AEIRYN

DAD's mad face met mine. He was like a mad dinosaur in front of me now. It was like, he was about to blow a huge fire on my face right now.

"What now?" I asked with a bored look.

"Don't give me that face, Aeiryn Lez! Sinusubukan mo ang pasensiya ko!" He's hell mad.

I was not afraid of Dad, I was more afraid of Mom, but I never wanted to see Dad this mad. He was the only man who tamed the legendary Aeickel Lavria. His hidden powers were beyond anyone's expectation.

"Dad, please let me—"

"Let you? You were talking dirty to that maggot and you want me to just let you be? Where in this world is your brain, Aeiryn Lez?!"

"I'm old enough—"

"No, you're not! You're still my Lez, my only baby girl!"

Bakit ba sigaw siya nang sigaw? Hindi naman ako malayo, kaharap niya lang naman ako. Gosh, Dad!

"Dad, please. I'm old enough to deal with my own situation. How could you let kuya Aeignn and Aeidan do whatever they want then stop me from doing what I like?" I said not to protest but to give him my own opinion regarding my situation.

I saw him brushed his hair upward and gave me a suspicious look. "I never thought that you would also take after me. I thought it would only be Lev. How the fuck that all of my children are all a fucking sadist? Ito na ba ang kabayaran—"

"They chose that path, let them be," said a voice and as I turned my gaze, I saw Mom removing her gun from her waist and slowly walked towards us.

"Wife, please, dinidisiplina ko 'tong anak mo. Nag-iisang babae pero napakatigas ng bungo!"

And now, he was playing the 'isusumbong kita sa Mommy mo, lagot ka' attitude.

"Saan pa ba magmamana 'yan, Nigel Iñigo? All the three of them took after your negative trait. Sa dami ng mamanahin sa 'yo, ang pagiging sadista mo pa ang ginusto," said Mom and she gave Dad a meaningful smirk.

Nagulat kaming pareho ni Mom nang bigla siyang hinapit ni Dad papalapit. Why do they even have to do this in front of me? Gosh!

"You enjoyed this trait so much when we were younger, wife. Don't act as if I only did terrible things to you. Sa ating dalawa, ikaw pa nga ang nanakit sa akin. You faked your death and you left me alone—"

"Can I go now and could you please stop being lovey-dovey in front of me? It makes me irk!"

Mom turned her gaze at me and gave me a boyish grin. "Leave now, Aeiryn Lez. I will deal with your Dad. Just don't break your heart again, baka hindi ko na maipangako na hindi ako muling makikialam. You are the only woman in your generation, your Kuyas will protect you by any means and in any situation."

I just nodded as a response and walked my way out of our house.

Thank you for diverting Dad's attention towards you, Mom. I owe you this one.

DRIVING back to Ryl's den, I felt like something crashed inside me while remembering what Mom said.

"...just don't break your heart again..."

I am now the stronger, the fiercer, and the colder Aeiryn Lez, but why do I still feel so afraid of myself. It was like I am more than capable of breaking my own heart now, than what that man did to me in the past.

That man. I couldn't get him out of my head up to this day.

Bumaba ako ng sasakyan ko at tinungo ang mansion niya. No one was here kaya lumabas ako at tumungo sa taniman niya ng mga niyog.

He had so many workers here on his ranch but no one from them would I ever trust. For me, these workers were unverified suspects. NO ONE CAN EVER CHANGE MY MIND.

I walked down the muddy road and I saw two workers being lovey-dovey with each other while the guy was peeling a coconut.

"Nagpapawis ka na, mahal ko. Ano bagang gusto mong ihain ko sa 'yo mamaya? Areng gata dine ay masarap sanang isangkutsa sa tulingan," said the woman while doing a beautiful eyes to the man.

Gosh! Why did she has need to that? She looked like Tinkerbell—dry version.

Nilagpasan ko sila dahil naiilang ako sa ginagawa nila na nakikita ko pa. If the girl only knew, hindi mapagkakatiwalaan ang mga lalaki. I was a living proof. Why?

I saw how kuya Ayler betrayed Griss while choosing Cyan and Ayrill over her, though they ended up together. I saw how Aeidan played with Elle and he chose Lindzzy in the end. I saw how kuya Laeven hurted Jice just because he wasn't mentally stable and capable. I saw how kuya Aeignn played with random girls and ended up choosing Callia. I saw how kuya Axel pushed Alex aside and how he cheated on her. I saw how kuya Leik broke Syreen's heart just because he wasn't man enough to accept things. My Kuyas were my traumas. Despite of them being overprotective with me, they knew to themselves that I was a living witness of their flaws and incapability in love.

They were one of the most valid reasons why I chose not to fall in love again, and of course—because of that man too.

But despite of their flaws and incapability, they still chose to be hurt and fall in love regardless of the painful process.

I mentally shook my head for thinking that awful rebuttal.

"Lez," said a voice and as I turned around I saw his face an inch apart from mine. I was caught off guard. He was so fucking near!

"What the fuck—HMP!"

HE KISSED ME! HE FREAKING KISSED ME WITHOUT MY CONSENT!

I pushed him so hard to get away from him.

Nakita ko siyang tumawa dahil sa naging reaksyon ko. "I just kissed my wife. Masama ba 'yon?" he said in very naughty voice.

"I didn't like it, Ryl—"

"You did, babe. You bit my lower lip in excitement."

"I only did that so you could let go of my lips—hmp!"

HE KISSED ME AGAIN!

"I like your annoyed face, Lez. Show more of it to me."

I was right. I was eally right. Men were not be trusted!

I mentally slapped my forehead for being so disappointed with his action.

"Aren't you going to ask me what my Dad told me?" I asked using a stern voice.

Instead of answering me, he shrugged his shoulder and diverted his gaze towards the coconut trees.

"Hindi ako magaling makipag-usap sa mga pamilya ng mga babaeng nakakasalamuha ko. I only fell in love once, and I lost her for not being man enough to fight for her," sagot niya sa akin at hindi ko alam kung bakit ganoon na lamang ang naramdaman ko sa sinabi niya.

I only asked him a question and now he was being sentimental. Ano namang gusto niyang gawin ko ngayon?

"Do you want me to pity you? Just tell me. I could act," I said in a serious tone but he only laughed at me.

He walked towards and pinched my nose. "You're so cute, Lez, but no, I don't need anyone's pity. Besides, I had forgotten about her long ago."

"Is she the woman who chose money over you?" I asked out of curiosity.

He nodded as he smiled at me. "Yeah, but no hard feelings. She needed money for her sick brother. Naiintindihan ko 'yon."

"You could've had given her the money she needs. Bakit hindi mo ginawa?"

Akala ko ay sasagutin na niya ako ngunit mali ako. Bigla na lamang niya akong hinapit sa baywang at ipinakadikit niya ang katawan niya sa katawan ko.

He bowed his head and placed his lips near my left ear. "Maybe, we were really not supposed to end up with each other, dahil kung oo, wala ka sana sa mga bisig ko ngayon. The love I felt for Eunice has been washed away with the attraction I felt towards you. You must be so special, Aeiryn Lez. Tinititigan pa lang kita sa malayo kanina, parang gusto na agad kitang paulit-ulit na angkinin. You're a walking temptation. You are a living seductress."

I didn't know what led me to pull his nape and let my lips met with his.

Napakatamis talaga ng mga labi niya. Kung sa araw-araw ay mahahalikan ko ang mga labing ito, it would be a blessing.

He kissed me back deeply and more aggressively. He even penetrated my mouth with his tongue and it played with mine.

The arousal his kisses brought to my whole system, was beyond my expectation. I was going wilder for heaven's sake!

"Mmmmm." I moaned.

"Let's get down to business, babe."

HOPING that we would really get down to business was crashed as we saw her mother standing in front of his door.

"What are you doing here, Mom?" he asked still holding my waist.

"Hindi mo ba talaga ako papakinggan, Ryl Lorenzo? Hiwalayan mo 'yang babae na 'yan. Ayaw ko sa kaniya!" she replied hysterically.

This little gremlin was about to burst like a colourful balloon. She didn't know how to blend her make up properly. How could she let the color of her face be different with the color of her neck? Was she bobo? Hmmm. Para siyang nasubsob sa foundation.

"I clearly told you that she's already my wife. I don't need any opinion coming from you, Mom. First and for most, you were the one who ruined my life. You were the one who killed Dad and you were the one who chose his best friend as his substitute. Now, could you please stay out of my ranch and out of my life? Kaya kong desisyonan ang sarili ko. Hindi kita kailangan sa buhay ko—"

Woooh! The gremlin slapped her son. I wasn't shocked. I was amused. I almost clapped in excitement.

I saw how Ryl smiled in dismay.

"Hindi mo pag-aari iyang buhay mo! I was the one who gave birth to you! Ako lang ang may karapatan sa 'yo! Lahat ng babaeng dadaan sa 'yo ay pera lang ang habol sa 'yo—"

"Oh no, Miss Gremlin! Not me," I said cutting her off with an amused voice. "Hindi mo 'ko mabibili, pero ikaw? Kayang-kaya kitang bilhin. Could you please stop messing with me and my husband? He clearly told you that he doesn't need you in his life."

She was about to slap me too for what I said but I held her arm in the process. "BITAWAN MO 'KO!"

"Do you wish to die now?" I asked smiling.

"Ako ang papatay sa 'yo—OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!"

Binitawan ko siya at agad ko silang ipinasok ng bahay ni Ryl nang mabilis. Nakita ko rin na nawindang silang pareho.

May nagpaulan lang naman ng bala sa kinatatayuan naming tatlo kanina.

"Go to your room. Leave your mother here in the sala. I cannot trust her being alone with you. She could've had staged this scene just so she could kill you," I said seriously and Ryl nodded.

"Please, Lez, just stay with me," he begged but I just smiled.

"I could've had given you my body, but it is still my duty to protect you. Now, do what I said and wait for me. I will be coming back for you no matter what, Ryl. Trust me."

Aalis na sana ako ngunit nagulat ako nang hatakin niya ako, saka ako ginawaran ng mabilis na halik sa mga labi. "I'll be waiting, Lez."

Umalis na ako roon at agad kong hinanap ang mga pinanggalingan ng putok. I was skilled, they weren't. Kanina ko pa alam na may nakasubaybay sa amin, but I thought they were patient enough to attack us in the middle of the night while we were sleeping, but no, they were newbies and clearly, they were tanga and bobo.

I sneaked at the big mango tree and I saw a man holding a sniper gun at the top of it.

I whistled and the man immediately pointed the gun towards me.

"Don't do that, man. That's dangerous," I warned as I pulled out the knife in my shoe and threw it at the man.

Tinamaan siya at nahulog mula sa taas ng puno kasama ng baril na hawak niya.

Tinapakan ko ang leeg niya, saka ko inalis ang bonnet na nakatakip sa mukha niya.

The guard I hypnotized.

"Who hired you to kill him?" Magalang ang naging tanong ko kaya't umaasa ako na magiging magalang ang pagsagot niya sa akin.

"S–sino ka!? A–akala ko asawa ka ni Lawson!? Paano mong nagagawa ito?!"

"I asked you politely but you didn't answer me politely," I replied as I cracked his neck with my foot that took away his consciousness.

Tsk. You could've answered me while I am being polite.

I smiled at the man's body as I picked the listening device attached to his leather jacket before I turned my back at him. I was slowly getting the gist.

I placed the listening device near my lips before I whispered to it.

"Man, you don't know who you are messing with. I will hunt you, wait for me. I will always leave you wondering . . . what I am capable of doing."

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