Morris.We have our plan. Bryce is here for that and Glenn is making himself the sidekick.My brother does not belong into this type of business. Malinis siya at iba ang linya ng mundo sa mundo ko, pero sadyang matigas ang ulo niya. Ito yata ang ugali namin na magkapareho.Renzo and the other boys remained extremely vigilant. Cappytano was making a move, trying to get a lot of bad people onto his side to put me down. But it was too bad, and he still couldn't bring me down that way. An ominous black sheep like me is hard to tame. I will kill him first before he can make his moves."We have a spy on our side, Mors. We need to find out who it is." Bryce furrowed his brow while working on the gadgets.Magaling siya, at katulad ni Xavion ay mabilis nilang nakukuha ang signal ng kalaban at napasok ang sistema nila.It must be because Bryce, Xavion, and Hendrix used to work in the same gang before. Of course, they all have the line that was given by their parents. Bryce may not have the sam
Morris.We found ourselves at Bryce's hideout, the nearest place to our location. It's well-positioned. The securities remain secure, and Cappytano has likely not tracked us yet. Bleu and Reeve, along with their team, are at Cappytano's site. If they find him, it will be a nightmare for Cappytano... this will be his end. "Sa labas muna kami ni Glenn, Mors. I will update you soon. Reeve and Bleu are on it now.""Okay. . ." Napaigting ang panga ko nang maisaradoni Bryce ang pinto ng kwartong ito.I inhaled deeply and turned halfway to look at Brielle. My brows knitted together as she averted her eyes, evading my piercing stare."What the hell are you doing there, Bree?" I already know the answers to that, but I still want to listen to her.I step closer towards her and she looks at me shyly. We stared."Come on, talk…" I placed my hands on my hips, preparing to listen.She blinked and swallowed hard. "C-Cappytano gave me the mission… Hindi ko naman alam na ikaw iyon!"I chuckled, sha
Brielle.I twisted my lips as I looked at myself in front of the mirror.Nakakatawa ang t-shirt na suot ko at shorts. I'm sure kay Glenn ito. Mahilig nga naman siya sa mga ternong kulay. Magkaibang magkaiba sila ni Morris.Glenn is tidy at his stuff. Lahat nakaayos, at naka-plansa pa. Pero si Morris? Huh, kahit na habulin pa siya nito ay wala siyang pakialam.Ginulo ko ang buhok. Wala akong suklay. Tinapon yata lahat ni Morris ang gamit ko. Sana nga lang hindi niya tinapon ang ID ko at passaporte. Nandoon iyon sa bagpack. Binigay niya iyon kay Glenn.I feel so airy underneath. Wala akong panty. Basa iyon! Alanggan naman suotin ko eh basa pa nga!Huminga ako nang malalim at saka lumabas na. Wala si Morris sa kwarto. Siguro lumabas na. I grabbed some candy mint on the silver round bowl. May tsokolate naman, pero hindi ko gusto. Naiinis pa ako, at gusto kong kumalma muna.Aalis kaya ako? Pero saan naman ako pupunta? Wala rin akong pera! Kinuha lahat ni Morris 'yon. Walang cell phone. Ku
Brielle.I'm glad that Morris understands me. I’m not sure if I should feel happy about this, but I won’t hide anything anymore. I will embrace it... I love him, and that's the honest truth."Morris. . ." Namaos ang boses ko at namungay ang mga mata niya nang dumapo ito sa labi ko.Kanina pa kami ganito, sabik sa isa't isa. Ang alam ko ay dapat sana aalis na kami papunta sa kung saan sina Glenn at Bryce, pero parang walang gusto na lumabas sa amin ni Morris sa kwartong ito. Kaya heto na naman kami… magkayap na huba't hubad. Nasa ibabaw ko siya, at masuyo niyang hinahalikan ang lahat ng parte sa katawan ko."Morris. . ." I swallowed the lump in my throat when I feel him sucking me below. I gasped, massaged his hair and clung to his arms as his hands were busy kneading my breasts.Nakakabaliw nga naman ang ganito sa akin. Lahat ng ginagawa ni Morris ay gustong-gusto ko. Lahat ng haplos, yakap, halik ay talagang gusto ko. Walang gabi na hindi ko siya inisip. Na mi miss ko siya ng sobra
Morris."What are you planning, Morris?" Reeve looked at me seriously."You know you can't keep her with you, Mors. She doesn't have any documents to start with. Lahat ng mga papelis niya ay gawang ilegal. She uses different names to get out of the country." He chuckled and gave a slight shake of his head."It must be easy for her to get the job done, and she was lucky to go to Columbia for that. She got out safely and returned safely as well."Napabuntonghininga ako at nag iwas ng tingin kay Reeve."She can't go out now. The boarders are strict considering Italy hold it's immigration now at peak… Mahihirapan ka na ipasok siya sa bansang Italya."I gritted my teeth, and fucking damn it… I know that, but still, I want to try a different route to get her into Italy safely."I will find a way…" My brows met as I looked at the documents I had with me.Lahat ng impormasyon na hawak ko ngayon ay galing kay Linus at Xavion. Lahat ng ito ay tungkol sa organisasyon na kung saan ay nagsilbe si
Brielle.Umiiyak si Tiya na nakangiti sa akin. Ramdam ko ito, at alam ko na masaya siya sa desesyon ko."As a power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride…"I looked at Morris with so much love. His lips landed on me and we kissed. Pumalakpak ang iilang katao sa paligid, kasama na si Judge. Niyakap ulit ako ni Morris, at saka bahagya akong binuhat."Mrs Brielle Mondragon?"Tumaas bahagya ang kilay ko. "Yes?""That sounds better, right? Te amo…" Bulong niya at saka hinalikan ulit ako.There's no event afterwards but a small feast was held on the top deck. Mabilis kasi ang lahat. Binibilisan ni Morris ito para maisama na niya ako sa Italya.Wala na akong pakialam sa lahat, dahil alam ko na masaya ako kay Morris, at alam ko na magiging okay si Tiya rito sa Pilipinas.I trust the people around us here, and the Mondragon Boys will protect Tiya. That's what Morris has promised me."Tiya, tumawag ka, okay? At alam mo naman kung paano ang messenger 'd
Morris.What the. . . Bree!Before I could do something, Brielle's lifeless body landed on me helplessly. Then chaos followed.Iilang putok ng baril ang narinig ko at nagkagulo ang lahat ng tao. I did not care anymore about my surroundings because all I want to see is Brielle.I'm holding her helplessly, scared that I might lose her."Blue!?" I lift Brielle’s body, and her eyes immediately shut. I gritted my teeth as I searched for Bleu.I saw him chasing the woman, winding her up, and the rest of the guards followed the clash."Damn it!" I glanced around, and the people near me were looking at me with expressions of helplessness."Ambulance? I need an ambulance!""Tumawag na kami, Sir!""Damn it. Why the hell does it take so long!""Pasensya na, Sir. Pero ma-traffic talaga sa bahaging ito. Paakyat na rin po ang mga medics, Sir. May medics dito, Sir."My breath caught as I looked at my wife helplessly. My heart is now beating in fear, and my hand behind Brielle's body is covered in b
Epilogue.Everything is dark around me, with no direction in sight. And it seems like the heavens are giving me the judgment I deserve.Yes, I killed a lot of people—the bad ones, of course.But I gave them chances to change for themselves, to prove that they could change after all. And if there was no hope, I ended their lives as they wanted them. I hold the law in my hand… I am God.Are we truly living in an equal world? What does equality really mean for us today?It does not exist anymore. We simply live in a harsh world now.The rich become more affluent. The poorer becomes the most indigent. The victims are always vulnerable, and the criminals are running wild without apprehension.You can't blame me if I act like one of the Gods punishing the suspects.If you think I am bad, I don't think so.Huh, this is how the mafia world operates. This is the reality of life. This is the fate if you belong to this institution.I have a heart for those in need, and I love all my cousins' ch
New BeginningAnastacia.Note: This is seven years later. The twins are now six years old.Binalot ko ang makapal na jacket sa katawan. Tumigil na ang ulan. Kailangan kong umakyat sa bubong kahit na hindi mabuti ang pakiramdam ko. Wala kong choice at kailangan ko ng gawin ito. Baka kasi mamaya ulit ay uulan na naman. Mas mabuting maagapan ko na ngayon.I need to climb up the roof to check the leak. The rainwater drips in Zev's bedroom. It's not that bad, but it really annoys me every time I hear the drip sound inside his room. It sounds frustrating, and my poor boy can't even complain. It hurts to the bones to see my children struggle along with me.Hindi man nila sinasabi sa akin ito, ay ramdam ko ito bilang isang ina. Naiinis ako at galit ako sa kung ano man ang sitwasyon meron ako ngayon. Wala akong ibang masisisi kung 'di ang sarili mismo."Mama? Aakyat ka?" Celestine Skye looked innocently at me, my sweet, beautiful baby."Yes, Skye. Get back inside. You will get wet, anak."Kin
Anastacia.Mama accepted it without knowing the entire truth about my secret. Only Tessie knows everything, and she promised me that she would never tell anyone about it.Bumalik na si Mama sa probinsya. Marami siyang ginawa para mapagaan ang lahat sa akin dito sa loob ng bahay. Babalik siya sa kabuwanan ko, at mananatili ng iilang linggo.May isang anak si Mama sa bago niya, pero malaki na ito. Nasa high school na si Neri. Mabait na bata at magalang. Malapit siya sa ama niya at nakakaingit ang closeness nila.I have no memories of my father. He left us when I was only five years old. Mama and he were never married. Since then, I haven’t seen him. The last I heard, he was doing well and living in Baguio with his five kids."Okay ka lang ba, Anastacia?"“Oo, okay lang.”Abala kaming pareho ni Kagawad Camilla. Siya ang kasama ko ngayon sa convention ng lungsod. Nasa Cagayan de Oro kami, at dalawang araw kaming mananatili rito dahil sa convention. Parte ito ng bagong proyekto na iniluns
Anastacia."Ano? Dalawang buwan!? Anong klaseng lalaki ba siya? Hindi pwede 'to, Anastacia! Babalik tayo doon. Kakalbuhin ko ang lalaking 'yon!""Ang galing naman niya! Pagkatapos siyang magpakasarap sa 'yo ay ganun na lang ba? Wala lang sa kanya ang lahat? Anong klaseng lalaki ba siya!? Pesti! Halika! Babalik tayo! Bilis!"Hinila niya ang paa ko at pinadyakan ko siya. Bumitaw siya at mabilis kong binalot ang kumot sa katawan. Umiiyak ako. Hindi hihinto ang luha sa mga mata ko dahil nasasaktan ako ngayon. Pinipilit kong magpakatatag, pero bakit ang hirap? Sinusubok ako ng tadhana at pakiramdam ko ay wala na akong pag asa sa lahat.I have no work, and I'm running out of money. What will I do next?"Anastacia…"Ramdam ko ang pag upo ni Tessie sa paanan. Minasahe niya ang paa ko, at tahimik siyang nakikinig sa hikbi ko.Promise, huli na ito. Bukas at sa mga susunod na araw ay ayaw ko ng umiyak. Nakakapagod umiyak. Nakakawalang gana sa buhay. Pero ganito naman talaga 'di ba? Kasalanan ko
Diezel.My eyebrow raised while listening to John. He's got less than twenty seconds before he fuck up. How the hell will he bring an investor to this project if he can't deliver his report properly? He can't even justify some of this. I'm not listening to him while I read his report. It's full of nonsense."Next!""B-But, Sir. I'm not yet done.""You're fired. Next!" I blurted out, fixing them with a hawk-like stare. When I locked eyes with them, they all averted their gaze."Damn it! Wala bang maayos na proposal sa inyong lahat? These reports are all boring! How will you bring a golden egg to the table if all your proposals are as boring and useless as shit!Tumayo ako at saka napabuntonghininga sa sarili. I need some air, or I could end up dismissing the entire team.Lumapit si Joel sa akin at bumulong."Your secretary is on the line. It's important, she said."I rolled my tongue, and Joel handed me the phone."Yes, Sharon?" I raised my eyebrows. "I'm not in a good mood already, S
Anastacia.Bago na ang lahat. Pinalitan niya ang lahat ng staff rito at hindi ko na kilala ang mga ito. Kahit pa ang gwardiya ng gusali ay bago.What the heck? Talaga bang ginawa niya ito dahil ayaw na niya akong makitang muli?Shit.Hindi ko na tuloy alam kung tama pa ba itong ginagawa ko ngayon. Nanginig tuloy ang tuhod ko, at peke akong ngumiti sa babae rito sa front desk. Nasa likod ko naman si Tessie."Yes, Ma'am. How can I help you?" She smiled, but it was obviously a fake smile. She looked at me from head to toe and back again."Uhm, I would like to see Mr. Dennis Ezequil Mondragon?" Kumurap kurap ako. Nilakasan ko na ang loob."Oh? Do you happen to have an appointment with him, Ma'am?""A-Appointment? Wala, Miss."Nawala ang ngiti ko. Inaasahan ko na ito. Kilala ko si Diezel, at kahit noon pa ay hindi siya basta-basta tumatangap ng bisita.Ang buong akala ko ay nandito pa sina Kimmy at Dora. Pero wala na. Ano kaya ang nangyari sa kanila? Nilipat din ba sila ni Diezel?"Sorry
Anastacia."Ano!? Buntis ka? At dalawa pa talaga? Shit!"Parang putok ang boses ni Tessie sa tainga ko. Sinabi ko na sa kanya. Wala akong ibang mapagsasabihan at siya lang din."At ano ang plano mo, aber?"Namaywang siya at seryoso akong tinitigan. Umiwas ako at nagpabalik-balik ang lakad ko sa harapan niya."Hindi ko alam. Nalilito ako, Tessie." Kinagat ko na ang pang-ibabang labi."No, Anastacia. I know what you're thinking. Hindi puwede 'to! Kailangan mong sabihin sa kanya! Sasabihin mo at sasamahan kita!"I paused and inhaled deeply."Paano kung ayaw niya? Paano kung ipagtabuyan niya ako, Tessie?"Takot ako, at hindi ako handa kung sakaling magkikita kami ulit. Hindi na kailanman sumagi sa isip ko na makipagkita sa kanya.After he abandoned me, I erased his existence. I hated him so much! I want to forget him. At kung kailan ay okay na ako at handa na ang puso kong makalimot sa lahat, ay saka naman dumating ang problemang ito.Talagang hindi ko na makakalimutan si Diezel dahil bu
Diezel.What are the odds? I'm so effing bored. I raked my hair in exasperation, feeling so frustrated.I'm back here in the business after Italy. I went to Italy to forget Anastacia, but damn it. I couldn't get over with her. I couldn't forget her. Every time I shut my eyes I always see her face, crying, pleading and I feel effing guilty about it.Kung hindi ako pinigilan ni Joel ng gabing iyon, ay tiyak kasama ko na si Anastacia ngayon.I was determined to leave because it was the right thing to do, even if my heart said no. I hesitated and briefly considered going back to Anastacia, but Joel stopped me. He told me there was no hope for me and Anastacia. If I chose her, it would only complicate everything.Damn him! Damn them!They think my life is a game, right? Eff them all.Yes, I have set my goals. I want to build a perfect family with an Italian heritage. That's the ideal gift I could give to my mother and to the whole clan. The Elders are hoping that I will produce an Italian
Anastacia.I was crying the entire time I was inside my bedroom. After he dropped me off yesterday morning, I never went out. I have no work anymore. I've finished all my work at Diezel's company, and I have no plans to look for other work at the moment. Ang buong akala ko pagkatapos ng masasarap na gabi namin ay iisa na kami. Nagkamali ako, dahil heto umiiyak ako ng wala sa sarili.I was hoping that he would come back. I never went to bed last night. I was waiting for him the entire time. My cell phone was not even turned off. I was waiting for Diezel to call me, but it never happened.Siguro nalilito siya at nag iisip? Iyan lang ang iniisip ko, na baka hindi siya nakatawag agad dahil nag iisip pa siya. Pero mukhang wala na yata, dahil dalawang araw na ngayon simula nang huli ko siyang nakita, at wala pa rin akong balita sa kanya.The two days have suddenly passed into seven days, and still, Diezel has not even contacted me.Mataas ang pride ko, pero sobra na ito. Ganun na lang ba
Anastacia.Naimulat ko ang mga mata at wala na si Diezel sa tabi ko. Bahagyang nakabukas ang bintana. Maliwanag na, pero maaga pa naman. Humikab ako at saka napangiti nang maalala ang ginawa namin. Nakakataba ng puso iyon, dahil ramdam ko na mahal ako ni Diezel sa kabila ng lahat. Gusto niya ako!Tumayo ako para hanapin siya. Lumabas ako ng kwarto niya at bumaba ng hagdanan."Diezel?" I called him, and my eyes surveyed his place as I descended the stairs.This place is massive. This is one of Diezel's place in town. "I'm here, Anastacia." He calls back.Binilisan ko ang hakbang. Nasa kabilang banda siya, sa baba, sa mismong opisina niya.Ang bahay na ito ni Diezel ay malapit lang sa opisina ng kompanya. Madalas na ako rito dahil na rin sa trabaho. Alam ko na ang lahat sa kanya, at pinagkakatiwalaan niya ako sa lahat ng bagay.Nakabukas nga naman ang pinto ng opisina niya rito, at nakaupo siya nang pumasok ako. Parang tinatapos lang ang ginagawa."Nagtatrabaho ka?" Nangunot ang noo