The Devilish Assassin Meets The Angelic Detective

A stream of rain was splattering on the patio and then a bolt of lightning lit up the sky followed by the rumbling of thunder.

It was a clear sunny day this morning. No one had expected that it would rain in the afternoon. Elle and Sandy were about to take their lunch. They were now approaching the entrance glass door of their office building.

When they were finally out, Elle's eyes found Erick, who stood in the rain, staring towards her direction, as if he was waiting for her.

Elle's brows knitted in a frown. 'What is he doing here? Why is it he is just standing there, in the middle of the rain?'

"Sandy, go ahead first," Elle said before she walked towards Erick in a rush. She was holding an umbrella.

"Hey, Chief Lee! What are you doing here? Are you crazy? Why is it you didn't enter the building?" Elle scolded him but her voice was filled with genuine concern.

'How long had he been standing here?' Elle asked herself while eyeing Erick from top to bottom. His hair and his clothes were already drenched with the rain.

Erick didn't answer her. Melancholy descended over him as he stared at her face. He adjourned the meeting right away and came rushing there to see Elle. He needed to get some answers or else he would go nuts.

"Let's get out of this drenching rain first," Elle said helplessly as she took his hand.

She darted through the pouring rain going back to the building while pulling Erick. Then Erick suddenly hugged her, never imagining anything could feel so right despite the rain and cold.

It was a rib crushing hug. Though he's wet and squeezing her too tightly with this embrace Elle didn't mind it. 

However, she noticed that something was a bit off with Erick right now.

"Erick, are you okay? Is there something wrong?" This time Elle's voice was soft and gentle unlike before when she was scolding him a while ago.

"T-Tell me… tell me the truth. You are Elle, right! You are Elle… please say it. Elle is alive. She's not dead." Erick's raspy voice rang in her ears.

Elle was tongue-tied. She was not prepared for this. She could hear the helplessness and desperation in Erick's voice.

Without hearing any answer from her, Erick released her from that tight hug. His gaze fell on her face, meeting her eyes.

Elle could see the sadness and pain in his eyes right now. But still, there was still a gleam of hope in them. 

Not breaking their eye contact, Erick spoke up again.

"This is the last time I will ask you this. Please... tell me the truth while looking into my eyes. Who are you? Are you Elle or not?"

"I-I…" Elle couldn't finish her sentence.

His intense gaze was quite pressuring. Elle didn't know what to do or what to say at that moment. She was put in a dilemma. Her mind and her heart were having an internal conflict. 

Yes or No? 

Follow her heart or follow her mind?

What is the right thing to do?

Seeing Erick like this, her resolve was weakening. She was wavering. She wanted to say yes in order to wash away his pain. 

But if she told him now that she was Elle, things would be more difficult for her, for both of them. That's what she thought at that moment.

"Please… say something." Erick's eyes were now shedding tears in front of her.

He was in pain. He was engulfed by intense sorrow. He felt like his world was falling into pieces once again. 

She was his only hope right now or else his life would go back to that darkness, with no lights and no happiness, only sadness and regrets remained.

After her long silence, Elle finally found her courage to respond. She already made up her mind. After much thought and careful consideration, she came up with a certain decision.

She would give him an answer which was not a lie. That's her only consolation. 

"I am… I am not Elle." Elle said to him while looking straight into his eyes.

'Yes, that's true. I am not, Elle. Erick, that's the truth. I am not Elle because I am Ma. Belle Elleise Falcon. Elle is just my other identity. I will tell you this at the right time.'

Elle had no idea that the last four words she uttered really broke Erick's heart and killed his hope once again.

Erick took a step back. He looked down, wiping his tears in his face. That's the time Elle had noticed that Erick was holding something in his right hand.

She heard him chuckle while looking down. His body shook because of his humorless chuckle. Erick opened his closed fist then Elle saw the ring in his palm.

Elle's eyes widened. She couldn't be wrong. That ring was the same ring Erick had given her two years ago after he proposed to her.

'That's my ring! I accidentally left this ring in the States. How come it's here? How come Erick got a hold of this ring?'

Then someone crossed her mind- Supremo. Elle's eyes darkened as she gritted her teeth. 

'He made a move behind my back! He is aware of what is happening here. He sent someone to follow and monitor my every move. [email protected]! He knew all along that I already approached Erick.'

Elle didn't know what to feel right now. She knew she was the one who broke his rule first and she felt guilty about that. But she couldn't help but feel mad and upset about what he did.

She was lost in her thoughts when she heard Erick's voice once again.

"I am sorry for this inconvenience. Please just forget what happened here. I was not in my right mind a while ago. Please forgive me, Ali, for my inappropriate action. I think I should leave now, Miss Ross." Erick's voice was now as cold as the rain.

He didn't wait for Elle to say a word. He turned around and walked away, not looking back.

"Erick!" Elle called him out.

She had the urge to follow him but after what she did, she couldn't find her courage to take a step and chase after him.

It seemed like the sky was sympathizing with them. The sky was so dark, covered by gray clouds. Heavy rains continued to pour down from above like how their tears fell from the corner of their eyes like raindrops.

With nothing but his troubled thoughts and broken self, the cold rain, and a lonely space inside his car that was parked down on the side road, he didn't feel like leaving just yet.

The rain splattered hard against his car windows and car windshield, drawing his gaze back to the direction where he left Elle.

Erick punched his chest with his closed fist which was still holding Elle's ring.

"It hurts… I felt like dying a thousand times once again."

Erick looked outside, glancing at the sky. "Why? Why? Why are you doing this to me?... Why?"

Lightning sparked above the clouds and the sky just answered him with a rumble of loud booming thunder.