CHAPTER SIX

IT was quite a long ride to the place of Yves' someone. Lyricca can sense her fiance's anxiousness at the moment as she could not properly converse with him. Whenever she asks if he's okay, Yves would only give her a small smile and then he'll face the window once again.

Lyricca could only let out a sigh as she held her fiance's hand and gave it a soft caress and slight squeeze, telling him that she was just there if he needs anything. Madalas din yung gawin sa kaniya ni Yves kapag kinakabahan siya and it would work for her, and hopefully, it would work on him too.

So as they travel in the backseat of the car, Lyricca's eyes went to appreciate the view outside. The green trees and grass, the seemingly peaceful village they passed through, and the light blue sky that was slowly turning dark. Weirdly, she doesn't feel an ounce of jealousy toward whoever Yves was searching for. Para kasing hindi naman babae ang hinahanap nito pero mukhang napaka-importante nito sa lalake. To see him this anxious, I wonder who it could be.

She rarely thinks about it but noticing the effect it has on her fiance, she couldn't help but worry for his sake. The woman's mind was now filled with questions. Questions that would soon be answered as their ride puts into a stop. "Monsieur, Madame," the driver addressed when he opened the door. Kung tititigan ni Lyricca ang lalake ay hindi naman ito mukhang French pero sa pagbigkas nito ng mga salitang iyon ay parang sanay na sanay na ito.

He looked like an American hunky though. "Thanks," she softly replied when he assisted her out of the vehicle. The man just bowed his head a little.

Nang makalabas naman na rin si Yves ay pareho na silang nakatayo sa tapat ng napakalaking mansyon. And hell, it didn't even look like a mansion, it was a whole freaking palace. "Shall we?" the driver — who did not look like a simple driver, but more like a butler — led them inside as he walked ahead of them.

As they entered the palace, Lyricca's eyes began to wander. The place screamed expensive in every single thing and place her eyes landed on. Kung iisipin niyang hindi siya pinaglalaruan ng mga mata niya, maniniwala siyang purong ginto ang ibang mga dekorasyon at disenyo sa loob ng lugar. From the floor, the walls, up to the ceiling, it all looked extravagant. It was as if the King and Queen of France lived here.

"Monsieur Valentine has been waiting for your arrival. He has been expecting you since yesterday," ani ng lalakeng nauunang maglakad sa kanila na siyang kumuha ng atensyon ng babae.

Nang lingunin ni Lyricca ang kasintahan ay nakita niya itong huminga nang malalim bago ngumiti at sumagot. "Yeah, there were no available flights yesterday so we only got to choose today as the earliest."

The man in front of them then nodded his head. "Understood, although, the monsieur suggested that you borrow one of his private planes whenever you want to travel back here."

Saglit na natigilan si Lyricca at alam niyang ganoon din ang lalake sa tabi niya. Although unlike her, he had a smile on his face — a genuine one at that. "That's generous of him. I guess Mom was really right about him being a kind person."

Nagsisimula naman nang paganahin ni Lyricca ang utak kung sino ang tinutukoy nito. Monsieur Valentine? So a guy? And kilala ni Tita?

Nanatiling tahimik naman na ang lalakeng sinusundan nila hanggang sa huminto na sila sa tapat ng isang malaking pintuan. "Monseiur Valentin awaits you in the garden." He then gestures towards the door as he opened it.

Akala ni Lyricca ay sasamahan pa sila nito kaya lang ay nanatili lang ang lalake sa may pinto habang ang mga mata naman ni Yves ay nanatili sa hardin. Huminga na lamang nang malalim ang babae saka mahigpit na hinawakan ang kamay ng nobyo. She knew he needed her. Hindi man niya alam kung kaano-ano nito ang hinahanap pero paniguradong importante sa lalake ang taong iyon. "Let's go?" bulong niya kay Yves na siyang tinanguan lang naman siya.

Ilang saglit nilang tinahak ang pathway na papunta ata sa sentro ng hardin. May naaaninag nang fountain si Lyricca hanggang sa may mapansin siyang bulto ng lalakeng nakatayo roon. Sa hindi malamang kadahilanan ay nagsisimula nang makaramdaman ng kaba sa dibdib ang babae kahit na nakatalikod ito. Para bang may nagsasabi sa loob niya na may masamang mangyayari — hindi niya talaga mawari pero ganoon ang nararamdaman niya.

The warnings in her head and guts were only proven useful and true when the man felt their presence and slowly faced them. Tila nakalimutan ni Lyricca na huminga nang makita ang mukha ng lalake. He still had those captivating and dangerous eyes but his other features became manlier, taking away more of her oxygen.

He looked almost the same as the night of her birthday. The ball. The night of the hottest sin she had ever committed. This can't be happening.

The year in which she finally wanted to completely forget about it and bury it deep into the ground until she dies happened to be the year when she encounters the same man she considered her deadly sin. F-ck! What am I going to do?

Hindi malaman ng babae kung pinaglalaruan lang ba siya ng imahinasyon niya pero ang lalakeng nasa harapan niya ay ang lalakeng hinayaan niyang kunin ang pagkabirhen niya. She almost forgot where she was, thinking it was one of her sick nightmares until she felt the man beside her. Kung hindi pa malala ang sitwasyong napasukan niya ay mas lalo lang siyang nawalan ng lakas nang marinig niya ang mga salitang binitawan ng nobyo niya. "Mon grand frère..."

She only knew a couple of French words and those words were part of them. Ilang beses itong sinabi sa kaniya noon ni Yves. And she knew how much he longed for that person in his life. My older brother... Naramdaman ni Lyricca ang kahirapan niyang huminga hanggang sa umikot ang paningin niya at tuluyan na siyang nawalan ng malay.

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