me on the shoulder before walking away.

"Nasaan ba 'yong comfort room dito?" tanong ni Jamie. "Sorry, naiihi na ako, eh!"

"Nandoon yata sa may kanan ng living room," sagot ni Alistair sabay turo sa labas ng kuwarto.

"Thanks! Wala naman sigurong monster doon, 'no? Sana malinis niyang iniwan 'yong CR."

Jamie hurriedly left the room while Alistair and Loki continued to roam around, still looking at the photographs on the wall. Ako naman, kinuha ko ang solo photo ni Friedrich Rivera na may pirma niya.

"His methods are unspeakable and unforgivable. But we can't deny that he tried to be a good brother to your dad and a good uncle to you. He must have believed that his intentions were good and everything he did up to now was justifiable."

Lumingon ako kay Alistair na nakatingala sa isa sa mga larawan sa taas. He must be talking about my uncle. May hawak-hawak siyang litrato na kinuha niya sa kabilang dingding. I squinted my eyes at it. 'Yon ang picture naming dalawa ni Luthor sa library, ah?"

"Anyway, do you have a moment?" pabulong niyang tanong. Naging seryoso ang kanyang mukha na parang confidential ang pag-uusapan namin.

"What is it?" I asked in a low voice. There must be a reason why we had to whisper with each other. Naging curious tuloy ako kung ano ang sasabihin niya.

"The night your uncle was arrested, there were listening bugs installed in your room."

Tumango ako. That's what Officer Estrada explained to me when he and two other police officers barged in. What of it?

"At one point in your conversation, your uncle Fritz mentioned that Luthor is a dangerous man. That he's one of them. Kilala mo naman siguro kung sino ang tinutukoy niya, 'di ba? You replied that it's not what it seems."

Unti-unting nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa kanya. Nagkahiwalay rin ang mga labi ko, bahagyang bumuka ang aking bibig. Until I was informed about it, I didn't know that the room was bugged so I was candid with my uncle.

"Only Loki, Officer Estrada and I were listening to your conversation," Alistair went on. Madali siyang lumingon kay Loki na ilang hakbang ang layo sa amin. "Napansin din ni Officer Estrada ang ibinunyag ng uncle mo, pero agad na idinismiss ni Loki at sinabing baka nagkamali kami ng dinig. He sounded like he was defending his brother, which I found strange, given their strained relationship. Hindi nga siya nagulat sa narinig niya."

Natulala ako sa kanya. I was trying to compose my thoughts, but the words disappeared as I put them together. What should I tell him?

"Is it true that Luthor is one of them? How long have you known?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

q.e.d.

A/N: And there you have it, the end of Chapter 48! This officially concludes the Third Party story arc which ran from Chapters 43 to 48. 

So chika muna tayo.

Some of you may have noted that I did not intend to introduce Lorelei's real father, as I was quoted saying in Volume 2's FAQ.

I left a hanging plot thread in Volume 2 Chapter 30: Assassination of Walter Rios. At least two important questions surfaced: Who's Lorelei's father? Who hired the gunman at the party?

My irregular updates and my "soul searching" made me realize that there should be no loose ends or unresolved plotlines in the story. Hence my decision to finally introduce him in Volume 3.

It's a fortunate coincidence that I managed to link the who-hired-the-gunman plot thread with the who-is-Lorelei's-father plot thread. They weren't originally connected, but I found a way to connect them.

There were at least three ways this chapter could have ended or the father reveal could have been handled. I hope I made the right choice.

Having said that, we're down to the LAST TWO CHAPTERS! The end is within arm's reach. Blink, and you'll miss it!

I mentioned weeks or months ago that my initial plan is to finish PL on or before November 25. We're only two days away from that day, which happens to be the 5th anniversary of this story, so it's virtually impossible now. But rest assured that PL will end in December 2020. 

I will take a break for a few days and will resume the #NovemberRush (yup, it's not over yet!) after November 25.

See you in...

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Please avoid directly mentioning the names of characters that can be considered spoilers. Again: Reaction posts, memes, and GIFs are okay, as long as they do not give away the context.