????HIS BALLERINA????
THEME: {What the heart sees}
✍️Written By Precious Pinky✍️
???? Chapter Fifty ????
A/N: This is more like a warning or preparation or whatever. Anyway, I will be taking you guys back to the past often some of the chapters to come…I won’t be warning you guys again so don’t get confuse or anything. But hey, I will always try to differentiate between the past and present.
~Giving up is the same thing as admitting to be a loser~
????PAULO????
“Your aunt always stare at this photo crying?” He asked, turning to look at Ballerina.
“Yeah. That’s what Eva told me, actually.”
“Eva?”
“Yeah. The necklace girl.” She described, staring up at the giant photo.
“Oh. I totally forgot about that necklace girl. Oops, my bad.”
“I don’t get it…why will she do that? Is it because she feels guilty for what she did to me?”
“Or maybe she’s guilty about my parents death.” He said.
“Make sense.” She agreed. “But if there is anyone to feel guilty then it should be me.”
“Why?”
“I caused everything, Paulo. I witnessed a case that i shouldn’t have. Who knows, maybe the target wasn’t my parents but me.”
“Yeah. But you survived and that’s… wait a minute, you survived and maybe that’s why your aunt felt like she was given a second chance to make things right.”
“Uh…is that suppose to be helpful in anyway?”
“She gave you a hint about going to the heart of the palace but obviously a palace doesn’t have a heart…”
“Yes? What are you trying to say?” She pressed on.
“It was a figure of speech…a puzzle.” He stared back at Ballerina, who was surprisingly staring at him as well. “She was referring to your heart.”
“What is that suppose to mean?”
“What is it does Ballerina heart cherish and desire? That should be the question here.” He said.
“Wait, can you listen to yourself at all? What does my heart have to do in all of this? What does what I cherish and don’t cherish…”
“It has a lot to do, Princess.” He said, cutting her off. “And if you are able to point it out, maybe we will be able to take control of this investigation.” He stuffed his hands into his pan-ts pocket, bringing out his phone.
“What are you saying?”
He scrolled throu-ghhis text message and sighted a new message from Liam which says; We are here.
He dropped his phone back into his pocket and turned to Ballerina, patting her on the shoulder. “Just think, Princess. But anyway, thank you… you’ve been pretty helpful today.”
“How?”
He smiled. “You remembered something… that’s a start. I got to go.”
“Where are you going?” She asked.
“To see why Naomi is in your memory and to investigate about those necklaces. Things are going to get pretty ugly if nothing is done, Princess.”
*****
Paulo was heading towards his car, scrolling throu-ghhis phone when he mistakenly bumped into someone.
The person was going to fall but he was quick to catch the person in his arms and brou-ght her back up to her feet.
“Are you alright?” He asked.
She smiled. “Yeah. Thanks to you.”
“I’m very sorry for bumping into you like that.” He apologized.
She waved him off, still smiling. “Nah. It’s nothing. Um, you must be detective Paulo.”
“Yeah. Got a problem with that?”
She shook her head, smiling. “Nah. Of course not. But i think there will be a problem soon.”
“Excuse me?”
“Of course you are excuse, detective.” She smirked. “But I don’t think I will be able to excuse you when we meet again.” She walked past him, brushing her shoulder against his.
“HEY CHLOE!” A voice yelled. Paulo turned around to find the ‘Chloe’ of a girl walking towards…Eva.
They both said something, looking at him.
Chloe smiled at him while Eva nodded at him, smirking then they both walked away.
Paulo stood there for quite a while, wondering what just happened.
Who was that Chloe of a girl?
And why does it feels like she knows something about the case?
And Eva…how is she related to this case?
What’s her deal?
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????ACE????
He knocked again, waiting patiently for the door to be answered.
He wasn’t the patient type. It’s quite a surprise to him that’s he’s wait patiently for that woman.
He tried knocking again but thankful, the door unlocked and was later pushed open to reveal a confuse woman.
“Ace?”
*****
“I wasn’t to see you here. Your mother isn’t here, by the way.” Juliana said, shutting the door close behind them and walking behind Ace into the living room.
“I’m not here to see her.” He said. “I’m here to see you.”
“Oh. Should I be happy about that?”
“I wouldn’t be if i were you.”
“Now that sound creepy.” She smiled. “Care for a drink?”
“I don’t want anything. But I do want one thing from you.” He stepped closer to her, creating a little space between both of them.
“What is it?” She asked.
“Answers.” He answered.
“Excuse me?”
“I know you know something Juliana. Naomi might be a secretive woman but she isn’t like that when it comes to you.”
“What makes you think I know something?”
“Because I know you do. Tell me what she told you, Juliana….Please.”
He can’t remember saying that word to anyone but he couldn’t stop himself from saying it now.
He was desperate.
Desperate for answers….
Desperate to bring justice to his dead father…
Desperate to protect Belle who happens to be the witness of his father’s case…
He doesn’t even know what to do anymore. At first, he was very determined to figure out the witness and force him or her to remember that night and point out the murderer but after realizing that the witness was Belle…he couldn’t.
In fact, he doesn’t want her involve in the case.
He might be acting all tough and strong but when it comes to her…he was vulnerable.
It was all new to him…She was.
“You know who the murderer is, Ace.” Juliana said, walking over to the bar with Ace trailing her from behind.
“I do?”
“It’s someone we all know. A long time… relative.” She sighed. “Your mother doesn’t want you to know anything because she’s afraid her sister might hurt you.”
“Her sister?”
“Yes. Your aunt.” She paused. “She is the murderer.”
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????NARRATOR????
“I didn’t expect you to show up.” Naomi said.
“Oh, really? My baby sis seek my presence so what made you think I wouldn’t show up?”
“Because you are mean?”
She smirked. “Wrong answer. Tell me, why did you call? Have you done what I asked you?”
“I’m in the process. But I don’t trust you. You might say you won’t hurt Ace or the girl or Paulo after getting what you want but that doesn’t guarantee anything. You are not to be trusted.”
“Am I not?” She folds her arms over hear chest, leaning against the black SUV. “Or are you afraid that I might act like you.”
“What?”
“We are both alike, Naomi. We get what we want thinking less about the other person, don’t you think?”
“We are nothing alike.” Naomi said throu-ghgritted teeth.
“You think so?” She asked, taking off her hoodie and pushing herself off the car, coming closer to Naomi. “Because whenever I look at you…I see myself. Tell me, do you still think we are nothing alike?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Ouch, that burns.” She said, feigning hurt.
“A friend of mine told me that if I want to correct things then I have to start with making things right.”
“Let me guess…Juliana?” She laughed. “That bit-ch still have her way of controlling you, doesn’t she?”
“And what is that suppose to mean?”
“If she didn’t encourage you, you wouldn’t have done that…or maybe you still would have but only just needed encouragement…which you got, by the way.”
“I didn’t do anything wro…ouch!” She screamed in pain, bringing her hand to her now bruised face.
“Aren’t you afraid? Being alone with a notorious murderer…” She smirked. “I will watch my tone if I were you, baby sis.” She grabbed Naomi’s hair, pulling it with so much force while Naomi kept screaming in pain. “Does it hurt?” She laughed. “I love seeing you in pain. It makes me feel superior over you… at least for once I’m getting all of the attentions.”
“By being a murderer? You killed my husband, Nelly.”
“Don’t call me that?” She yelled angrily, glaring at Naomi.
“Why? Are you scared of becoming that pathetic Nelly again?”
Nelly punched Naomi right on the jaw, sending her on the floor. “No, I’m scared of killing you right here, baby sis. I was curse to become your twin.”
Naomi shook hear head immediately. “No. I was the curse one. You are no good news to me, Reyes or my son.”
“Oh, your son. Does he know anything yet?”
“Shut up.” She yelled at the top of her voice.
Nelly started laughing, lowering herself to Naomi’s level. “What? Are you afraid of Ace finding out the truth?” She smirked. “Well, don’t be. Ah, you are right actually… will I truly stop even if I get everything I wanted? The answer is no.”
“You bit-ch . You pathetic lose…” Someone hit Naomi on the head, knocking her off.
“Right on time.” Nelly said, standing upright. “Things are getting messy… it’s time we pick up things a little fast-er.”
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????PAULO????
“Things are getting more complicated each pa-ssing day. If the princess is truly involved in the case, how come she doesn’t remember a thing?” Kat asked.
“Because she doesn’t. A child witnessing a murderer won’t be very easy for him or her.” Liam stated. “But what I don’t seem to understand is why Naomi, Ace’s mother is also in her head.”
“That’s my point, Li.” Paulo said, tapping his fingers on the table. “We all know that the princess is the witness of Ace’s case and maybe that’s why the murderer is after her as well. But she doesn’t know that due to memory loss.” He brou-ght out a jotter and a pen. “Claire have the footage of the crime but no one knows where she kept it.”
“Who is Claire?” Kat asked.
“The aunt of the princess, stupid.” Liam answered with an eye roll.
Paulo stood up to his feet and went to the board containing, Ballerina’s picture, Ace’s picture, Claire and Mr Reyes and there was also a silhouette photo which is meant to be replacing the unknown.
He took out another picture and paste it on the board, close to the silhouette photo _it was Naomi’s_
“How are you getting all those photos?” Kat asked.
He shrugged. “I’ve got my ways.” He stared at the photos on the board with his arms crossed over his chest. “How is Naomi related to….wait, what if she was there when that incident happened. What if Naomi knows who this murderer is… personally.”
“You think she’s trying to protect the murderer?”
“Yes. And that’s because the murderer is her fu-cking sister.” Ace said from behind, shutting the door close behind him. He was fuming in anger.
“Wait, what?” The three detectives asked in unison, eyes wide-ned in shock.
“Where did you get that information from?” Paulo asked.
“Juliana. Naomi’s friend.” He answered, approaching the bar to retrieve a bottle of whiskey but ended up grabbing a bottle water and a glas-scup, surprising Paulo.
“Did you just choose water over drink? Wait, don’t tell me this case is…”
“Belle asked me to stop drinking. She said it’s harmful.” He said gulping the water.
“But I’ve been telling you that even before you met Belle but you didn’t answer. So why are you…you like her, don’t you?” Paulo gasped, smiling.
Ace rolled his eyes. “I don’t. I just… Should we be talking about this shit or we should talk about the matter at hand now?” He said, changing the topic.
“Oh, yeah.” Paulo sighed. “That means the murderer is your aunt…but why haven’t we heard of her before? You might have forgotten her but I wouldn’t have if I’ve seen her before, don’t you think?”
“You are right. Which means Naomi didn’t introduce her to us when we were kids.”
“But why?”
“She’s obviously protecting her. Why else…?”
Paulo shook his head, drawing an arrow from Naomi’s photo to the unknown. “She was protecting her, Ace…she was rather protecting us from her.”
“What?”
“Your mom didn’t tell us anything about her sister…why? It can’t be because she wants to protect her… because there was no case to protect her from. Your mom didn’t introduce us to her because she was protecting us. She knew what her sister was capable of.” He said. “Your dad should know something as well… obviously, he can’t marry in a home without knowing anything about them.” He drew an arrow from the unknown photo to Mr Reyes photo. “There is a connection between this three people…and the center point is her.” He circled the unknown photo.
“God, this is very confusing. How can a sister be this mean to her own sister?” Kat asked.
“It’s possible, Kat. But there have to be a reason.” Paulo said. “Ballerina is not save…No one is save…we need to speeding up the investigation. Time is not at our side.” He turned to Ace. “We need to go to your mother, Ace. She needs to give us a description of her sister.” He turned back to Kat and Liam. “Keep a close watch on the Princess. I don’t trust any of her maids. Not even one. And while doing that, I want you to investigate on these necklaces.” He brou-ght out the necklaces from his pocket and handed it over to them. “And…make sure to be careful.”
*****
“Your aunt…”
“Don’t call her that. Just keep referring her as a murderer because that’s what she’s clearly is.”
“She remembers.”
“What?”
“She got flashes of what happened…your mother’s face was in her memory.”
“But…why? Or does that mean Naomi was involve in that case. Could it be that she is actually the killer?”
Paulo rolled his eyes. “Can you be less stupid? You really want your mother to be the killer, don’t you?”
“I’m just…forget it.”
“Belle feels guilty about what happened to her parents.”
“I should be the one to feel guilty not her. She did nothing wrong.” He said.
“I told her that.”
Ace eyes went wide. “You seriously told her that I’m the one to be blamed?”
Paulo laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, man. You are seriously in love with this girl. You can deny it all you want but it’s very obvious.”
“Just shut up and drive.”
*****
“Have you seen her?” Ace asked his maids. They all shook their heads no. “How long?”
“Since she left for Juliana’s.” One of the maids answered.
“I thought you said you are just coming bavk from Juliana’s house.” Paulo pointed out.
“Yeah. Which means that she isn’t there.”
“Wait, I remember seeing her this afternoon. I was with Princess at that time.”
“Was she talking to anyone?”
“None that I can remember of.”
“Great, now she’s missing.” Ace said, throwing his hands on the air.
“How is that even possible?” Paulo sighed, running his fingers throu-ghhis hair. “I think it’s high time we do some digging on your mother.”
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#To Be Continued…