CHAPTER 32

VALENTINA IMARA MEADOWS

"Where's Oceanus?" tanong ko nang makapasok sa loob ng office. Atlas set down the car keys on his desk and sat down.

"He's upstairs. I just gave him a task for section 2 of the lab. I'm having the packed drugs sent up so they're ready for shipment."

Tumango lang ako at nilapitan siya. He had a small black card; it was similar to the one he gave me.

"Para saan 'to?" I asked. Nakakunot ang noo ko habang nakatingin pa rin sa hawak kong itim na card.

Hyperion.

@Hyperion's residential.

8:00pm.

'Yon lang naman ang nakalagay roon. Nang umangat ang paningin ko kay Atlas, as usual ay busy at nakapokus na naman ang paningin niya roon.

"We're attending a birthday party. It's Hyperion's birthday, and that black card is your invitation. We need to be there as a sign of respect since I'm his underboss."

I nodded. "Anything else?"

Umiling na lang siya habang nanatiling nakatingin sa kan'yang laptop. "We'll buy some clothes tomorrow. Don't worry, it'll be quick."

"Paano si Oceanus? Hindi ba siya sasama sa atin? May natanggap din ba siyang invitation?"

He shook his head. "No. He's going back to Mexico for a while because there's an emergency with our cartel and Ismael. Siya muna mag-hahandle no'n pansamantala; don't worry. he'll be back here as soon as he's finished."

Wala sa sarili na napangiwi ako sa sinabi niya. I could already hear Oceanus complaining about Atlas' order. Wala man siya dito, pero naririnig ko na sa utak ko ang magiging reklamo niya.

"I just can't say no to Hyperion, so Oceanus will have to handle the problem in Mexico with Ismael."

"Okay. Kailan ba tayo bibili ng susuotin para d'yan, para ma-adjust ko na rin yung schedule ko? I think I might have rounds in your lab that day."

He shook his head and looked at me. "Don't worry about that. Sasabihan ko na lang si Ria tungkol d'yan. She can handle it."

Wala na rin akong nagawa kaya napailing na lang ako. I sat down eventually on an empty chair in front of his desk. Pinatong ko ang siko ko sa lamesa niya, and I leaned towards him while my chin was resting on my right hand.

"If we can get back quickly from shopping, I can still finish what I need to do here. Busy si Ria sa lab, Atlas. At sobrang laki ng section 2. Kung siya lang ang maghahawak no'n paniguradong matatagalan pa ng kaunti."

Natigilan siya saglit bago ako tingnan. "Okay, if that's what you want. We'll leave the next day. Just reschedule whatever you need to do that day."

I nodded and stood up from my seat. I walked towards the door of his office to leave but turned back to him one last time.

"Okay ka lang ba, Atlas?" kunot noo kong tanong sa kan'ya.

"Yeah. There was just a small problem with Faction Tres in our organization," he replied quickly.

"Kailan ba?" I asked curiously.

"Last week. I only found out about it from Hyperion earlier."

I thought it might also be news on our organization's website. Halos bihira ka na lang din 'yon bisitahin dahil sobrang busy ko na rin sa mga ginagawa ko rito. Kaya di na rin ako nagulat na ngayon ko na lang naririnig 'tong sinabi ni Atlas.

Unless... si Oceanus ang nagsabi sa akin. One hundred percent na ang mga latest na chismis ang mga maibabalita niya sa akin dahil sa pagiging chismoso nito.

"What happened? I don't think we'll be involved, right?"

He shrugged and took off his glasses. He placed them on the desk before answering my question.

"There was sabotage against one of the big bosses in Faction Tres. Cronus hasn't addressed it yet, so we're unsure how to handle the saboteurs. And our faction won't be involved..." he trailed off, as if holding something back. "Unless some of the other frontlines had a hand in it."

Napabuntong hininga na lang ako sa naging sagot niya. Even if he didn't tell me, I knew that each of the big bosses in every faction of El Orden Del Abismo had many associates. They needed them because they handled other operations; some followed orders, especially when it came to shipping and other things they could do.

Malaking kaguluhan ang magnyayari kung lahat ng factions ay maiinvolved sa problemang ito. In my five years of working for them, I had never seen any of the members of faction uno of El Orden Del Abismo.

Parang dito na nga lang din umiikot ang buhay ko. Sa warehouse ni Atlas, sa pagbibigay niya sa akin ng mga task, babalik sa Mexico, at pagtingin ng mga gamot na ishi-ship na.

"I see. Okay, I'll go now, Atlas. Sorry for asking. I rarely check our website."

He nodded. "It's okay, don't worry. Oceanus didn't tell you? He's usually quicker to pick up on problems in the three factions of our organization than me."

"Hindi niya nabanggit sa akin. Maybe he's busy."

"Okay. you can go now. I have something else to finish here."

Tahimik na lang akong tumango at lumabas na agad sa kan'yang opisina. Dumiretso agad ako sa kuwarto ko para makapagpahinga. Ang kaso, kahit na papapikit na ang mga mata ko, nabobother pa rin ako sa problema ng faction tres.

I know that it wasn't ordinary, because it got worse. There was a high chance it could lead to bloodshed.

▄︻デ══━一

Kumunot ang noo ko at napaawang ang mga labi nang mabasa ang isang post sa website ng organization namin. Habang nakatingin pa rin doon, dinig na dinig ko ang tawa ni Oceanus sa tabi ko.

Nakaupo kami ngayon sa malambot na sofa dito sa lounge area. We were having a breakfast while browsing the website on Oceanu's laptop.

"Huh? Young wife?" naguguluhan kong tanong sa kan'ya.

Wala tuloy sa sarili na napatingin ako kay Atlas dahil sa mga nababasa kong mga post doon. There were so many actually. I was okay with them knowing I worked for Atlas because there are moderators here who welcome new members to our organization.

This website is general. It includes factions one to three.

Medyo nagulat lang ako dahil naging topic na nagtrabaho ako kay Atlas. Nasabi na rin ni Oceanus na madalang din talagang nag-aaccept si Atlas ng new member sa faction nito unless someone has referred him.

Kamuntikan pa akong masamid sa sariling laway nang marealize na ang tagal kong nakatingin sa kan'ya. Imbis na umiwas ako ng tingin ay napaawang na lang din lalo ang labi ko nang makitang tinaasan niya ako ng kilay bago tinuon ang pansin sa pagkain niya.

Napailing na lang ako at saka iniwas ang paningin sa kan'ya.

"Why didn't you tell me you were already married to Atlas?" Oceanus joked while laughing.

Matalim ko siyang tiningnan bago ikutan ng mata. Binalik ko ang aking paningin sa pagtingin ng mga random post na patungkol sa aming dalawa ni Atlas.

"That's why Hyperion's underboss has been missing in action for so long. He's busy with his wife..." basa ko sa isang post. "He has a good eye for younger women..."

Mas lalong napaawang ang labi ko dahil doon. Ano ba 'tong mga 'to!

"Parang tatay ko na si Atlas!" hindi ko maiwasang sumigaw sa laptop na para bang maririnig 'yon ng nag-post. "Nababaliw na ba sila?" tanong ko kay Oceanus ng lingunin ito.

"I told you there are a lot of nosy people on our website," Oceanus said. "Congratulations, you're the popular one on our website now," he said, laughing and trying to mess up my wet hair because I had just taken a shower, but he stopped when I gave him a sharp look.

Napabuntong hininga na lang ako at sumimsim sa iced tea habang nag-i-scroll down, parang naghahanap pa ng mga post tungkol sa amin. Pero nang makarating ako sa pinakadulo. Napukaw ang pansin ko sa isang picture na naka-post doon.

Ito yung nasa yacht kami. Nahawak si Atlas sa baywang ko, paalis na sa pwesto namin. Pakiramdam ko parang sasabog ang ulo ko sa inis dahil alam ko na agad kung sino ang taong kumuha picture.

It was Helios. Siya lang naman ang taong nakita ko sa kabilang dulo ng hallway ng mga rooms sa yacht. Lalo na sa anggulo pa lang ng pagkuha ng picture, halatang siya na 'yon.

He started it. Siya na ang nagsimula ng mga rumors tungkol sa aming dalawa ni Atlas.

'Underboss' young wife, it's already here in the Philippines. Welcome back!'

Underboss' young wife, my ass!

The post was anonymous, but I knew it was him. Hindi ko tuloy napigilan ang sarili na maisara ng malakas ang laptop ni Oceanus at sumunod agad ang reklamo nito.

"Hey! You're about to break my laptop," reklamo nito bago hablutin sa akin ang laptop.

Inirapan ko na lang siya bago kunin ang platong may laman na pagkain at inubos 'yon. Inabala ko na lang ang sarili ko na manood sa malaking flat-screen TV. naririnig ko pa na nag-uusap silang dalawa ni Atlas, pero binalewala ko na lang 'yon.

"You know what, Oceanus?" tanong ko ng lingunin siya habang ngumunguya. "You have plenty of money to buy a new laptop. Masyado kang OA."

Napabuntong hininga na lang ako at muling tumingin ulit sa mga rumors tungkol sa akin sa website namin. Atlas is more like my father, why do they think that way? Para silang ewan. Well, I can't deny that because even though Atlas is older, he's still very handsome, especially with his face structure that looks like it was sculpted by a great sculptor and his stubble, which is well-trimmed and shaved. Isama pa na palagi siyang mukhang malinis at ang bango bango pa niya kung saan pa siya nanggaling.

Maybe some people would like him, but I don't... There's only one person my heart belongs to, and I still can't replace him. It's like he's already planted in my heart, and it's hard to remove. I let out a loud breath before I stabbed the sausage on my plate and before eating it.

Rafael is still the one in my heart and no one else.

▄︻デ══━一

"Good evening, Mr. Collazo," a saleswoman greeted him and then turned to me. "And Mrs. Collazo—"

"You can call me Hexia," I interrupted. "And I'm not his wife." I gave her a smile and went inside.

"Yes, Ms. Hexia. I'm sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay," I replied with a smile.

Agad kong nilibot ang paningin ko sa kabuuhan ng boutique na pinasukan namin. It was spacious; it has a white interior theme and a touch of cream on each side. The lighting was also easy on the eyes. Sa gitna naman, there were several long gowns and cocktail gowns on display. There were also large, antique-looking vases in every corner with flowers in them.

The place was crowded, so the other staff were very busy. Each customer had their own attendant.

"Just pick whatever you want."

"What's the theme of Hyperion's birthday party?" tanong ko.

"He didn't mention a theme, but anything formal. It would be much better if you wore a long gown; that's mostly what his other guests wear when he has a birthday party," he answered quickly.

I nodded and started looking around the other sections of gowns and dresses.

"I'll just give you one hour to choose a long gown, and I suggest you look for a blood-red long gown; you have something to match it with. I'll show it to you later. Don't forget to choose accessories that will match your outfit too," he instructed while sitting on a long cream-colored ottoman near the side of the counter.

"Okay. Is that all? Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

He shook his head. "None."

"Excuse me, Mr. Collazo. Should I bring out the three-piece suit that you requested?" a woman interrupted.

Atlas nodded and stood up from his seat. "Yes. I'll just get it after Hexia has checked out at the counter."

"Noted, Mr. Collazo. Your suit is in the private fitting room. You can check the clothes there, and if you need any adjustments to the suit, we can still fix it right away."

"Sure, let's go."

When he looked at me, I just nodded, and he walked towards the private fitting room the saleswoman was referring to. They entered a hallway where several private fitting rooms were lined up.

I started looking around for an outfit. There were a lot of people inside, and it was quite noisy. I scratched my arm in irritation because I couldn't choose properly because of the noise.

Napabuntong hininga na lang ako at dinampot ang isang long gown na nakita kong nakasabit sa dulong bahagi. It was a bloody-red long gown with the design of a halter neck style. It had a long fabric design starting from the shoulder that looked like a small, thin cape. It also had a slit on the left side of the thigh, and the overall design of the gown was plain. It was just a bloody red color and nothing else.

It seemed to fit me well; the waist was small so it would accentuate my body. I took a cream-colored basket from the side and carefully placed the long gown I chose in it.

I went to the side where the accessories were displayed and decided to pick out a pair of long diamond earrings.

"Where's your husband?"

I paused in my picking from accessories when a familiar voice suddenly broke my focus. My hand froze mid-air as I slowly turned to face the source of the voice.

"If you're planning to kill me, you won't be able to do it now. Sobrang daming tao ngayon kaya hindi mo magagawa 'yan at gano'n din ako. I guess better luck next time for both of us," tipid kong sagot sa kan'ya at nilagpasan na siya.

Dumiretso ako sa counter at pinatong ang dala kong basket doon. Wala sa sariling nilingon ko siya, nakayuko siya ngayon habang namimili ng accessories. I saw him pick up a dogtag necklace, and before he could look at me, I quickly averted my gaze.

"Tumatanggap kayo ng debit card?" I asked.

"Yes, ma'am," the cashier replied quickly.

"Here's my debit card—" I was about to hand her my debit card when she suddenly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but Mr. Collazo will be paying for everything you've chosen today."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Huh? I can pay for it. Here, take this."

She shook her head again. "Mr. Collazo will just wire the payment to our bank account, Ma'am."

I scratched my arm, frustrated that no matter how hard I tried she wouldn't accept my card. She started to check out the earrings I had bought.

"Please try on the gown you've chosen, ma'am. Before you pay, Mr. Collazo also told me that you should try on the gown first before we put it in a paper bag."

I sighed and didn't argue anymore. I took the hanger and went straight to the fitting room. Alam ko naman na kasya 'yon sa akin kaya wala na rin sana akong balak na sukatin 'yon.

I was already frowning when I went inside. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in front of me as I took off the bodycon dress I was wearing, leaving only a white bra and lace panty. I still looked good; I couldn't help but smile a little and comb my long, chocolate brown hair. If anything, I felt even better now—

A loud bang startled me. The fitting room door burst open, and I saw Helios suddenly enter.

My eyes widened, and I leaned against the full-length mirror as he pinned me against it, his hands around my neck. The mirror shattered loudly, and pieces fell to the floor. Mahina akong napadaing at napahawak sa matipunong braso niya.

"There's no one else here now, Hexia. Anything is possible when you want something badly enough," he murmured suggestively, his voice low and husky.

My heart pounded violently in my chest as I stared wide-eyed into his smoky gray eyes. He was inches from me, our breaths mingling, and I could feel the heat radiating from his body. A strange mix of fear and excitement coursed through me. I couldn't explain why my heart raced so wildly.

His lips were slightly parted, their redness glistening in the dim light. When our gazes met, there was a glint in his eyes that sent shivers down my spine.

Malakas kong kinagat ang braso niya at binwelo ang ulo para iuntog ang ulo ko sa kan'ya. Narinig ko ang daing niya at naramdaman na lumuwag ang hawak niya sa akin kaya agad ko siyang naitulak.

I punched his arms, trying to defend myself but he blocked my attacks with his arms. I quickly glanced around and grabbed a shard of broken glass. As I turned back to face him, I dove just as his fist swung towards me.

Doon ako nakakuha ng pagkakataon na itarak ang hawak kong patalim sa kan'ya sa tagiliran. The glass tore through his skin, drawing blood. I pulled it out, the shard dripping with blood.

Akala ko nasaksak ko na siya pero hindi pa pala. I couldn't fully stab him; he caught my hand just in time, pinning it down with a grip that made me gasp involuntarily. The knife slipped from my hand, clattering to the floor.

"Oops, mukhang nasugatan yata kita. Pasensya ka na," I taunted with a smirk, ignoring the growing numbness in my trapped hand.

His hold only tightened, sending pins and needles shooting up my arm. He slammed me against the cracked glass behind us, sharp edges biting into my back and a fresh sting flaring up.

Damn it! Magkakapeklat na naman ako!

"Did you just scratch up my back?" malamig kong tanong sa kan'ya.

"Hmm? I don't think so," sagot niya sa mapang asar na tono. "Lucky you even grazed me. This will be the last time you land a hit on me, Hexia."

His smugness sent a dark haze across my vision. I spun around, and as Helios stepped behind me, I kicked out at the broken mirror, shattering what remained of it with a forceful crack. We both stumbled back as the fitting room door caved in, and we hit the tiled floor hard—me landing right on top of him.

"I hope your body's sore from what you did, Helios," I sneered as I straddled his stomach.

Nagkalat sa labas ng fitting room ang mga basag ng salamin dahil sa amin. I grabbed a jagged piece within arm's reach, aiming to drive it straight into his chest, but he caught my wrist again and shoved me off of him with a rough push.

I flew back, landing hard and my head smacking against the tiles. I let out a low groan, feeling the ache as I struggled up from the floor. Kitang kita ko ang mga nagkalat na dugo sa sahig, at dugo naming dalawa 'yon.

I staggered back into the fitting room, realizing I wasn't exactly dressed for public view. I didn't need to give anyone passing by the surreal sight of me, almost fucking naked, battling it out in front of a fitting room!

I glanced back to see Helios already on his feet, clutching his side. A dark smile tugged at the corner of my mouth when I saw him wince, blood seeping between his fingers.

But then he turned and started walking away.

Agad na nanginit ang ulo ko nang makita siyang naglakad papalayo. Anong gagawin niya!? Tatakas siya ng gano'n gano'n lang!?

"You damn coward! Hindi pa tayo tapos, Helios! Bumalik ka rito!" I screamed in madness.

"What's going on here, Hexia!?"

SHANGPU