The cold wind lashed against the SUV windows. The only sounds were the low hum of the engine and the rhythmic swipe of the windshield wipers pushing away the drizzle.
Mia sat in the passenger seat, unable to move freely because of the handcuffs connecting her left wrist to the door handle. Her right hand was held by Enzo—a grip so tight it seemed he was terrified to let go.
"Love, look at the view. We used to pass here all the time in college, remember? Back when we had to commute because my car broke down," Enzo said.
His voice sounded as if nothing had happened last night. As if he hadn't chained Mia to the bed. Mia didn't answer. She just stared out the window at the banana trees looking like silhouettes in the dark.
"Why aren't you talking? Are you still angry?" Enzo asked. He squeezed her hand until she felt his nails digging in. "You know all of this is for you, right? For our future."
"What future, Enzo?" Mia finally spoke, her voice raspy and bitter. "A future with a killer? A future hiding in the mountains because the police might find us?"
Enzo chuckled softly. "Police? Mia, I've been 'cleaning up' for twelve years. If they were going to catch me, they would have done it long ago. But look at us now... on our way to our Dream Proposal. Isn't this what you wanted? A cliffside, the sunset, and the promise of 'forever'?"
"This isn't called forever, Enzo. This is a death sentence," Mia whispered.
Enzo suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road. This part of the Aguinaldo Highway was deserted in the early morning hours. He turned to Mia, his face dead serious and devoid of emotion.
"Death sentence? For whom?" he asked. He pulled a gun from under his seat and slowly rested it on Mia's thigh. "For me? For you? Or for the people trying to tear us apart?"
Mia froze, feeling the heavy, cold weight of the metal on her skin.
"Mia, think about it. In twelve years, who was always there for you? Who took care of you when you were sick? Who paid your tuition when your aunt lost her job?" Every word from Enzo felt like a blow. "That was me, Mia. Only me. And if I have to kill to keep your world quiet, I will."
Enzo leaned in, pressing his face against her neck to inhale the scent of her hair.
"The world is a dangerous place, Love. But as long as you're with me, nothing can hurt you. Not even your own conscience."
The SUV pulled into a gas station in Silang, Cavite. It was still predawn, the station's harsh white lights the only source of brightness. No one was around except for a sleepy pump attendant and a security guard patrolling in the distance.
"Let's stop here, Love. I'll just get gas and buy some coffee," Enzo said. His voice returned to its gentle tone, but his eyes remained sharp.
He carefully draped a jacket over Mia's handcuffed hands. From the outside, they looked like any other couple sitting close together. But under the jacket, Mia felt the cold steel.
"Don't make a sound, Mia. You know I don't want to add to the list of people who need to be 'set aside,' right?" Enzo whispered before rolling down the window.
The attendant approached. "Full tank, sir?"
"Yes, please. XCS," Enzo replied with a smile.
That smile—the one Mia had loved since elementary school—now made her skin crawl.
While the attendant was busy, the security guard walked past the side of the car. This was her chance. Mia looked at the guard, pleading with her eyes. She wanted to scream, but she could feel the muzzle of Enzo's gun pointing at her side from beneath the dashboard.
"Everything okay, Love? You seem to be sweating," Enzo asked, stroking her cheek. The guard noticed her stare and stopped walking.
"Sir, is Ma'am okay? She looks a bit pale."
Mia's world stopped. This was it.
"Oh, yes. Her blood sugar is just a bit low, Guard. That's why we stopped to buy some chocolate," Enzo answered quickly. His smile never wavered, but his grip on the gun tightened.
"Love, tell the Guard you're okay." Enzo looked at her. It was a look that said: If you speak, this guard dies right now.
"I-I'm okay, Kuya. Thank you," Mia forced out, her voice trembling.
The guard nodded and continued his patrol. Mia's last hope crumbled. She watched safety walk away. Once the tank was full, Enzo paid and slowly drove away from the bright station. As they merged back into the darkness of the highway, Enzo suddenly laughed—a sound that made her knees weak.
"Good girl, Mia. You know, I loved you this much because you're smart. You know when to obey," he said, accelerating.
"Until when, Enzo? How long will you hide me from the world?" Mia asked, tears finally rolling down her cheeks.
"Until the end, right? 'Double Tape.' It doesn't peel. It can't be separated. Even if we have to endure... a little sacrifice."
At that point, they entered the winding roads of Tagaytay. The fog grew thicker, as if veiling the crime that was about to unfold.
As they navigated the winding roads, Mia couldn't take her eyes off her cellphone. Enzo had confiscated it, and it now sat mockingly on the dashboard.
That message… that warning… who sent it?
"Who is he, Enzo?" Mia asked suddenly. Her voice was brave now, even if her hands were still shaking beneath the jacket.
"Who is who, Love?" Enzo replied, driving relaxed. One hand was on the wheel; the other still rested on the gun.
"The person who messaged me at the apartment. The one who said 'END' was your codeword. How did they know about your files if you're the only one who knows they exist?"
Enzo's grip on the steering wheel suddenly tightened. His jaw set. The atmosphere inside the SUV shifted instantly—from playful to suffocating.
"Maybe… he's one of the ghosts I didn't finish 'setting aside,'" Enzo whispered.
"Some people are just stubborn, Mia. They think that once they escape me, they're safe."
A name suddenly flashed in Mia's mind. Leo. Enzo's cousin who had vanished five years ago after they fought over their family business. People said Leo went abroad without saying goodbye, but now, Mia realized the truth.
"Was it Leo?" Mia asked, her eyes widening in horror. "Is he still alive? Or did you… did you finish him off, too?"
Enzo glanced at the side mirror, as if checking if someone was following them.
"Leo was a mistake, Mia. He meddled too much in my plans for you. He wanted to warn you even back then. But don't worry… if he's the one who messaged you, it just means he's finally shown himself. It'll be much easier to find him now."
A chill ran down Mia's spine. It meant someone was watching them. Someone was trying to save her, but that person was clearly terrified of Enzo, too.
"Do you know why I call that folder 'END'?" Enzo asked as they traversed the curves of Tagaytay.
"It's not just because of your father. 'END' stands for 'Eternal Next Destination.' Every person I put in there, I send to a destination they can never return from."
Enzo took his phone and pressed something. An audio recording played through the car speakers.
"Enzo, please… don't. I'm your cousin! I won't say anything to Mia!" — It was Leo's voice, sobbing and begging.
"You're dead wrong, Leo. You saw the way I look at her. You saw what I do to anyone who stands in our way. Now that you know, you can no longer exist in her world." — Enzo's voice followed, cold and devoid of mercy.
Enzo switched off the recording.
"See, Mia? I did that for us. Leo was going to destroy our 'Double Tape' image. And now, if he really sent that message, it means it's time for his final… END."
Up ahead, they saw orange cones and the flashing lights of a police checkpoint.
"Mia," Enzo said, his voice dropping an octave as he slowly pulled out a roll of duct tape. "Don't look at the police. Don't make any signals. Because if you do, I won't be the only one going down. I'll make sure that before they handcuff me, you'll be lifeless by the time they reach you."
Enzo took Mia's hand and kissed it firmly.
"I love you so much. I hope you don't force my hand to do something I don't want to do."
Enzo rolled down the window as he slowly pulled up to the officer. The scent of fog and exhaust fumes drifted inside.
"Good morning, Officer," Enzo greeted, his voice calm and brimming with charisma.
The officer looked inside. His flashlight beam hit Mia directly in the face.