The large television monitor was set up almost immediately. Kevin didn't mind—especially since he had already gathered substantial information during his conversation with Gabriel.
I'm not even surprised anymore, he thought. He carries the Navares blood. But unlike the others, he's more cautious. More thorough.
Kelly or Nicole… who exactly is the target? And why?Gabriel's questions echoed relentlessly in his mind.
"How do you even use this thing?" Gabriel muttered, staring at the screen.
"Let me handle it," Chris sighed, stepping in.
"Thanks, bro," Gabriel replied with a small grin.
Julie moved closer to Kevin. "Kevin… thank you for helping my cousin," she whispered.
Her words drew a soft smile from him. He ruffled her hair and casually draped an arm around the so-called Pop Princess.
I still can't believe she's the same Pop Princess my cousin Feah adores, he thought. And I definitely can't tell Feah yet—she'd explode from excitement and spill everything.
"I'll be singing next week," Julie said brightly. "Please bring Feah with you."
Kevin blinked, surprised, then laughed. "Sure. She'll be over the moon."
Julie beamed.
Kevin turned back to the screen as the first image appeared—Chris's snapshot from the incident.
"There," Gabriel said, pointing. "Do you see it?"
They all leaned closer. Kevin frowned as he spotted the edge of a different school uniform peeking out from beneath one attacker's jacket—exposed when Jonathan had kicked him down.
"Yeah," Jonathan said grimly. "They're from different schools. The descriptions and photos you showed us earlier match. They're neighbors—but not schoolmates."
"But what about that tattoo?" Dave asked.
"I'm not entirely sure," Gabriel admitted. "But remember what I told you about that gang? That emblem—that's it."
Julie stiffened as she studied the mark on the screen—a small skull, crossed by a bold X.
"Why?" Kevin asked gently, noticing her unease.
"Gab…" Julie hesitated. "I don't know how to explain it, but I've seen that tattoo before."
Gabriel turned to her sharply. "On your ex?"
Julie nodded. "Yes."
"No way," Kenneth muttered. "Are you saying Julie herself was a target back then?"
"Possibly," Gabriel replied. "But if she was, why didn't they act when she broke up with him?" His lips curved into a faint, dangerous smirk. "The truth is, he lost interest in Julie. But now? Who knows what he's planning."
Kevin swallowed.He's terrifying when Julie's involved.
Across the room, Cielo sat in silence, his presence dark and unreadable. If Julie gets dragged into this, Kevin thought, it won't end quietly.
"Hey, Gab," Joel spoke up. "Can I ask something?"
"Yeah?"
"Is it possible that girls can be members of that gang too?"
Gabriel nodded. "It's possible. We don't know if they recruit females."
"Why?" Dennis asked.
Joel exhaled heavily. "That emblem… I've seen it before. On Airah's back. It's hidden under her uniform—but it's there."
Kenneth let out a low whistle. "If that's true, then maybe her friends—or even her cousin—have it too. Our school doesn't allow tattoos. If it's hidden on their backs, they could easily get away with it."
"I need to confirm this myself," Cielo said quietly, finally speaking.
"And the van?" Kenjie asked.
"It belongs to Airah's current boyfriend," Gabriel replied.
Uneasy glances passed between them.
"And who exactly is he?" Jonathan asked.
*********
Damn.Without Gabriel, we'd still be in the dark, Jonathan thought grimly.
"Chris," Gabriel said calmly, "brace yourself. You know him."
The room tensed.
"He's the vice president of Schola Academy."
"What?" Kenneth gasped.
"Yeah," Gabriel nodded. "Charles Loki Navarette."
"What the hell—so he's the one after my girlfriend… or Nicky?" Kevin snapped.
"Exactly," Gabriel said. "He abuses his position. When he sets his sights on a girl, he uses fear and intimidation to break her."
"What does he do to them?" Raymond asked quietly.
Gabriel didn't flinch. "He rapes them. Or uses them for his own pleasure."
The word hit the room like a blade.
Jonathan immediately noticed his sister's reaction.
"Nicky… I'm sorry," Gabriel said softly, moving closer.
Even from a summary, Gabriel understood her trauma. Jonathan watched him carefully. He really is sincere, he thought. A good man.
"I—I'm okay," Nicole whispered, trembling. "It's just… that word still makes me shake."
"It's alright if you don't want to hear more," Gabriel said gently.
"No," Nicole insisted. "I need to know. What if we meet them during the competition? You said some of them are dancers, right?"
Gabriel nodded. "Joel, stay with her. And if anything happens—Dad will be there for Nicole."
Jonathan leaned forward. "You're not done, are you?"
"No," Gabriel admitted. "The president of the council at International Beda Academy is Charles's close friend."
Julie straightened. "Vincent Rodeo Gilla."
Gabriel smirked. "You said it yourself. Looks like you've really moved on."
"Idiot," Julie snapped.
"Yes," Gabriel confirmed. "Vincent is the president of International Beda's student council."
"That bastard," Chris muttered.
Gabriel displayed a photo—two young men smiling like golden boys, yet looking more like criminals than leaders.
"So the van really belongs to Charles," Dave said quietly.
"Yes," Gabriel replied. "But they'll cover it up. They always do." He turned to Julie. "Be careful. We don't know when he'll come after you again."
Julie scoffed. "Even if that jerk drags me away, he'll never win. He's trash."
"Julie," Cielo said firmly. "Just… be careful. We don't know their next move."
She nodded silently.
This is far more serious than we imagined, Jonathan thought, releasing a long, heavy sigh.