Tanging ang tunog lang ng pagbuga ng malamig na hangin ng aircon ang maririnig sa paligid.
 
Kumalma na si Prince at kasalukuyan na binidendahan na ni Dychie ang sugat sa kamay ng lalaki.
 
Bigla ay parang gusto nya itong yakapin. Mukha kasing sobra ang sakit na nararamdaman nito. Tila nacha-channel ng mood nya ang nararamdaman nito.
 
Hindi rin nagsasalita ang lalaki. Paunti unti na ang pag inom nito ng alak.
 
"There, it's done." Mahinang sabi nya ng tapos nya ng bendahan ang kamay nito.
 
Binawi nito ang kamay nito sa kanyang hita at hindi nagsalita.
 
Bumuntong hininga sya. "Do you want to talk?" Malumanay na tanong nya sa lalaki.
 
Hindi nagsalita si Prince. Nakatitig lang ito sa lamesa.
 
Tumayo sya at pumunta sa harap nito. "Look, Prince. I get it. I know you liked her.. or love her. But you have to let it go. May asawa na sya. They look happy and contented." She wanted him to talk.. kaya kahit hindi nya alam ang mga nangyayari ay nagsalita sya.
 
"It's not what you think, Dychie. Hindi ganoon kadali ang lahat." Sa wakas ay sabi nito.
 
Muli syang umupo sa tabi nito. "Then speak.. to me. I know this sounds unreal but i am worried about you."
 
Nilingon sya nito.
 
Hindi nabawasan ng lungkot sa mata nito ang taglay nito'ng kakisigan.
 
"Alright. Minahal ko na si Sandy hindi pa man sila nagkakakilala ni Aled. Minahal ko na sya kahit hindi nya pa rin ako kilala. Pinagkasundo sila dahil sa isa'ng circumstances.. then we met too. Naging close kami. The moment na nalaman ko na nagsisismula na syang ma inlove kay Aled, i backed off. But then.. palagi syang nasasaktan ni Aled. At sa akin sya tumatakbo. I was there when she needs me."
 
He paused.  Then poured some scotch onto his glass then drank all of it, as if doon sya kukuha pa ng lakas ng loob bago magpatuloy. Tumutulo pa rin ang luha ng lalaki. He looked so dam hurt at that moment.
 
"I-i was fine with that. Makita ko lang syang masaya, masaya na rin ako.." Nagsimulang tumulo ang luha nito. "I can't forget her. I even sold my self to the devil just for her!" he said with conviction.
 
Nangunot ang noo nya. "Prince.. what do you mean?"
 
"Oh. Right. You don't know how bad i am.. yet. But you'll know soon, Dychie. I never planned on getting myself into this mess. But i love her and i want to protect her.. i gave up my freedom. But it's okay. I won't blame her. I just really love her."
 
Huminga sya ng malalim. Ihinahanda nya na ang sarili nya sa iba pang mga sasabihin nito.
 
"Aled had her and her love.. and i had nothing." Hindi na tumitigil ang pagdaloy ng luha nito.
 
 
 
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Marahan na tinanggal ni Sandy ang suot na Gucci shades nang makita na paparating na ang kanyang hinihintay. She doesn't feel threatened at all dahil confident sya sa mga kasama nyang bodyguards.. and kahit papaano ay alam nyang hindi magsasalita ang mga ito kay Aled.
 
"Well, well, well. Look who wants to see me." Malapad ang ngiti na iyon ni Roberto Santillan habang dahan dahan na umupo sa upuan na nasa harap nya. "Mrs. Alejandro Santillan."
 
Pinagbuksan ito ng pinto ng kasama nitong goon. Humigit kumulang anim na goons ang alam nyang kasama nito. May kasunod na itim na kotse ang puting kotse nito na kumikintab sa puti.
 
She sipped on her coffee before saying.
 
"Let's cut the chase, Mr. Santillan." walang emosyon na sabi nya. "Ikaw ba ang nagpa kidnapped sa akin? Sino ang kasabwat mo?"
 
Unti unti na nawala ang ngiti nito, napalitan ng pagka gulat at pagkalita.. bago muling ngumiti. "Wow. Seems like having Aled as a husband can really make changes.. Are you accusing me of something, Mrs. Santillan?"
 
Ikinuyom nya ang kanyang mga palad. "Nagtatanong ako. Wala naman ibang gustong gumawa ng masama sa akin.. or at least wala kaming ibang maisip. I know that Aled also thinks that--"
 
"No, no no." Roberto interrupted. He sat forward to her. Inilagay nito ang dalawang kamay nito sa lamesa. "Mukhang may communication issues kayong mag asawa." Umiling iling ito. "My name was cleared, okay? Tutal naman ay alam mo na ang lahat, you should know na hindi kami o kahit na sino sa Chiamera ang nagpa kidnapped sayo.. and humingi ng what, ilang milyones? That's so low."
 
"What do you mean by your name was cleared? Who cleared you? What does it mean?" Kaunti na lang ay tila magwawala na sya. Bakit patrang nauuso ang riddles ngayon?!
 
"My name and Chiamera was cleared. Prince was there first! Bakit ka nya ililigtas kung kami lang din naman ang nagpa kidnapped sayo? He did all to save you." Seryoso na sabi na ng lalaki.
 
Tila inumpog sya sa pader ng marinig iyon. "W-what? Prince? And what does he got to do with all of this?" Umalingawngaw sa utak nya ang sinabi ng lalaki kagabi na "I WAS THERE FIRST" And she thought he was talking about visiting her in the hospital.
 
"Very well. I know how being left out feels. I own Chiamera.. before. But i gave it to Prince. But he refused. The good kid, Prince Montreal." Umiling iling pa ang lalaki. "But after sometime, yeah, i admit i was after you first, not to kill you, but to let Renato suffer knowing na ako ang magmamamana ng Clandestine."
 
Mataman syang nakikinig. Naalala nya bigla ang eksena noong nalaman nya ang lahat. Nasa Bakanteng lote sila sa Rizal ni Prince habang umiinom ng beer.
 
"Oh. I almost forgot. Hindi nagkataon ang pagkakakilala nyo ni Prince. I nurtured him. I got him from an orphanage and treated him special.. to be the perfect man and make you fall for him."
 
"What?!" Is she hearing the real thing? "What are you talking about?!" Inilapag nya na ang nakakuyom nyang kamay sa lamesa. Lalabas ba na masama si Prince sa ikekwento nito?
 
"Don't be mad, mademoiselle. You will know later on the whole truth." He paused and sipped the coffee in front of him. "He never wanted to be a part of what i want him to do. But he saw you.. he saw your picture. And my stupid secretary gave Prince a favor by giving your address in Laguna. Since then, he started looking out for you. He loves you, Sandy. But You see, Prince is a classic torpe. He never got the chance to talk to you kahit noon pa man.. edi sana kayo ang magkasama."
 
Hindi nya alam ang sasabihin. SPEECHLESS. Masyadong intense ang mga lumalabas sa bibig ng roberto Santillan na ito.
 
"He spent the time on extra cullicular activities and since pwede syang pakinabangan, and i was in Clandestine that time, i got him the modeling job.. and the FREEDOM job too. Naisip ko na mas magiging ma appeal sayo kung artista sya at mas madali ka nyang mapapagusto. But you still chose my bastard niece over him.. And i want to have you so bad to make them suffer. So he gave in to my greatest wish.."
 
"W-what is it?" Nanginginig na tanong nya. Si Prince.. dapat ba syang magalit dito?
 
"Hmm. He gave his self to me. Completely. Sya na ang Prime master ng Chiamera. You know, parang si Aled sa Orion? There. He never wanted any of these. Gusto nyang tigilan na kita kay Aled kaya papayag daw sya sa gusto ko. He wanted to protect you. There, we signed the contract. Anything about you seemed to affect him big time. Too bad he never had the chance to tell you what he really feels.. and that he is hurting inside."
 
Yumuko sya. WHY DID HE DO THAT?!
 
"Cassandra." Bigla ay umiba ang tono ng boses nito. She looked at him. "I admit i was the bad guy before. I am not sorry for the things i have done.. But Prince.. he's like a son to me. I wanted him the position to make him busy to forget you.. He loved you that he gave his self to the the last thing he would want in his life.."
 
 
 
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9:55am.
 
Nagising sa sikat ng araw si Dychie. Nilingon nya ang paligid. Tsaka nya na realize nya wala nga pala sya sa condo nya.
 
Alas dos na ng madaling araw ng mapilit nya si Prince na ihatid nya sa bahay nito na isa'ng penthouse ng isa'ng commercial building somewhere in Alabang.. Lasing ang lalaki kaya inalalayan nya ito sa kama nito.. and hindi nya na napansin na nakatulog sya sa sofa nito.
 
Napangiti sya.
 
nag heart to heart talk silang dalawa. Inilabas nito ang lahat ng naipon na sakit sa dibdib nito. HE REALLY LOVED THE GIRL. Too bad at hindi nagkatuluyan ang mga ito.. o buti na lang? Well. Hindi naman masama na catch si Prince. She remembers other girl calling him the big catch.
 
Nagluto sya ng agahan nila. Maraming pagkain sa ref nito.
 
Hindi nya rin maiwasan na tumingin tingin sa mga collection nito ng libro.. until one hard bound blue book caught her attention. YEAR BOOK noong high school. Na excite sya makita kung ano ang istura ng lalaki noong bata pa ito.
 
Binuklat nya ng binuklat hanggang sa isa'ng pamilyar na mukha rin ang nakita nya.
 
Si Aled.
 
And what shocked her the most? His full name.
 
ALEJANDRO SANTILLAN.
 
 
 
And her father is ROBERTO SANTILLAN.
 
Small world?