Truth

For Kayen
--

They spent the whole afternoon devising the mission they have. Though it took them quite a long time to agree upon each other's opinions, they somehow worked some things out. Ella is not letting her guards down and the same goes with Chun. Both of them think that they have better idea than their partner. But being in a job like such need not someone to be so inconsiderate. For an operation to be called a success, open-mindedness is a must.

"So, we're done. We're going to pretend and hire them out. That way, we can learn the qualifications and qualities that their company is looking for. After which, if we're lucky enough not to be identified, we're going to join their syndicate for better access."

"That is, if we will still be alive after your plan is done. Bear in mind that the members of this syndicate murder their employer savagely after robbing on them," her eyebrows shot up.

Chun shook his head confidently and shot her with a derisive smile. "Don't tell me that you're afraid, officer. I, for one, am not worried about my plan. This will be our stepping-stone for our next step, which is your plan. Besides, do you think our five-year training will help us not?"

"As I can recall, I didn't say anything about being afraid. I'm just stating the possibilities. You can't just make a plan without considering and reconsidering the possibilities and impossibilities alike," she said, her dark eyes starting to grow darker impatiently.

"There is nothing to be worried about - nothing less than you. To tell you quite frankly, you're a woman and a beginner all in one package. I am not even sure if you could get a good grip of a gun. The only thing that I'm worried about is you, faltering at the middle of the battle. I cannot play the cards right and win the game if I'm also trying to prevent you from losing at the very same time," he stated at her face without even having second thoughts. Never once had he considered the feelings of other people aside from Jasmine's. And Ella, though she's also a woman, is not worthy of an exception.

Ella's mouth fell open and she can't help but let out a laugh at the sudden realization. So this is the reason why he's not considering her plans. He's so wilfully independent and she knows it's hard to adjust to a sudden change of power. Yet, despite his definitely sharp tongue, she won't let him be successful of chasing her out of the race yet to start. "Are you asking me to prove you something?" she asked in between suppressed laughter.

Chun raised a brow on his partner and digested the metaphor that she knows well how to play his cards. They have the same way of acting and responding to insults and mockery. This means that she's also as collected as he is - never once perturbed and distracted.

And this is not a good sign.

"Do you feel the need to do so?" he asked in return, his voice calm and unmoved. If she cannot be agitated, it means that he cannot manipulate her to his advantage. This has to prove him the reality that he won't have the independence in this work ever again. The idea made him feel tedious.

The smile in her face hasn't flickered a bit. "I don't have to prove you anything, officer. Just stick to my words when I say 'I am not human'. I don't possess human strengths. Your heart is the one that makes you weak," she told him, her smile became darker and her eyes intensely penetrating him.

Chun smiled back at her and replied curtly, "So we a superhuman here. We shall see about that."

The wind on the top of the building blew through them, causing their hair to dance with its gust. "You're testing my patience. A man of intelligence and title shouldn't try to play safe. It's neither believable nor flattering," a grave expression appeared on Ella's face. She reached up to brush a few errant ringlets behind her right ear and studied him. "I know you better than anyone else does, officer."

A fractious feeling suffused from within him, concealing his copper-brown eyes in a narrow slit. "You know nothing about me," he declared. This woman is trying to dig deeper into his forbearance, trying to enkindle the dark and intolerant side he had mastered to control. Yet, he won't let her be successful in pulling out of him the real weak and feebly sentimental side he had tried to shove off.

Ella took keen gratification on the dark, haughty side he's trying to appease from overpowering him fully. She decided to continue her humorous trick. "Now, no need to be rustic. I know exactly how hard it is to live alone in this unfriendly world. You witnessed your childhood friend's downfall. You saw your family being torn apart. You found out that your dad was murdered and you blame yourself for not even giving him the forgiveness he's been painstakingly asking from you. You gave up medicine and joined the force. You were too preoccupied that you have neglected your younger brother. He's also suffering from the loss of a father and before you knew it, he killed your mother when she found out that he's been doing drugs," she paused and scrutinized closely his reaction. His eyes avoided hers and she couldn't miss the lines of guilt pressed on his forehead.

Unsatisfied with his reaction, she proceeded, "That's plainly the reason why you became a perfectionist. You wouldn't want the same mistake to ever happen again. You thought you succeeded into becoming a strong person but in my viewpoint, you miserably failed." Upon hearing her final statement, his eyes instinctively shot her a blazing gaze.

Not successful in withholding the rage stimulated by her sharp proclaims, he flared up, "You're such a nuisance. And to think that I failed miserably? Do you think I would get one of the highest treatments in this field if I didn't succeed in becoming what I must be?!"

Ella smiled genuinely at the desired reaction she got, "So you're building a specimen for people as you consider yourself a what and not a who?" she chuckled delightfully. "You have withdrawn yourself from everyone else and you call it a success? That's such a pathetic excuse. You don't know how to play long and loose with life's twists."

He caught her point now. She's trying to empower him with her words but it's not enough for him to change the way he managed his life. After all, this is his life. Whether he win or lose, he has no one to blame and nothing to regret about since he did everything all by himself. He conciliated the growing seed of impatience in his heart and heaved a soft inward breath. "I think you would make a good psychologist, officer. But no matter what you think of me, I leave it all up to you. I know what I'm doing and how I manage my life is my business. I believe our personal life has nothing to do with our job," he said professionally. He will fall on her trap if he condescends to buy this otiose conflict she insinuated.

"Of course. I understand that I still remain a stranger to you and that you're not even interested in getting to know me better. I know that you're an egocentric and I have nothing against it but somehow it makes me wonder how we are going to work together without knowing anything about each other. I know you but you don't know me. That falls to my advantage, don't you think?" she stated, giving him a hint of what she wanted. Her eyes sparkled as she waited for his response, keenly anticipating how he would react. He hasn't changed a bit after all these years, aside from being egocentric, she noted.

He leaned in and brought his chin rested to his interlaced fingers. She has a point there. "You're right. And I admit that I'm not really good in socializing with people," he said plainly.

"I must say that you don't know how to take the first step," she raised one brow and waited for his reaction. Upon getting a blank face from him as a response, she continued, "We won't be able to walk upon each other's house if we don't know how to wear each other's shoes. I hope you will let your guard down for once and be wide open."

'There's nothing to be worried about, officer. I assure you that. The only skill we needed, aside from our known ability to strike through, is acting. I hope you can, somehow, act well," he said confidently that the smile in his lips reached his eyes. He's not really ready to open up to someone he barely know of. And the idea of her, being a complete stranger, will eventually fade away as the operation starts to take its course.

Noting on his sudden change of topic, she smiled to herself and decided to let the topic slip off. That's pretty enough for today. "I'm a good actress, officer. And I hope you know that everything I'm going to do is purely for professional purposes. Nothing more and nothing less. Please don't judge me on how I portray myself in our operation," she assured him as she smiled back.

"Don't worry. I won't."

-ooOoo-

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Jasmine smiled contentedly - feeling satisfied of the black, knee-length signature dress she picked. She adjusted the small strap and tied them at the back of her neck. She wanted to look like a goddess in front of Joe just like how he treated her as one. She opened her drawer and drew, from the farthest corner, a red velvet box. She opened it carefully and clasped it at the back of her neck. the heart-shaped pendant with a blue diamond stone at the center, she smiled as she remembered the first time she met Joe.

It had been nearly ten years since his father's death. She's been grieving to her heart's core and closed herself from everyone else around her. She felt as if everyone thinks she's pathetic. She knows that no one else understands her for the only person who understands and accepts her fully was taken away from her reach. She indulged herself in different pubs; drinking to her heart's content. As the bitter liquor travelled down , she felt it drowning the aching pain in her heart. She wanted to forget about her loss. She wanted to forget the life she once had. She wanted to forget she is alive. She needed to break away from the taunting words of the society. She has to be strong enough in order to digest the blazing fire of revenge flourishing in her heart. The world seemed to shrink when she thinks about herself being alone in this world. She's the only princess of a daughter and his dad is the only one she had. She promised herself from the day of his dad's funeral that she would make his killer's life as wretchedly miserable and she could.

A year later, she visited her father's grave. She talked to him so casually and narrated to him all the happenings of her life as if he's really there. Just as she's talking about her life, she can't help the tears from flowing. She misses him dearly.

"Just how can a sixteen-year-old teenager manage to live a life of her own without any one else to turn to?" she recalled herself blurting out in exasperation of the bitterness she experienced in her life. She felt as if her heart is constricting inside her ribcage. She felt her heart aching in pain and longing. "No one deserves to be deprived of her love ones."

"You're right," a voice spoke at her back. She gasped in utter shock and turned to see who the intruder was. He offered her a benign smile she felt her heart lighten at the sight. He reached out to dry her eyes with his handkerchief before carefully putting them on her hands. She accepted his offer and dried her eyes once more before giving him a broken smile.

He became her friend for four years. He became her family from that time and until this very moment. He had been there. He's always there. He never let go. He's the only one she has. He's the only one she can turn to. He's her life.

He's her love.

"Happy anniversary, my love," his sugarcoated words soothed her heart aches as he moved to her back to place the diamond necklace on her neck. He decided to pursue her after four years of being friends. Imprinted in there are their initials.

"J <3 C"

She had that necklace for nearly five years and it is her favourite. When Chun had questioned where she got that necklace, she kissed him sweetly and said, "I just thought that I needed to make something to prove you that I love you." She turned the pendant and let his eyes trail the encarved symbols. "Jasmine love Chun," she supplied. It was good he didn't suspect a thing.

-ooOoo-

Joe adjusted the sleeves of his white shirt up to his elbow comfortably and lifted a hand to press the doorbell. It had been three days since he saw her and he couldn't take the thought of her being in other man's arms. The idea irritates him greatly. But somehow, knowing that he's the one whom she gives her real affection to makes him forget how complicated things between them are.

He felt something for her at the very day he saw her weeping her heart out on her father's grave. He happened to be there too to visit his mother's resting place. When he saw her, he felt his heart flinch at the sight of how broken she is. Life had tortured her way too much and he couldn't think of anything else to do than to come over her side and offer her a hand he knew she needed.

He ought to teach her how to live again, but this time, stronger. He knows that she wouldn't break that easily again as life had broken her for a number of times already. She needed to be protected, and as he's performing his dutiful promise, he began to treat her as something more, and needed her to be someone else in his life.

He's thankful that she also accepted and returned his feelings. He doesn't know what else to do if ever she turned him down.

He heard the door buzzed, snapping him out of reverie, and Jasmine appeared on the door, smiling at him. He smiled back and reached over to give her the bouquet of red roses on his hand. "Lovely flowers," she commented. Still smiling, he took her hand to his and planted an endearing kiss. She blushed affectionately and excused herself to tidy the flowers on a vase.

"Are you ready?" he asked when she had finished locking the door of the condominium, taking her hand to his.

"I am," she replied, her cheeks turning crimson. She's already looking forward to a passionate night with this man.

He noticed her continuous blush and chuckled heartily, "Am I so sweet that you cannot stop your cheeks from flushing red?" He placed his hand to the small of her back lightly and pulled her closer to him until there's so space between them. "I missed you," he whispered, fanning her cheeks with his breath.

Her eyes softened and said, "I missed you more." With that, he circled his arm around her waist and claimed her sensual sweet lips, leaving no chance for her to resist the action he instigated. She wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand coming up to feel the smooth strands of his hair. Tilting in different angles to taste her essence, he pushed his tongue to deeply and enjoyed the sweet taste of her moist mouth. Taking control of the kiss, he pulled her closer to him and squeezed her teasingly under his hands, moulding her to him as he enjoyed her response to his passionate deed.

Just when breathing became a difficult task for them, he slowly loose his grip of her and left a tender peck on her lips. "That could make up for the lost moments," he said, a genuine smile carved on his lips as he fought for air. He caressed her smooth cheeks and planted a swift kiss on her lips. He gestured for her to enter the car with his hand settled on the small of her waist.

Once they're settled, Joe started the engine and sped off. The darkness is eating the remaining short beams of scarlet rays in the sky, portraying something distorted. He appreciated the beauty, though. It was exotic.

He reached for the Jasmine's hand and gently her skin with his thumb, savouring the sweetened moment. "How have you been?" he asked conversationally. He cannot help but worry about her. For the past six years that she decided to befriend this Wu Chun, it seemed to be his daily routine to ask her how she's doing. Her self-appointed task is rather difficult, most especially as it has something to do with her personal life.

"Do you really have to ask me that very same question everyday?" she asked back, but nonetheless, answered his question, "I'm pretty excited."

"I can't hep but worry about you, Jas. You know that,"

She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Can I ask you a favour?" she asked, looking at him directly.

He took his eyes away from the road for a few seconds and allowed her to see his sincere face. "Anything for you," he ensured her, squeezing her hand a little to encourage her.

"Call me by my real name when we're in private, can't you?" she said, her eyes reflecting with hope. When she saw his brows pulled together, she knew by instinct what he's about to say next. In his behalf, she added, "I know you're going to ask why." She sighed relaxed on her seat, her eyes hazily focused on the evening sky.

"I miss my family. My name. It's the only thing that I have in me, something that can remind me that I'm still connected to them," she said, in a way of an explanation.

There was silence. Joe was the one who chose that name for her but he cannot deny her the right to use her real name, most especially, when it's the only connection she have that can prove her who she really is. He made a left turn smoothly before looking at her. He pursed his lips and said, "What was your real name again?" He chuckled warmly when he saw her pouting face. He decided to further, "Er, Aurianne? Was it?"

She shot him a look, letting him know that the joke isn't funny. She shrugged his hand off and crossed her arms beneath her chest. She knows that he's just playing a dumb game with her but she isn't in the mood to appreciate the offer.

He pulled the car to a halt at the parking lot of a hotel and blew a breath out before looking at his date. Seeing her crinkled forehead, he reached up and traced a brow with his thumb. "How can I forget the name of the person I love so dearly?"

He kissed her softly in her cheek while cradling her hollow throat with one hand. "It's the most beautiful name I've ever heard," he whispered to her ear and nibbled at it, sending goosebumps to rise at the nape of her neck. He whispered lightly, "Charlene."

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*Notes:

I guess I didn't make a good job on portraying a love scene between Jasmine and Joe.
It doesn't feel right. It's giving me creeps. But I tried my best, though.
So, I already revealed who Jasmine really is.
Comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated!(:

[rossEureka]
073010|4:15,
-Philippines-