Nobela ni yunays

Ang grandeng ballroom ay kumikislap ng karangyaan, ang mga chandelier ay naglalabas ng malambot na liwanag sa mga bisita sa ibaba. Ang hangin ay puno ng tawanan at pag-uusap, ang kalansing ng mga baso, at ang malambing na tunog ng isang string quartet na tumutugtog sa isang sulok. Isang gabi na hindi malilimutan—isang gabi na nagmarka ng pagtatapos ng isang panahon at ang simula ng isang bagong kabanata para sa kumpanya.Gloria, dressed in a stunning gown of midnight blue, stood at the center of the ballroom, ang kanyang mahinahong tindig ay nagtataglay ng atensyon. Itinaas niya ang kanyang baso, at ang ingay sa kuwarto ay humina, bawat mata ay napatingin sa kanya. Isang mainit na ngiti ang dumaan sa kanyang mga labi habang inihahanda niyang magsalita."Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat sa pagdalo ngayong gabi," nagsimula siya, ang boses ay matatag at tiwala. "Ang gabing ito ay hindi lamang isang pagdiriwang ng ating mga tagumpay, kundi isang turning point para sa ating hinaharap."Nag

Ang marangyang restawran ay mahinang naiilawan, the soft clinking of cutlery and hushed conversations adding to the atmosphere of exclusivity.Nakaupo sa mahabang mesa na may malinis na puting mantel at gitnang palamuti ng sariwang mga bulaklak sina Shan, Leah Minx, ang kanyang mga magulang, at sina Mirasol, ang mga magulang ni Shan. Mabigat ang hangin sa tensyon, bawat isa’y mulat sa kahalagahan ng pagtitipon.Shan sat at the head of the table, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a determined expression. Umubo siya nang bahagya, agad na nakuha ang atensyon ng lahat.“Tinawag ko ang pagtitipon na ito,” panimula ni Shan, his voice steady but firm, “to announce something important. After much thought, I’ve decided that I will not proceed with the arranged marriage.”The room erupted in protests. Leah’s mother gasped dramatically, clutching at her pearls, habang ang ama niya’y malakas na tumama ng kamay sa mesa. Ang mga magulang ni Shan ay galit na nakatingin sa kanya, ang kanilang mga e

2 months laterNakaupo si Trojack sa kitchen counter ng kanyang mansion nang biglang nag-vibrate ang kanyang telepono. Lumabas ang pangalan ni Walter sa screen. Kinuha niya ito, alam na niya kung tungkol saan ang tawag.“Walter,” bati niya.“Nasa ospital na si Sheena Sir,” sabi ni Walter, walang paligoy-ligoy. “Psych ward, gaya ng inaasahan natin.”Malalim na bumuntong-hininga si Trojack, hinagod ang kanyang buhok gamit ang kamay. “Gaano kasama?”“Medyo malala,” amin ni Walter. “Hindi siya maayos, at kadalasan, wala sa tamang ulirat. The doctors say her obsession with you and Rosa is at the center of her breakdown. She’s been placed under strict care for now at mananatili siya roon ng walang tiyak na panahon.”Sandaling natahimik si Trojack, dama ang bigat ng mga nagawa ni Sheena at ang mga kahihinatnan nito. Sa kabila ng lahat, nakaramdam siya ng lungkot. Medyo matagal nang bahagi ng kanyang buhay si Sheena, even if it was in ways that were toxic and damaging.“Thanks for letting me

The tension in the parking lot was suffocating, si Sheena ang nasa gitna ng lahat, mahigpit na hawak ang kanyang bag habang nakatayo sa harap nina Rosa at Trojack. Bigla, ang mga nagmamadaling yabag ay umalingawngaw sa paligid. Isang pigura ang lumitaw mula sa mga anino—isang babae, maputla ang mukha, may mga pasa, at bagama’t hindi matatag ang mga galaw, kitang-kita ang determinasyon.“F-flara?” bulalas ni Rosa.Tumango si Flara, ang mga mata niya’y balisang tumingin kay Sheena na nanigas sa pagkilala sa kanya. “Anong ginagawa mo rito?” singhal ni Sheena, ang boses ay punong-puno ng galit. “Dapat nakakulong ka! Hayop ka, iniwan kitang mamatay sa basement tapos babalik ako na wala ka na ron?!”“Nakatakas ako,” sagot ni Flara, nanginginig ang boses ngunit matatag. “At tapos na akong manahimik.”“Ano’ng ibig mong sabihin?” tanong ni Rosa, halatang naguguluhan at nababahala.“Sheena,” nagsimula si Flara, ang boses niya’y mas matatag na ngayon, “kapatid ko. Lumapit ako sa’yo ilang linggo

Natigilan si Rosa, napahinto ang kanyang paghinga nang bumalik ang alaala ng gabing iyon. Ang kahihiyan, ang paglabag, ang sakit—isang sugat na hindi kailanman tuluyang gumaling. "T-tungkol doon? Ano? Paanong nadamay si Trojack rito?""Pinlano ko ang lahat," patuloy ni Sheena, ang kanyang boses ay puno ng lamig at pagkakalkula. "Alam ko kung ano ang mangyayari kapag pinapunta kita sa party na iyon. Alam ko kung sino ang nandoon, naghihintay. At hinayaan kong mangyari iyon, Rosa. Dahil kailangan kang mabali. Sobrang lakas mo, sobrang untouchable. Kailangan kitang gawing mahina."Nangilid ang luha sa mga mata ni Rosa, ang kanyang isip ay nahihirapang tanggapin ang pag-amin ni Sheena. "Ginawa mo... ginawa mo iyon sa akin? Hinayaan mong mangyari iyon?"Pinanlakihan siya ng balikat ni Sheena, walang bahid ng pagsisisi. "Hindi ito personal. Estratehiya ito. At nagtagumpay ako, hindi ba? Bumagsak ka. Naging eksakto ka sa gusto kong maging ikaw—mahina, nakakaawa, madaling manipulahin."Naiip

Kakalabas lang ni Trojack mula sa mansyon ni Sheena, ang isipan niya ay puno ng pag-aalala. Ang pag-uusap nila ni Sheena bago siya umalis ay nag-iwan sa kanya ng pakiramdam ng pagkabalisa at hindi siguradong kalooban. Kumikilos si Sheena ng kakaiba—mabilis at magulo—at hindi niya maialis ang pakiramdam na may mali.Iniwan niya ang mansyon at nagtungo pabalik sa AD Pavilion. His phone buzzed in his pocket as he drove, at kinuha niya ito upang makita ang pangalan ni Detective Turner na naka-flash sa screen. Tumatagilid ang tiyan ni Trojack. Ito na ang tawag na inaasahan niya, pero hindi sa ganitong kalagayan.Agad niyang sinagot."Sir Trojack," narinig niyang sabi ng boses ni Detective Turner mula sa telepono, matalim at direkta. "Kailangan mong makinig ng mabuti."Hinigpitan ni Trojack ang hawak sa manibela. Ang isipan niya ay mabilis na tumakbo, puno ng mga tanong. "Nasa kustodiya na namin ang mga salarin," ipagpatuloy ni Detective Turner, "pero may isang bagay pa kaming kulang—ang s

Thalia stood still for a moment, her fingers trembling around the jade necklace she had found. The weight of everything—the pressure from her family, the tension with Asher—was becoming unbearable. She turned to leave, ngunit habang papalapit sa pinto, narinig niya ang boses ng kanyang ina na tumaas sa galit."Nasaan si Asher?" Lisa screamed, her tone filled with frustration."He’s not here," Thalia replied coldly, turning to face her mother.Without warning, Lisa’s face twisted into a scowl. "I don’t care about your excuses, Thalia!" she yelled, stepping toward her and shoving her hand into Thalia’s chest. "You’re useless!"Before Thalia could react, Lisa, in a fit of rage, grabbed a glass from the counter and hurled it at her. The glass shattered against Thalia’s arm, at napanganga siya sa sakit nang magka-embed ang mga piraso ng baso sa kanyang balat.Thalia staggered back, clutching her arm as blood began to seep out. Ngunit bago siya makapagsalita, bumukas ang pinto at pumasok si

"Magpakasal?"Nagulat si Thalia sa tanong ni Asher, inisip niyang nagbibiro lang ito, ngunit ang seryosong ekspresyon nito ay nagpatunay na hindi. “I’m serious,” he said softly, walang bakas ng alinlangan.Binigyan siya ni Asher ng dalawang araw upang magdesisyon. Sa loob ng panahong iyon, nagsalungat ang kanyang mga damdamin—pag-asa at pangamba, pagnanasa at takot.Sa pagtatapos ng dalawang araw, tinawagan niya si Asher at niyaya itong magkita. Habang nag-uusap sila sa paborito nilang café, sinabi niyang, “Then... let’s get married.”Tumango si Asher, ang mukha’y hindi mabasa. "Sige."At ganoon na lang, walang seremonya—nagparehistro sila ng kasal sa ikatlong araw.Ngunit pagkalipas ng dalawang taon, napagtanto ni Thalia na ang kanilang pagsasama ay napaka-fragile. Ito ay isang kasunduan na nilikha mula sa pananagutan, hindi pag-ibig.+++++Nakatayo si Thalia sa sala ng kanilang dating bahay. Ang silid, bagamat pamilyar ay puno ng katahimikan. Naalala niya ang gabing nagsimula ang l

Diretso umuwi si Asher.Sa unang pagkakataon sa maraming taon, iniwan niya ang trabaho sa kalagitnaan ng oras nang walang paliwanag.The house was immaculate, as always—spotless to the point of sterility, devoid of warmth or personal touches. It had always been this way pero ngayon, walang anumang bakas ng kanyang presensya. The only sign she'd been there was the divorce agreement lying on the coffee table, ang mga pahina nito’y bahagyang gumagalaw dahil sa hanging pumapasok mula sa bahagyang nakabukas na bintana.Lumapit si Asher, kinuha ang dokumento at binasa ito.The agreement was stark in its simplicity. Thalia hadn’t asked for anything—walang sustento, walang bahagi sa ari-arian. Tila nais niyang burahin ang kasal na parang hindi ito kailanman nangyari.Sa ibabang bahagi ng dokumento, napansin ni Asher ang pirma ni Thalia: elegante, malinis, at may kakaibang artistikong likas na siya lamang ang maaaring magtaglay.Nakatitig si Asher sa pirma nito, bumabalik-balik sa kanyang is

Her voice was sweet and elegant, ngunit malinaw ang paghuhusga. Masakit ang mga salita, ngunit pinanatili ni Thalia ang kanyang composure, nagpapanggap na hindi niya nauunawaan ang hindi direktang pang-iinsulto. Tahimik lang siyang bumati kay Maria bago nagpunta sa kanyang kwarto.Nang isara niya ang pinto, narinig niyang bumangga ang mga gamit at narinig ang mga sumpa ni Maria na nagsimula ng isang galit na reaksyon na tumagos sa kanyang mga depensa.Thalia let out a small sigh. She had grown tired of these little emotional battles. She missed the freedom she had before marriage—nung namumuhay siya nang mag-isa, hindi umaasa sa iba, hindi patuloy na nag-aalala kung paano pasayahin ang mga tao.Hindi mataas ang pagtingin ni Maria sa kanya. Alam ni Thalia iyon. She understood the disdain, too. After all, she and Asher were from completely different worlds. They had come together by accident at hindi niya inisip na magiging ganito ang buhay nila.Sa mga unang araw ng kanilang kasal, she

Sinundan ni Thalia ang mga direksyon ng sekretarya patungo sa opisina ni Asher, ang kanyang puso ay kumakabog sa halo ng pagkamangha at kaba. Matapos ang dalawang taon ng kasal, this was her first time visiting his workplace.The secretary greeted her with a polite smile. "Mr. Asher is still in a meeting. Please, make yourself comfortable."Inabot ng sekretarya kay Thalia ang isang tasa ng mainit na tsaa, ang kanyang mga galaw ay maayos at propesyonal."Salamat," sagot ni Thalia nang magalang, tinanggap ang tsaa at naupo sa sofa ng reception.Her eyes wandered around the room. The décor was minimalist yet luxurious, may mga kulay ng gray at puti—isang pagsasalamin ng karaniwang estilo ni Asher.Nagtago ng isang mabilis na sulyap ang sekretarya kay Thalia, naiintriga. The woman looked much younger than she expected, may mahahabang, bahagyang kulot na buhok na dumadaloy sa kanyang mga balikat.Her side-parted bangs framed her face delicately. There was a softness to her appearance, a yo

Her face was blushing, thinking of the reasons she could give Trojack, especially if his grandmother found out about what happened between them, the same day she was hospitalized.Rosa stood up from the bed, put on her clothes, and even fixed the bed. It was such a mess, and she couldn’t leave the room with the place still looking like that. The bed was a reminder of the pleasurable moment they shared.She was about to leave the room when she remembered that Trojack was waiting for her in the restroom, waiting for her signal to come out. She walked toward the door, then shouted.“U-uhm, it’s okay!” That’s all she could think of saying, and she immediately went downstairs to cook.She was surprised to find her son in the living room with Gigi, unboxing some of their things and clothes.“Mommy, kuya Jerome said he went to my school and told them there was an emergency. The teacher also said I can be late today,” her son said happily, running towards her as she stepped down the stairs.“

As the morning sunlight peeked through the large windows, Rosa opened her eyes and immediately felt a headache. She was about to move when she noticed that her whole body was sore, and she realized she was naked.She couldn’t remember anything, and when she turned to her side, she saw that someone was lying next to her. As she rolled to the other side, she saw that it was Trojack, who was also naked.She glanced down, her eyes widening when she saw the tangled sheets and smelled the faint scent of whiskey around them. It wasn’t strong, but she knew what had happened. It wasn’t just an assumption anymore.They had sex last night.Slowly, Rosa started to remember some of the events from the previous night. Although it wasn’t clear, she knew her mind wasn’t delusional enough to create those memories. The evidence of what they did was right there.Rosa was about to get up from the bed when Trojack suddenly opened his eyes slowly. Their gazes met, and a realization dawned on him. They just

As he leaned down, he whispered softly, “I’ve never felt this way before. It just felt right, Rosa,” he growls then gazes at her with his dick out and hard.“T-that’s,” Rosa gulps as she sees his big cock out through the moonlight seeping through the window. Even though there were no open lights, and she can see how it wants to be tamed.How it wants to be inside her.Trojack looked at Rosa and grinned. “It wants to be in you. I want to feel you, my love,” he whispered, his voice full of honesty.“B-but, I think I can’t take all that.” She felt her own emotions rising, she can’t figure out how it will fit inside lalo na sa ganoong kalaki at nagagalit na alaga niya.“I’ll be gentle,” he assures her as he kissed her cheek, “can I taste you, my love?” Rosa stared at him and she muttered flirty, “My mother didn’t raise a quitter.”He kissed her on the lips while his other hand was holding his weapon, gently moving it in her up and down. She moans as she felt his tip circling outside of h

Then, Rosa paused as she stared at his lips. "Make me yours."The kitchen, which was once quiet, was now filled with the tension of passion. The scent of whiskey lingered, mixing with the warmth of their bodies. The only barrier between them was the fabric of their clothes.They were playing a silent game—whoever initiated the first touch would lose. There were no words, just intense desire. They could feel each other’s presence, their breaths mingling, their hearts pounding, oblivious to their surroundings.Her breathing became quick and shallow as their lips met again in a deep and soul-stirring kiss. The taste of whiskey lingered, mingling with something sweet. It felt like they had finally found something they had been longing for all their lives.“Wait, do you like me, Mr. Yddro?” she whispered, her hand traveling over his chest, her fingers lightly brushing against the fabric of his shirt.He smiled softly, his thumb brushing her cheek. “I don’t like you,” he paused, his eyes tr

In less than a minute, Trojack arrived."Let's go. The detective told me that they are going to handle this case," he paused and exhaled, "we should go get some rest, especially since it’s already late at night."Rosa nodded and looked at her son before sighing. "Where will we go now? If someone was brave enough to shoot your grandmother, what about our lives?""You can stay at my house for now if you’d like. My assistant will get your things. You should move in temporarily. It is not safe out there," he said gently, offering them shelter.She hesitated for a moment, her eyes filled with uncertainty. But since they had no choice and it was safer to be with someone who could protect them, she accepted his offer.His offer was the only hope they had, especially in this moment of crisis and fear. She also thought that Trojack needed company, especially since his grandmother was in the hospital."We will stay at your house for the time being, but Gigi has to come with us. We won’t go unle

"Let's talk outside, if it's okay, Miss Rosa," the detective said while looking at her. "I’ll accompany Brent while you talk. Don’t worry," Trojack chimed in, smiling at Brent. "Be a good boy, okay? Eat first, this will take a while," Rosa reminded her son. She smiled at him before leaving the room with the detective. As soon as the door closed, the detective looked at her again. "Let's talk in that room. My colleagues have already checked it, and it is vacant. This way, we can get this over with, and you can rest," he said, pointing to the room in front of them. "Y-yeah, sure," Rosa replied. She just wanted to rest. When they entered the room, there was barely any furniture, only a table and some chairs. The space was clean and empty. "Let's sit down," the detective invited, observing her closely. "Are you okay with this setup?" "Yes." "Okay." He paused, then pulled out a recorder, some papers, and a pen. "Is it okay if I record our conversation?" "Yes. I don't se