I squinted a little as the rays of the sun hit my face. Oh, damn. I still wanted to sleep. Give me few more minutes, you stupid sun! I buried my face to the other side of the bed to avoid the light. I slightly open my eyes and had a glimpse of a human figure then I close it again. I don't know but that human figure looks like Devon, sitting casually on a wooden chair like a--Wait! What?--My eyes abruptly open for the second time. Napabalikwas pa ako ng bangon at agad na napatingin sa pwesto nito.

"What the fuck!" I exclaimed. And I thought I was just hallucinating. But no, he is really here. He's here! Inside the apartment! Ghad!

"Good morning to you, too, Kitten." He said with a mocking grin. I stared at him with a pinched expression. O...kay. What's is he doing here? Ugh! Hell! Bat' pa ba 'ko nagtatanong kung anong ginagawa niya dito? He's a fucking mushroom! That's not the real question.

I watched him as he stood up and cut the distance between us. But before he could even do that, I already yanked him, pinning him down the bed with my arm placed in his neck.

We are too close that his breath is fanning my face. Hmm. Peppermint. Kahit naiinis ako sa pagsulpot nito ay rumehistro pa rin sa utak ko ang ganong bagay pero agad ko itong isinantabi. He seems relax and that annoys me. I glared at him but he didn't even budge a little. "How... How in the deepest depths of hell can you find me this easily?" I asked through gritted teeth, stressing every word.

"You're traceable." Simpleng sagot nito na pawang binabalewala ang inis na pinapakita ko sa kanya. I'm fucking what?! Traceable? Yes, everyone is, but impossible! I mean, he can't find me this fast. Kahit malapit lang ang lokasyon ko mula sa restawran ay dapat matagalan man lan ng kaunti ang paghanap sakin! Lalong imposible namang hinuhulaan niya lang kung asaan ako!

"Don't play with me, you Demon! How can you find me as--" I stop from repeating myself. Napapikit na lang ako, "Argh!" Darn! I just end up yelling in frustration. I let go of him and jump off the bed. Napasuklay na lang ako sa buhok ko sa sobrang inis at tumalikod sa kanya. Asking him is pointless. Of course he won't tell me. Pero paano niya nga ba talaga ako nahahanap sa ganitong kabilis na oras? At paano siya nakapasok dito nang di ko man lang naramdaman? Fucking hell! Umagang umaga, eh! It's too early to be frustrated.

"Calm down. I'm not doing anything yet." Wika nito. I glance at him and shot him deadly stares. But he just stared back looking unaffected.

"Ano bang kailangan mo? And, can you stop popping out anywhere like a freaking mushroom?" Iritang tanong ko sa kanya. Dahan-dahan lang itong bumangon at tila nababagot na tumingin sa akin.

"You didn't tell me you want an apartment. You know you can stay in the mansion." He told me instead, not answering any of my questions. I can't keep but to roll my eyes heavenward. Oh, please...

"And what? Be with you around, guarding me? No, thanks." Kaya nga lumayo ako roon.

"So, you prefer this small place?" He asked with a smug.

"Yes." Sagot ko. "Better than to be with you and those mafia guards." Or even all mafia shits. Nawala ang smug look nito at napalitan ng ekspresyon na di ko maintindihan pero agad din itong nawala. It went back to blank, bored face.

Tumayo ito at naglakad papalapit sa akin. "Fine, then." Aniya. Kunot-noong pinagmasdan ko lang ito hanggang sa tuluyan na itong nasa harap ko. "You can still never get away from me." He whispered with those drowning eyes staring directly at mine. It sounds more like a threat. A threat that's telling me to stop from doing any of my plan 'cause it would be useless.

But, no. It's just a threat. Threatening me won't affect any of my decisions.

"Let's see." I answered back with a teasing smirk. Let's see who'll win this fucking game. He leaned closer to me. And I held myself from stepping back. Dapat ay maipakita ko sa kanya na 'di ako tinatablan ng pananakot nito.

"You can't escape from me, Aurora. I have so many ways on finding you and knowing your little evil plans." Ngayon ay siya naman ang nakangisi. Umatras siya at nagsimulang magtungo sa pinto para lumabas.

Sa ganong tagpo bumukas ang pinto at pumasok si Katy na may suot pang apron. "Aurora, kain na--" She froze right on her track when she saw the trespasser. Gulat na gulat itong napatingin sa kanya. Saglit lang siyang tinignan ni Devon at tuluyan nang lumabas sa kwarto. Agad namang gumilid si Katy sa dadaanan nito na tila mamatay siya 'pag nadikit sa taong iyon.

Ilang segundong katahimikan bago nanumbalik siya mula sa pagkakagulat. "A-Anong ginagawa niya dito? Pa... Paanong... Paano siya nakapasok?" Nauutal at 'di makapaniwalang tanong nito.

Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako. Maski ako ay walang alam. "I already told you. He can follow me anywhere." Sagot ko na lamang. Wala ding kwenta kung magpapakalayo pa akong muli. The situation is too fucked up 'cause I don't have any idea on how he can do that! Except if he's using a tracking device. Or may taong palaging nakasunod sa akin, which I doubt 'cause I might sense that. Or maybe... Uh! I don't really know!

Pumunta na lang kami sa kusina para kumain. Maya-maya ay nakikita ko na lang ang sarili kong naglalakad patungo sa restarwan para magtrabaho. Or should I say, nagpapangap na nagtratrabaho. Sabay kami ni Katy na pumasok.

We were welcomed by meaningful stares from our co-workers for being too much late. But as usual, no one has the guts to speak up, tsk. They can't do anything about that matter.

Naghanap ako ng gagawin at doon nagsimula muli ang araw ko na tila nabubuhay bilang isang normal na serbidora. I sigh at that thought. We all know that this isn't the reality for me.

"Excuse me. Where's your manager?"

Later on, I heard someone spoke. Napatigil ako sa pagpupunas ng mesa ng makarinig ako ng nagsalita sa bandang likod. Isang maarteng boses na dati ko ng narinig. Slowly, I look back. And there in the counter, I saw her, complete with all of her glorious pink and girly stuffs.

Barbie, the two-faced bitch.

"Bakit po, Ma'am? Ano pong kailangan nila?" Magalang na saad ng waitress na pinagtanungan niya. Maarte naman nitong tinanggal ang kanyang pink shades.

"Tell your manager that his girlfriend is here." Barbie said. Tila nagulat naman ang kausap nito't agad na tumango at umalis. Probably, to call the demon. Napaismid na lang ako sa narinig at tinuloy ang pagpupunas. I will soon kill her. But not now, not when his jerk boyfriend is around the radius.

Pagkatapos ng ginagawa ko ay agad ko itong niligpit. Tumalikod ako at... Barbie is already in front of me. Walang bahid ng pagkagulat sa mukha nito.

"Ow, I remember you. You're here and," Taas-kilay nitong wika. Pinasadahan niya ako ng tingin mula ulo hanggang paa. "You're a waitress?" Puno ng pandidiri nitong saad ng makita ang uniporme ko. She even barked a short mocking laugh. "You're just a waitress?" May kalakasan nitong sabi na tila kumukuha ng atensyon. She's trying to make a scene, I can feel it. "And yet, you have the guts to hurt me? Inside my own boyfriend's house, your manager?! Hah! What are doing there in the first place, ha, Slut?!" She glanced around then smirked when she saw that almost everyone is looking at us.

Does this bitch really think she can damage me by doing this? Oh, hell. This is so pathetic and ridiculous!

Pasimple akong tumingin sa likuran ko at inosenteng nagbalik-tingin sa kanya. Bahagya ko ring nilakasan ang boses ko, "Are you facing a mirror again? I told you not to talk yourself, especially in public! They might notice that you just came out from the mental hospital." I gave her a fake concern look, though I can't stop myself from grinning when I heard different murmurs from the costumers, some even chuckled. Agad namang napawi ang ngisi nito at napanganga. She then glared at me furiously. Looks like I just won her own game again. I mentally laugh evilly.

Lalapit sana ito para sugudin ako ng bigla itong napatigil nang may tumawag sa kanya. It was Devon.

"Stella, what are you doing here?" He said, not aware of our little show. Tulad ng dati, agad nagbago ang ekspresyon ni Barbie at naging isa 'tong tupa. Tila isang magic spell ang boses ni Devon na nagpapabait sa demonyitang 'to.

Uh, nope. On the second thought, I think this Barbie is really just made of plastic. And, uh--What is here name again? Stella? Tsk! Barbie suits her more.

"D-Devon." She said.

"Let's talk inside my office." Devon told her but he is looking at me. Okay, what's that look for? Tsk! Inirapan ko na lang ito. He turn his back and went back to his office.

While Barbie shot me a glare again when Devon is no longer around the zone saying, "We're not yet over, Slut." She whispered through gritted teeth before she followed the demon to his office.

I sneered at her. Moreover, at them. Whatever!

Maya-maya ay, "Aurora," Napatingin ako sa kumalabit sa akin. Isa sa mga katrabaho ko, nakatingin ito sa hawak nitong itim na kapirasong papel. "...may nagpapabigay sayo." Aniya at inabot sakin ang hawak nito.

Pinagmasdan ko ang papel. It's just a small black paper fold into four with my name written on it in silver, elegant font style. I opened it and quickly saw three sentences.

Three sentences that made my time stop for a moment while reading it. I read it again as my brows wrinkled. No, this can't be true.

"Anong nakasulat?" Curious na tanong ng nag-abot sa akin. Bago pa nito masilip ay linukot at tinago ko na ito sa nakakuyom kong kamao.

"Kanino galing ang papel na 'to?" I asked in a controlled tone.

"Ah, 'di ko na natanong, eh. Umalis agad 'yong lalaki. Bakit, manliligaw mo ba 'yon?" Inosenteng tanong nito. Lalake? "Actually, kakalabas niya lang." Dagdag nito.

Fuck!

"What does he looks like?" Nagmamadaling tanong ko sa kanya. Nagulat naman ito sa inasal ko.

"A-ah, eh, hindi ko natandaan. B-Basta naka itim na jacket at cap."

Pagkasabi niya non ay agad akong tumakbo palabas. Marami akong nabungo pero wala akong pakialam. Kailangan ko siyang maabutan. Nang makalabas ako ay agad 'kong nilibot ng tingin ang buong kalsada, searching for the owner of that black jacket and cap who-the fucking-ever he is.

Damn! Damn! Damn! Asan at sino ang taong 'yon?

I was already panting as I kept running and looking around. But in the end, I found none. Binuklat ko muli ang itim na papel at binasa ito sa pangatlong pagkakataon.

'I know who's the Don of Clemente Mafia. You already met the him, too. We both know who killed your parents.'

This really can't be true.