DS8Uncovered #LuMa #BearCouple #DaggerSeries

CHAPTER 29: VISITOR

LUNA'S POV

Sumilip ako sa labas ng opisina ni Magnus at nginitian ko ang assistant niya na si Liam na kaagad tumayo mula sa kinauupuan niya. Magnus needs to give him a vacation. Bata pa siya pero pakiramdam ko ay sakit sa puso ang magiging karamdaman niya. I sometimes wonder if Magnus said anything to Liam that made him all tense around me.

"Yes, Ma'am Luna?"

"Do you have a paper bag?

The way he moved so quickly makes me worried he'll get whiplash. In an instant, he procured a black customized Quetzal tote bag from what seemed like thin air. Maging si Eden at Leo na nakatayo sa pintuan ng opisina ni Magnus ay nahihiwagahang napamata sa kaniya.

"Thanks!" pasasalamat ko sa kaniya nang iabot niya sa akin iyon.

"Sigurado po ba kayong hindi niyo pupuntahan si Mr. Aquillan sa conference room. He assured me that as long as it's you, Ma'am, he wouldn't mind."

"I'm fine staying in his office. The last time I interrupted his meeting, I spent forever sitting on his lap."

His cheeks flush red. Aww, look at that. He's so adorable.

I lift the bag in my hand and give it a playful wiggle before I walk back into the room with a cheerful step. When I was inside, I started browsing the books scattered all around Magnus' office that seemed to have accumulated more in just the past few days.

Hindi na ako nag-abalang basahin ang synopsis ng mga iyon at basta na lang akong naglagay sa hawak ko na bag ng mga may cover na nagustuhan ko. I'm planning to add them to our growing reading nook back home.

Nilingon ko ang nakabukas pa rin na pintuan at nakita kong nakasilip doon si Eden. Inangat ko ang hawak ko na mga libro. I know Eden's a reader. "Gusto mo? Libre lang. Perks of having a husband who owns a publishing house."

"Okay lang ba? I collect their books, but I'm seeing ones that I'm not familiar with."

I scanned the room. "Alin sa mga 'to?"

She glances at Leo quickly, who's probably standing beside her, and her face reddened. Nang bumalik sa loob ng kuwarto ang atensyon niya ay sinundan ko ang tinitignan niya at napangisi ako. Eden's into spicy books, huh?

"Send me the title, and I'll put it in the bag."

Her lips curved in a way that tells me that there's no person on the planet yet who is immune to the way she smiles. I know for a fact that she's a badass like most Dagger employees are, but the way her face brightened makes her really look angelic. Leo doesn't stand a chance. If he's not already in love with her, he's probably on his way already.

Pinuno ko ang bag at nang halos hindi ko na mabuhat iyon ay binaba ko iyon sa sofa bago ako lumapit sa office chair ni Magnus at sumalampak na upo roon. I reached for his mouse, and I started snooping around his computer. Unlike before, though, I didn't open his Google Drive. Trabaho niya iyon at hindi ko dapat pinakikielamanan 'yon. Lalo na at kumakailan lang ng ginawa ko iyon dahil sa inis ko sa kaniya.

I couldn't snicker when I remembered what I did last time. Ano kayang reaksyon ng mga empleyado niya sa iniwan kong comment noon?

Binuksan ko ang download file niya pero halos walang laman iyon maliban sa mga sari-saring dokumento. No adorable cat or dog pictures. No memes or anything. Not that I have a lot of it. Pero minsan ko ng nabuksan ang computer ni Kuya Trace at marami siya niyon.

I went to his video file, and I saw a couple of kickass book trailers. Nang matapos ako ay pumunta naman ako sa pictures. Maraming folders doon na per book ata niya ginawa. There's so much of it that it's kind of overwhelming, but it's not surprising. Kung tutuusin mas organisado pa ang computer niya kesa rito sa mismong opisina niya at maging sa opisina niya sa bahay.

While scrolling through the folders, I stopped when something caught my eye. I burst out laughing when I realized what it was. "Pinanindigan niya na ang pagiging Edward Cullen fan niya?"

The folder was titled Edward Cassius Cullen. A combination of what I claimed as Magnus' favorite sparkling vampire and Maven's new writer's vampire, Cassius. I clicked the file, expecting to see a book cover for the book. Pero sa pagtataka ko ay hindi ko mabuksan iyon dahil may password. Why would he put a password on this?

Bago ko pa masubukang buksan iyon ay napatingin ako sa pintuan ng opisina ng may marinig ako. I saw Leo trying to block the door while I caught sight of Eden looking at someone sharply. Curiosity winning over, I stood up and took a peek.

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko nang makita ko si Vixen Wilder na naglalakad palapit sa kinaroroonan ko ngayon. Nakatutok ang atensyon niya sa kulay pula niyang sapatos may mataas na mga takong. Her steps halted when she noticed Eden and Leo on her path.

Her eyes widened before they flicked towards me. "I... I just want to talk."

I don't know how she knew I'm here. It's obvious na ako ang pakay niya at hindi si Magnus kahit pa nasa opisina ako ng lalaki. Did she come from the Cloud room? Ang alam ko nandoon din si Magnus.

I tap Leo on the back lightly. "Let her through, guys."

Leo and Eden glance at each other before the latter turns to Vixen. "Pakiiwan na lang dito sa labas ang bag mo."

I understand the reason was for my safety. They would have frisked her if it was needed, but Vixen's wearing a skin-tight dress that leaves little room for imagination.

Pumasok ako sa loob at naramdaman ko na nakasunod siya. Instead of going back to Magnus' office chair, I decided to take a seat on the sofa. Hindi nagtagal ay umupo siya sa upuan na nasa harapan ko.

"I..." She cleared her throat. "I just wanted to apologize."

Surprising. After the backlash that she received from her post that she didn't take down for almost a day, probably because of the clout, not one word came from her. Of course, naturally, may mga kumampi sa kaniya. But it was drowned out by the Dawson Wives supporters.

Ilang araw ata pagkatapos ng araw na iyon na hindi ako nag-online dahil sa dami ng notification ko sa lahat ng social media ko. Even my employees at Maven were talking about it for days.

"I-I talked to Mr. Aquillan, and I apologized to him as well, but he told me that you're here and I should give the apology to you and not to him."

Honestly speaking, it's only right that she apologized to him too. She's a new writer of the company, and what she did could reflect on Quetzal. Pero kung tutuusin ay hindi naman lalaki rin ang makakapansin sa kaniya dapat kung hindi nag-react ang mga sister-in-law ko.

I'm not saying that the wives were wrong. But compared to Vixen's fanbase, talaga namang malaki ang sa mga hipag ko. Thankfully, though, no one has put two and two together. Mas malaking gulo kung nalaman ng mga tao kung sino ang tinutukoy ni Vixen sa post niya. She's a Quetzal writer, and saying something like that to the company owner and his wife will be a big issue.

"I'm grateful that he didn't terminate my contract, which he has a right to do given the circumstances," she continued.

To say that Magnus was livid when he found out about the post is an understatement. He was on the phone for hours that day. It's a bit surprising that Vixen only came to Quetzal now.

Hindi ko rin siya masisisi, though, kung hindi siya kaagad pumunta. She's probably had a terrible wake up call and sudden life crisis. It's why people should really think about what to post on social media. Hindi nakaka-cool ang pagiging "bitchessa" lalo na kung wala na sa lugar.

"It's okay." Nagkibit ako ng balikat. "Nangyari na. I would rather that we all move on from here."

"I will post an apology video today, I promise."

Sandaling nakatingin lang ako sa kaniya. She's obviously been chastised, and she has no choice but to reflect on her actions, but people don't change overnight. She clearly didn't. She might act accordingly around Magnus and I, but her clout-chasing tendency is still there.

She said she wanted to apologize. She didn't exactly say it yet, and here she is telling me that she will post an apology video.

"I don't think it's a good idea. By now, you know how quick people can turn on you, right?" Bahagya siyang namutla. Of course she knew. People are easy to sway, especially those who live and breathe for what they think are scandalous issues. "You can post a general apology, I guess. But I hope you won't mention my name or my sisters-in-law."

What crossed her eyes tells me that she has every intention to do exactly that. Now she can't.

"O-Of course, Mrs. Aquillan."

"Dawson-Aquillan," I corrected, which I softened with a smile. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go talk with my husband."

It's my way of telling her that she could go, and it's also my way to get out of the situation since I really don't like to talk to her. We all come across people who don't like the vibes, and for me, she's one of them.

Binigyan ko siya ng maliit na ngiti bago ako tumayo. We both walked out of the room. Hindi ko na siya nilingon pa at dumiretso na ako sa Cloud room.

Wala naman akong kailangan talaga kay Magnus. Gusto ko lang talagang umalis sa sitwasyon na nilagay niya ako nang papuntahin niya sa akin si Vixen para mag-sorry.

Binuksan ko ang pintuan at nag-angat ng tingin si Magnus mula sa binabasa. I tried not to get distracted by his glasses, which I rarely see him put on. "You're terrible."

"Did she apologize?"

I'm not going to tell him about Vixen's version of an apology. May mga ganoon talagang tao. Matanda na ang babae para ako pa ang magturo sa kaniya. I can't even control my own life. Wala akong balak na subukan na kontrolin ang sa kaniya.

"Sure."

His forehead knotted. "Sure?"

Pinaikot ko ang mga mata ko. "She apologized, okay? Pwede na ba tayong mag-move on?"

The way his face closed off reminds me so much of my family that day. Kahit ang mga kapatid ko ay ganoon din. They didn't want to let it go.

But I do. Kung mas may nakakaintindi kung gaanong kaikli ang buhay ay ako iyon. Wala akong balak sayangin ang natitirang oras ko sa mga bagay na hindi naman importante.

"Kumuha ako ng mga libro sa opisina mo," pag-iiba ko ng usapan.

"You can take everything you want."

"Talaga? Kahit kompanya mo?"

"You're my wife. It's already yours."

Tumaas ng kilay ko. "We have a prenuptial agreement."

"It doesn't mean I can't give it to you if you ask for it."

I rolled my eyes again. Seriously, this guy. "Kapag narinig ka ng mga empleyado mo, i-bo-boycott ka ng mga 'yon."

"They know you. May sarili kang kompanya at gusto ka nila. They also like your brothers because they think they are book material."

"Technically, they already are. Dagger books, remember?"

"How could I forget?"

Napangisi ako. I can't imagine kung anong reaksyon ng mga empleyado niya nang mabasa nila ang pagkabigo ng boss nila.

"Luna?" Pabagsak na umupo ako sa swivel chair malapit sa kaniya at muntik pa akong tumumba dahil sa gaslaw ng kilos ko kung hindi niya pa nahawakan ang likod ng upuan. He sighed and straightened me up. "Careful."

I threw him a sheepish smile, and I sat up properly. Inabot ko ang tasa niya ng kape na mukhang hindi niya pa masyadong nababawasan at bago pa niya maisipang pigilan ako ay inilapit ko iyon sa mga labi ko. "What was it you were supposed to say?"

"My mom's coming to the Philippines."

Muntik kong mabuga ang iniinom ko sa narinig kong lumabas mula sa bibig niya. Nanlalaki ang mga matang ibinaba ko ang mug. "What? Why?"

"Gusto niya raw magbakasyon."

"Bakit sa Pilipinas? Does she know there are 195 countries in the world?"

A smile tugged at the corners of Magnus' lips. He knows I don't like his mother. Sa dalawang beses na na-meet ko siya ay wala siyang pinakita na magugustuhan ko. "There's a new island resort that her friend owns, and she wants to go there. She wants us to come with her." He rubbed his chin for a moment, and then he sighed. "I know you're busy, and she's probably going to say something again that will annoy you—"

"I don't give a single crap about what she will say to me. What I don't like are the things she keeps saying to you."

"I'm used to it."

"I'm not." Nagpakawala ako ng malalim na hininga. "At least she'll be alone. Hindi kasama ang step—" Napahinto ako sa pagsasalita at pinakatitigan ko siya nang may kung anong nagdaan sa mga mata niya. "He's coming too?"

"Unfortunately."

It is very unfortunate. Those two are terrible separately. Put them both together, and they create a different level of the word terrible.

"Ang dami ng problema ng Pilipinas nadagdagan pa." Magnus, who didn't expect what was going to come out of my mouth, burst out laughing. Binigyan ko siya ng masamang tingin. "It's not funny!"

"It kinda is." Inabot niya ang arm rest ng kinauupuan ko at sa pagkagulat ko ay hinila niya ako hanggang sa sobrang lapit na namin sa isa't isa. "We'll be fine, LA."

I pursed my lips. "Those two always stress you out."

"I'll be fine."

"I hate how they treat you."

He leaned forward, putting his hands on the armrests on each of my sides. I could feel my heart, which had been suspended in time, starting to wake up from its slumber, and its whispered beats saying one name that it has always long for. "I'm okay, LA. I'll always be as long as you're with me."

As long as I'm with him...

"When... when are they coming?" I asked, clearing my throat.

"In four days." I almost knifed out of my seat if only he wasn't towering over me. "Four days?!"

"Mabuti na 'yon para matapos na rin agad."

It's kind of sad if one thinks about it. I would have given half of what was left of my life if it meant that I could see my mother... and my father again.

Most will say that's the reason why children should forgive their parents. Magulang kasi sila. Kahit anong gawin nila dapat okay lang sa anak. Kahit anong desisyon nila, kahit hindi lang sila ang naapektuhan, dapat tanggapin ng anak. The children should change, steal their hearts, and take all the hits, but they shouldn't expect the same for their parents.

It's sad and unfortunate to waste all that time in a battle over who should take the victory. May nanalo ba talaga kung ang kalaban mo ay sarili mong pamilya? Hindi ba pwedeng ang pag-intindi ay manggaling sa mga anak at mga magulang pareho? Why should it only be an effort of one when a relationship should be built by all those involved?

We didn't inherit love. We didn't inherit respect. We didn't inherit loyalty. All of those weren't things that came with us the moment we were born. Those are the things that come naturally because of how we were treated growing up. Something that we should continuously nurture. Dahil walang bagay na pinababayaan ang nagtatagal na matatag.

Magnus might not crumble against his mother, but the only reason was because he had already cut off whatever attachment he had to her. He has no expectations of her, and I have a feeling that he could spend the rest of his life being okay that they are apart.

He was alone, even though he didn't need to be.

He's not alone now. "Can I invite a few more people?"

_______________________End of Chapter 29.