After that excruciating talk I had with Diego, I went to Revert Records to see Rika. This had to stop. Kailangan nang matigil ng pamba-black mail sa akin ng Diego na iyon. I don't care if he will beat me for this, all I know was I had to protect Ian. And I knew Rika will be the one who could help me with this. She has been a good manager to Neon. She was so good in damage control and maybe if I told her the truth about Ian and what she did in Madrid, maybe she could help me. 

I barged in her office and I found her sitting on Anton's lap, kissing. 

"Guys!" napapkit ako. I didn't know what to do or say. "What the hell?!" 

"Don't you know how to knock?!" sigaw ni Anton sa akin. Tumalikod ako. 

"I'm sorry! Last time I checked this was an office not a making out spot!" I can't believe I caught the two making out! I've never seen them do that before and this was a shock for me! Panandaliang nabalutan ng katahimikan ang paligid. Maya-maya ay hindi ko na napigilan ang magsalita. "Is it okay to look now?" 

"Fine. What is it?" tanong ni Rika sa akin. Napailing ako. Anton was smiling smugly at me. Mukhang tuwang-tuwa ang gago sa reaksyon ko. "Stop doing that!" pareho kaming nagulat nang bigla siyang hampasin ni Rika. 

"Sorry." nakangising tanong ni Anton. Rika phased around her office while looking at me. Si Anton naman ay nakaupo sa silya at nakatingin sa akin. 

"What is it, Robin?" Huminga ako nang malalim at saka lumapit kay Rika. Dala ko sa aking kamay ang mga litratong sana ay hindi ko na lang nakita. I wanted her to see this. Rika was the genius one when it comes to damage control. Hindi ko na hahayaan na mapaikot muli ako ni Diego. This had to stop. I will never pbertray my family again. 

"Remember when Ian went MIA for a year?" I asked her. 

"Yep, she went to Spain. James looked for her. We all know what happened there, Robi. So what's the big deal?"

"She had fun, Rika." malungkot na sabi ko. Kumunot ang noo niya habang nakatingin sa akin. 

"What?" nagtatakang tanong niya. Ibingay ko sa kanya ang brown envelop. 

"Too much fun, Rika." mahinang sabi ko. Nakatitig sa akin si Rika habang binubuksan ang envelop. Anton stood beside her, curious. 

"Please, Anton. Once you see that, you can never tell anyone about it." 

I closed my eyes when I saw that the pictures were out. Rika's mouth literally fell open as she scanned the photos. Anton's eyes widened with disbelief, after a while he turned his back and I hear him mutter something that I was sure could make the angels cry. 

"What the hell is this Robi? Where did you fucking get these crap?!" sigaw ni Rika. Halos lumabas na ang litid niya sa leeg. 

"Diego gave that to me, he ----"

"How long have you known this?"

"Six months." mabilis kong sagot. 

"And you're only telling me now because?"

"Because I cannot betray my family again."

Pinakatitigan ako ni Rika. Napilitan akong sabihin sa kanya ang lahat-lahat. Anton sat beside Rika, intently listening to me. Nakita kong nakakuyom na ang kanyang mga kamao. I know what he was feeling. I know that he wanted to punch Diego on the face, frankly speaking, I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to kill him. 

"You did all that for Ian?" Rika said, softly. 

"Yes."

"You really love her." 

"I do. I really do, so you have to help me. I don't want anyone to know about what she did in Madrid." nakadama ako ng kirot. "Galit na galit ako sa sarili ko, Rika. I knew that Ian did those things to forget me. She loved me so but I hurt her too much that she ended up doing all of these. I love her, Rika. Kahit na kung anu-anong nangyari sa amin, sa kanya noong nasa Madrid siya, tanggap ko. Masyado kong mahal si Ian para sumuko pa ngayon. If I lose her again, I might just die." umiiyak na sabi ko. I felt Rika's hand on my shoulder. 

"Don't worry, Robi. I'll take care of it." 

I looked up at her and smiled.

"Thank you, Rika. You're a great friend." 


------------------------------------------

"What are you doing here?" 

I stood there feeling like crap as I look at Irish and that mysterious girl she called Reena. Kung titingnan silang dalawa ay mukha silang mga diyosa na bumaba mula sa kalangitan upang silawin ako ng kagandahan nila. The woman standing in fron of Irish was too beautiful. She had a pair of long legs, tapos ay nakasuot pa ito ng, sa tantya ko ay four inches na heels. She was over towering Irish and me. Her black dress emphasized her curves. I guess she wasn't wearing any make up maliban na lang sa lipstick na nakapinta sa kanyang labi. Her hair reached her shoulders. Tuwid na tuwid iyon. 

"Vine aquí por Robi. Voy a matarlo!"

Robi? Napamulagat ako.Why did se mentioned Robi's name? And can they please talk in a language that I could actually understand?

"Irish..." siniko ko si Irish. She looked at me. 

"She's Robi's sister. And she said that she wanted to kill Robi." nagtatakang napatingin ako sa babaeng nasa harapan ko. Robi's sister? I remember that Robi had a sister, her name was Ena and she only stayed here for six months because after her graduation she flew to Spain para doon na mag-aral. Muli ay napanganga ako. So this is Ena now.

"Ena?" her eyes flew at me. She stared at me for a while then she smirked. 

"For God's sake!" she said. "You're Ian? You're the girl who makes my brother crazy, irresponsible and stupid. Por amor de Dios!"

Nagulat ako. Anong sinasabi niya? Why was she looking at me that way? Dahan-dahang nilapitan niya ako. 

"Reena..." nakita kong hinawakan ni Irish ang braso ni Reena. 

"No! Don't touch me" naiinis na wika ni Reena kay Irish."This girl is the reason why you didn't marry Robi. This girl was the reason why my father was so disappointed with my little brother. The girl who can't be moved. The so called Robi's love o his life." itinulak niya ako sa papamagitan ng kanyang hintuturo. "I don't like you."mariing sabi niya. "You are the reason why my brother betrayed our family." 

"A-ano bang pinagsasabi mo?" hindi napigilang tanong ko. She smirked at me pagkatapos ay tinitigan ako mula ulo hanggang paa. Matapos iyon ay may inilabas siyang isang maliit na white envelope at ibinato sa akin. Mula roon ay sumabog ang mga litratong magpapaiyak sa akin at guguho sa aking mundo. 

Napasinghap ako nang makilala ko ang aking sarili. I saw myself drinking, dancing, kissing a stranger, making oiut with a man I couldn't remember I met, french kissing some girl... 

"Oh my god..." nanginginig ang tinig ko. I looked at the pictures lying on the ground. I did those things wasted and oblivious. I didn't even know that someone was taking pictures of me, if I had known then... I would've never ...

"Hindi ka bagay sa kapatid ko. Because of you, Robi betrayed me!" Reena slapped me so hard I heard bells ringing on my ear. "Layuan mo si Robi or else I'll make your life a living hell!" 

My tears fell. My knees were shaking. Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko.All I knew was that I needed to get out of there. So I ran, I ran fast and I never looked back. 

------------------

"So what's the plan, Baby?" 

Pinanood ko si Rika habang nakatingin sa kung saan. Ilang minuto na rin siyang tahimik.She was looking at Diego's picture na ginawa namang dart board ni Anton. 

"Ewan ko. Ano nga ba? Ang hirap nito, Robi. Kahit sabihin nating takutin si Diego, hindi pa rin natin hawak iyong original copies ng pictures ni Ian. We need to have that bago tayo gumawa ng kung anong hakbang."

"What if we go inside his house?"

"Trespassing iyan." dismayadong sabi ni Rika. 

"No, Baby, dalawa lang kami ni Robi, kaya hindi counted as Trespassing iyon." 

Kahit paano ay napangiti ako. I knew Anton was trying to lighten up the situation. I, on the other hand took one dart and threw it on the dart board. Sapol sa ilong ni Diego. 

"Who broke his nose?" naiusal ko. Anton looked at me. 

"Beats me. But whoever that is, maybe he could help us."

Muli na namang napuno ng katahimikan ang aming paligid. Anton looked as if he was thinking hard, ganoon rin si Rika. Ako rin naman ay nag-iisip. Hindi ko alam kung anong dapat kong gawin. I will never let anybody hurt Ian. 

Biglang bumukas ang pinto ng opisina ni Rika Sabay kaming napalingon ni Anton. We saw Trey entered the room at kasunod nito si Jenny -- his girlfriend. Tumingin siya sa akin matapos noon ay napatingin siya sa dart board kung saan nakadikit ang mukha ni Diego. I was amazed by her reaction. Her face suddenly turned red, she bit her lower lip and said:

"Bakit may picture kayo ng baklang pinsan ni Dora?" nagpipigil ng galit na wika niya. Trey looked at her and held her hand. 

"Jenny.." umingos si Jenny. 

"You know, Diego?" tanong ko. Trey nodded. 

"He wrote nasty things about her back at the days. Buti nga tinigilan na niya si Jenny eh." kalmadong wika nito. 

"Hmp. Ang sabihin mo natakot lang siya sa suntok ko." 

Rika, Anton and I, we all looked at Jenny. 

"You punched Diego?" halos di makapaniwalang wika ni Rika.

"Yup! Right in the nose!" proud na proud na sabi ni Trey. "Amazona itong girlfriend ko eh!" 

The three of us looked at each other. I guess Anton was thinking what I was thinking. 

"Then Jeny could help us!" I exclaimed as Anton nodded.