Chapter 5 Fourth Chapter

"Give me your number," he said.

"Why should I give you my number?" I asked.

"My mom asks for it," he said. So I gave him my number, and he handed me a calling card.

"Do you always give calling cards to the girls you meet?" I asked, but he didn't bother to answer.

I wondered if I had offended him. "I'm sorry if my question upset you," I added, then continued walking. I reached the gate, and he opened it for me.

I walked away from the house, but suddenly, I felt like someone was following me. I quickly pulled my phone from my pocket and typed in the number Alyx had given me earlier. As I texted him, I picked up my pace, and the two figures behind me started running, so I ran too. They caught up with me, but I managed to dial the number while sprinting. Thankfully, the call was answered almost immediately.

"Aleeza!" the caller said.

"Help me, Alyx! Someone is chasing me! I'm still inside your subdivision! Please help me!" I shouted, panic rising in my voice. My phone slipped from my hand as I tried to defend myself, but the two men were stronger. I was exhausted, and my resistance was weakening. I kicked one of them in the knee, but it didn't stop him. After what felt like twenty minutes, Alyx finally arrived, kicking one of the strangers away from me. But one man was still pulling at me.

"Alyx, help me!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I struggled to break free from the man's grip, kicking him in the knee. As he reached for a .45 caliber gun in his pouch and pointed it at Alyx, I ran towards him to block the shot. The bullet hit me on the right side of my chest. The men ran away, leaving me in pain, but I managed to stand up and retrieve my phone.

"Aleeza!" Alyx shouted as he ran towards me.

"Hey, stay awake. Don't close your eyes," he urged.

"Of course, I know that," I replied, gasping for breath.

"Don't speak, just stay quiet," he said, holding me as I lay on his lap, struggling to breathe. He called an ambulance, and within ten minutes, it arrived. As they lifted me into the ambulance, I felt so tired, and my eyes threatened to close.

"Damn! Don't shut your eyes!" Alyx pleaded.

"Don't... worry... I won't die... okay..." I managed to say between labored breaths.

"Can you just stop talking, please?" he insisted. I looked at him, his white polo shirt stained red with my blood.

I don't remember what happened next. I woke up to the scent of antiseptic in the hospital. As I opened my eyes, I saw my mother, father, and Alyx, still in his school uniform.

"I have to go, sir, ma'am," Alyx said politely to my parents, then looked at me. "Get well soon," he said before leaving the room.

"Are you okay, Aleeza?" my mom asked, her voice full of worry.

"I'm okay, Ma," I assured her.

"Are you sure? Anna and Arra are worried about you. They couldn't come because they have class," my dad said.

"I'm sorry. I'll take care of myself next time. By the way, Ma, how are you?" I asked.

"We're fine, Aleeza, but we were so worried about you. We wouldn't know what to do if something happened to you," my mom replied.

"When the brother of your boss called us after your accident, we were so worried. Your siblings were, too. Please take care of yourself from now on, okay?" my dad added.

"Yes, Papa, I will. By the way, Ma, how are Anna and Arra doing in school?" I asked.

"They're doing well. They want you to be there on July fourteenth for their birthday," my mom said.

"Oh, I forgot. Okay, Mom, I'll be there," I promised.

It was already six in the evening when my parents went to the cafeteria, and Ms. Aminah visited me. She brought a basket of fruits and was accompanied by her friend, Attorney Krystal, who had her twins, Jastyse and Courtney, with her.

"Get well soon, Ate Aleeza," the twins said, making me smile.

"How are you, Aleeza?" Ms. Aminah asked.

"I'm fine, ma'am, just a little pain in the right side of my chest," I replied.

"We already know who the culprits are. The men who chased you two days ago work for Mr. Agashi," Ms. Aminah said.

"But don't worry, Aleeza, your family is safe now. Krystal and I took care of it, so there's no need to worry," Ms. Krystal assured me as Ms. Caleigh entered the room.

"Good evening, everyone," Ms. Caleigh greeted.

"Good evening, ma'am," I replied.

"Oh my god, can I hire you as my secretary?" Ms. Caleigh said with a laugh.

"Don't take her seriously, Aleeza. She's a bit of a lunatic," Ms. Krystal joked, and I nodded with a smile.

"Auntie Caleigh!" the twins gleefully exclaimed when they saw her.

"So, here we are," Ms. Aminah said as the atmosphere turned serious again.

"I assure you, Aleeza, that your family is safe now. You can have peace of mind, but don't forget to always be vigilant," Ms. Caleigh advised.

"Noted, ma'am. Thank you very much," I said as my parents returned to the room.

"Good evening, ma'am," my mom greeted.

"Good evening, ma'am and sir," Ms. Aminah, Ms. Caleigh, and Ms. Krystal greeted back.

"Thank you so much for visiting my daughter, ma'am. It's a pleasure," my father said.

"No, sir, it's a pleasure to have your daughter in our company. She's a good employee with strong principles," Ms. Aminah said.

"Good evening, sir. I am Attorney Krystal Claire Fajardo, the company attorney where your daughter, Aleeza, works. The Gustavo Empire wants to file a case against the culprit who threatened her life two days ago. With your permission, sir, we've come here to visit your daughter and discuss this. If you don't agree, that's okay," Ms. Krystal explained.

"It's okay with me, Attorney Fajardo. I just want my daughter safe and the culprit to face the consequences," my dad said. Ms. Krystal handed him a folder, and my parents signed the complaint.

Two days later, I was discharged. I was healing well, and my parents decided to return to the province to take care of my siblings, Anna and Arra. The case against Mr. Agashi and his men for attempted murder had been filed. I decided to return to work. I wore a white blouse with black jeans and white flats. Once ready, I left my apartment and quickly found a cab to take me to Gustavo Empire. The ride took about an hour, and I headed straight to my office on the tenth floor. As I opened the door, I noticed something-someone-inside my office."Who are you?" I demanded.