Instead of being offended, I was actually amused. I detected the concern in the old woman’s voice along with her silent warning.
I was still smiling when I got off and turned to my bodyguards.
“Are we going back now, ma’am?” Ador asked.
“Yes, but that’s after our mission for tonight.”
I had a feeling that tonight, some of my questions about Alexis Serrano would be answered.

“HELLO, earthlings! I’m looking for a woman named Diana Ferrel. Do you know where she is?”
My eyes widened when I heard that very loud announcement. I lowered down the book to check who that was. And there, I saw the culprit. It was Alexis.
He was standing in the library’s doorway. He didn’t seem to mind whether the librarian and the other students were shooting him death glares.
Tension crackled inside me. What did Alexis want from me? I only gained the courage to approach him last night because he was sleeping but now that he was wide-awake, I don’t think I could ever do that again.
I was about to cover my face with the book when Alexis’s gaze found mine. Still grinning, he made his way inside the library.
“There you are!” he said in a loud voice.
“Can you please tone down your voice?” I whispered and anxiously glanced at the students around. My cheeks had turned pink when I caught them looking at us. “What do you want from me anyway?”
“A lot.” Alexis stole my book and dropped it on the table. “Come with me.”
“You, two, get out!” the librarian snarled. “Now!”
Alexis smirked. He extended his hand. “’Heard that? Come on. Let’s get out of here. We already have the librarian’s blessings.”
When I hesitated, Alexis grabbed my hand, urging me to stand, which I did. I didn’t want to piss the librarian more by staying here. My heart raced when he squeezed my hand but I tried to ignore it.
Alexis even had the guts to give a hand salute to the librarian as we walked past her. I tried to smile apologetically before following him since he hadn’t let go of my hand yet.
He brought me to the open field where we first met.
“I was told that you were the one who sent me home last night,” Alexis started. “This is your fault. You shouldn’t have told Renata who you are. If you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have been able to trace you. That old woman can get a bit chatty at times. So, tell me, Diana. How much do you know about me now?”

‘CAN I get you anything? Juice? Tea? Or how about a coffee? You can also have your dinner here. I will prepare it for you.’
Renata’s offer surprised me. She was the one who opened the gates of the three-storey house for us a while ago. She looked a little grumpy after seeing me as if she saw an enemy through me but after I explained the situation to her, she started to relax.
She was small and thin. She barely reached my neck but she had this strong and intimidating aura in her. Maybe it was because of her sharp eyes as if nothing in the world could get past her.
Nick was the one who assisted Alexis all the way to his room upstairs while Renata was with them while I waited in the huge living room.
When Nick got down, I was about to bid goodbye but then Renata suddenly offered us a drink.
“If you insist, then I’ll have coffee. Black please. Thank you.”
She motioned me to sit down. She also offered Nick and Ador drinks but both of them politely refused. They excused themselves and waited at the gate for me, leaving me with Renata.
When she came back, she was already carrying a tray which had two cups of coffee and some snacks. She put them on the coffee table before sitting on the couch in front of me.
I felt conscious when the old woman stared at me all of a sudden as if she was trying to read my thoughts. I smiled to hide the growing embarrassment that I felt.
“Rest assured, I didn’t do anything to Alexis, Renata. I just didn’t have the conscience to let him spend the night alone in the highway.”
“This is the first time that someone actually brought him back, you know. I gave him a call many times in the past and since he’s often drunk, those girls were the ones who answered the phone. Just like what I did a while ago, I also told them the address and hoped that they would send him here but nobody did that. Just you.” Renata finally smiled. And when she did, it reached her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Please don’t mention it. It’s not a big deal.”
I took the cup of coffee and smiled after tasting it. It was the same as my mom’s coffee. I suddenly missed her. It would take her and dad two more weeks before they return to Manila.
“Your coffee reminds me of my mother, Renata. Thank you for this.”
“I like you,” the old woman said instead. “It’s my first time meeting you tonight but I already like you. My gut is telling me that you’re a good person. Please feel free to visit often.”
I laughed. “That’s impossible, Renata. This is probably my first and last visit. Alexis and I are just schoolmates. We are not friends and he doesn’t strike me as someone who would want to befriend girls like me.”
Renata’s brows furrowed. “And why now? Like I said, you seem to be a good person. What you did tonight was proof of that. Alexis may come off as rude but once you get to know the real him, you will find out that he is also a good person. Although even he doesn’t seem to know that.”
She heaved a sigh.