- heard directly from the person involved. 

18

Panic, taken aback, shock, fear. I can see various and different reactions, all because of me.

I'm breathing heavily, hands shaking. I can't see Felix' face because I'm facing the people on the table.

"WHERE IS MY SISTER?!" I asked again.

Some are confused, and most are astonished. Hindi mawari kung ano ang ekspresyon ng mag-asawa, kung titingin ba sa akin o sa anak nila.

"HARLOTTE!" Tumaas ang boses ni ama, pero hindi ko siya pinansin.

What is this feeling? 

Masyado akong apektado, masyado para kay Hilian. 

Are these . . . my feelings? Or is it yours . . . Harlotte?

"H-Harlotte, what are you doing?" my mother said, confused and worried as she stood up.

"THEY DID IT! THEY'RE THE ONES BEHIND IT ALL!" I shouted, the Byrons' remained quiet. "THEY TOOK HI-"

"Lottie, I'm sorry."

I was taken aback, dumbfounded. I forgot, I was too occupied. I let my guard down. I still have Harlotte's instincts . . . that Felix, her childhood friend and brother in law wouldn't dare to touch her let alone hurt her.

But I was wrong.

It felt like time slowed down as the knife I was holding flew in the air as Felix stood up. He aggressively held my hand and went behind me, stopping any movement I could make. Bilog na bilog ang mga mata ko, hindi inaasahan ang nangyari.

Napatayo na si Nilus, habang ang ama ko ay nag-iigting ang bagang, nanatiling nakaupo.

"Young Lord Felix, what are you doing?!" Nilus said, glaring at him. Felix didn't answer.

Despite being calm, I can feel the tension in my father's voice. "Care to explain what's happening, Lord Byron? Why is your son . . ." He intentionally paused. There we saw the visible anger on my father's face. Everyone felt intimidated, even Lord Byron who tried to hide it with a smile. "Is holding my daughter like that?"

There was a sudden silence, the atmosphere changed. It's suffocating. My father didn't even shout, his voice just went a little higher. But the tone of his voice . . . it's full of anger.

I saw Lord Byron secretly swallowed behind his laugh. Napapailing siyang napapunas ng mga kamay gamit ang towel na nasa binti niya.

"My, my, my. Desserts are supposed to be last, but my son couldn't wait." Napasinghap ako nang kumalabog ang mga pinto sa dining area, sunod-sunod na nagsipasukan ang mga gwardya at butlers ng pamilyang Byron. Pare-parehong may mga hawak at nakaangat ang mga baril.

I can see the panic on my mother's face, roaming her eyes. My father didn't move in his seat, but he was alert. Nilus was taken aback as well, he tried to take something out of his pockets when one of the guards pointed his gun at him.

Lord Byron glanced at Nilus. "Let's not rush things, don't you think so? Young Lord."

Nilus clenched his jaw before retreating his hand, slowly taking a seat, followed by my mother. I'm breathing heavily, Felix is still holding me and preventing me from moving.

"What is the meaning of this?! You dare to do this in my own home?!" My father said, still trying to calm himself.

"Oh, please. Don't take it personally, my lord." Nakangiting marahang hinawakan ng ama ni Felix ang dibdib niya. "I don't do grudges . . . but still . . . "

Hindi ko inaasahan ang dahilan ng paglapit ni Lord Byron sa ama ko. Kapwa kaming napasinghap ni ina nang tumama ang kamao niya sa pisngi ng ama ko. My mother shouted, starting to cry.

"My lord!" She immediately caresses my father.

Lord Byron fixed his coat in case it moved because of his action. "I didn't like how you disrespected me in front of my son and wife. But now we're even." He smirked. 

I gritted my teeth. Kumukulo ang dugo ko sa matandang ito!

"We're not really here because we wanted to do this. I honestly want to keep our families' relationship . . . " He stopped midway, then his eyes went on me. "But I think your daughters didn't like that."

"SHUT UP! KASALANAN NIYO ANG LAHAT! MAS MASAHOL PA KAYO SA HAYOP! SINISIRA NIYO ANG BUHAY NG MGA MAMAMAYAN!" I shouted, not minding the guards' eyes on me with their guns.

Napailing ang kaharap ko. "And here I thought that you became wiser. You're still just a little girl." He fixed his sleeves. "It's just business! We're just making the city function." He then glanced at my father who's emotionlessly looking at him. "With being the governor's family, I thought everything would go well."

"If it weren't for your nosy twin, we wouldn't be here right now. We would be enjoying our dinner and talking about our family! Hilian and Felix would've been married by the end of the month! Look what she've done! She ruined our families!"

I gritted my teeth. "Matandang kupal," I murmured. His forehead furrowed, confused about what I said. "Wha-"

"EVERYTHING IS YOUR FAULT! DON'T BE DELUSIONAL AND BLAME IT ON MY SISTER, YOU DIMWIT!"

I saw his wife's mouth drop, couldn't believe the words I used. On the words that came from this young lady's mouth.

The lord looked so embarrassed as if someone slapped him on the face. I wish I could. Hindi niya alam ang magiging reaksyon niya, pero kumukunot ang ilong niya sa inis at parang kamatis siya sa pula dahil sa galit.

"That's it! I should've burned this whole place down from the start!" Pagmamalaki niya. "Imagine the news tomorrow as soon as the sun rises, 'the Adelaide family burns in fire'! Kapag ganito, maari ng lumabas si Hilian 'di ba?"

Kasing bilis ng pagkurap ang pagbabago ng ekspresyon ko. My expression softened, eyes still wide. I thought I just misheard him, so I said what was on my mind and what I was supposed to say from the start.

"ANONG SINASABI MO?! NASA INYO SI HILIAN!"

The lord looked as confused as I was, eyebrows meeting each other. "Kung nasa amin siya, matagal na siyang patay! That bitch stole something from us!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I shook my head. "No! No! No! You took Hilian! You took her from us!-"

"Wake up, fool! Why would we look for her?! Why is she missing then?! It would be easier for us if she already died!"

Hindi ako nakasagot. Naubusan ako ng mga salita. Namumutla, napatingin ako sa kawalan.

What? No. NO. He must be bluffing. They took Hilian. They took her!

He smirked when I answered him with silence, maybe he'd thought of something.

"Ha! That woman abandoned her family? Truly a disgrace! She's making me glad that all of these had happened, she wouldn't have to marry my son!" He laughed like a maniac, with his wife watching us with a smirk on her face.

Hindi ako makasagot. Tuluyan akong nawalan ng lakas. It felt like I lost everything. Like everything I did was useless. After all that had happened . . . in the end . . .

"So she stole something . . . is it for the drug?" Narinig ko ang boses ng lalaking nasa likod ko. I was snapped back to reality when I felt his hands shaking.

"NOT just something! It's more than drugs! It will make it to have a better effect! Mas bubuti sana ang lahat!" His father answered him.

It's the recipe.

There were seconds of silence before I felt Felix' grip loosened. "I see . . ."

It was too fast for my mind to process, for my body to feel. Felix moved, even his father didn't expect it. As well as the closest butler to us who let his guard down to his boss's son. Felix stole his gun.

Nagtutubig na mga mata, namumula sa pagpigil ng galit. Tinutukan ni Felix ng baril ang ama niya.

"You have really lost your mind, father . . . "

Nahinto sa panggagalaiti si Lord Byron, baliwalang tinignan si Felix. "What are you doing?" He said in a monotone voice.

"Father . . . please, stop this-"

"FOOL! YOU DARE TO POINT A GUN TO YOUR FATHER!?" I saw Felix flinched. "I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU! YOU WILL INHERIT EVERYTHING WHEN WE DIE! YOU WILL TAKE OVER THE BUSINESS!"

"Not this business! You're making drugs!"

"Ayusin mo, Felix! Para sa 'yo 'tong lahat! Akala ko ba'y kasama ka na namin?! I was proud of your actions earlier but you're disappointing me now!"

"I was never one of you!" 

I stared at Felix, watching him talk back to his father. Felix, whose character was easy to read, kind and obedient, the charming Felix . . . stood up for himself and . . . 

"The day I proposed to Hilian, she's my everything. My fiancée owns my loyalty!"

For Hilian.

Hands shaking, still pointing the gun at his father. "I-I wanted to know it myself. Bakit napadadalas ang pagpunta nina Lord Ruelio sa atin? Bakit bumubunga ang business kahit hindi maayos ang produksyon ng mga produkto?" He bit his lower lip, I could see Lord Byron watching the gun, losing confidence. 

"I-I even had to please Cordelia, the lord's daughter . . . had to break my friend's trust . . . just to know everything."

I can feel my eyes getting teary as I watch him. It's these feelings again. Masyado akong apektado. Masyado kong nararamdaman ang damdamin ni Harlotte. 

All this time . . . Felix was fighting on his own for my sister too.

"You fool-"

Lord Byron stopped when Felix raised the gun. "Father, please . . . stop this now-"

We all heard a loud shot, my heart skipped a beat. Kahit may matinis na tunog ang tumambad sa tenga ko, rinig ko ang mabilis na pagtibok ng puso ko. Even though shivering in fear, my body moved on its own when I saw Felix' white cloth got covered in blood.

"FOOL!" The Lord shouted at the butler who shot his son. Lady Stella, screamed in fear.

"FELIX!" I rush towards him, only to be stopped by a gun pointed at me.

That's when my father reacted, my mother almost stood when before the gun could reach my face, we heard another shot. The butler who was holding the gun fell to the ground with his hands bleeding.

All of our eyes went towards the door.

Really, what a way to steal the spotlight, main character.

"Sherlock!"

𓉞✎🕊