"It happened before the wedding so our family won't be responsible on this scandal!" galit na turan ni Bryce sa harap ng mga Mondragon. Pagkatapos kumalat ang scandal pictures nina Irene Mondragon at Joseph Antonete ay nagpalabas ng official statement ang Desmana Group lingid sa kaalaman ni Bryce. Ayon sa official statement, hindi totoo ang pictures at gawa-gawa lang daw ito ng mga taong gustong magpabagsak sa kompanya. Inako rin ng Desmana Group ang responsibilidad sa nangyari at wala umano'y kinalaman ang Antonete Enterprise rito. Kahit bata ay alam na pinoprotektahan ng Desmana Group ang reputasyon ng mga Antonete. And it all happened without Bryce's consent kaya gano'n na lang ang galit nito habang kaharap ang board of directors pati na ang Vice President na si Bree. Humalumbaba si Jenica at nilibot ang tingin. She could see the gloating in the eyes of the people present inside the meeting room. Ang hindi lang niya mabasa-basa ay ang mukha ni Bree Mondragon. That woman's too cu
Speaking of the couple who went viral in a night, kahit hindi nagpalabas ng official statement ang mga Antonete at kahit hindi na nagpakita si Irene matapos itong sampalin ni Bryce sa opisina ay hindi nawala ang confidence ng dalawa. They have their heads held high as they walked closer to the group of surprised and bitter people watching them entering the huge mansion. Ang matriarch ng Desmana ang unang nakabawi sa gulat. "What is the young master of Antonete doing in our humble abode?" sarkastikong tanong ng matanda. Huminto ang wheelchair ni Joseph sa tapat ni Bryce. Tumingin ang bagong dating sa matanda at ngumiti nang malapad. "Mrs. Desmana, when my woman entered my house, my mother gave her a seat. But ---" Nilibot ni Joseph ang tingin sa sala. "I don't see any chair for my woman. Is this how you treat your guest?" ngiting tanong ng lalaki.Saglit na natahimik ang mga Desmana bago nagsalita ang matriarch. "Watch your tongue, young man!" babala nito. "How dare you enter my hous
Jenica dropped the call. Ilang segundo siyang hindi nakakibo ni nakaimik. Para siyang binuhusan ng malamig na tubig habang inaalala ang narinig na boses ni Alex sa kabilang linya. Kumuyom ang kamao niya at kumunot ang noo. Alam niyang sa mata ng publiko, engage ang dalawa kaya walang masama roon. Pero sa huling naalala niya, kasal pa siya kay Alex at wala siyang pinirmahang divorce papers. Kahit ayaw niyang aminin pero alam niyang nakatali pa siya kay Alex kahit nagpapanggap itong binata sa publiko. And that bastard husband of hers has the guts to fool around? Naging isang linya ang mga labi ni Jenica. Nagpaalam na ang mag-asawang Mondragon pagpatak ng ala-una y medya. Sukat noon ay lumabas ng silid si Jenica at hinanap si Bryce. Nagulat pa ang lalaki nang makita siya nito. "Do you need anything?" tanong nito. Saglit na pinasadahan ng tingin ni Jenica si Lynet na nakatayo sa gilid at nakatingin sa kaniya nang may munting ngiti sa mga labi. Sumama ang pakiramdam niya habang nakati
"Pangalan po natin, Maam?" tanong ng colonel na nakaupo sa tapat niya. Pagkatapos siyang akusahan ni Bree sa harap ng ospital ay dinala siya sa Police Station na nasa malapit para makuha ang statement niya sa nangyari. Kumurba ang gilid ng mga labi ni Jenica. "Jane Lau."May sinulat ang colonel sa papel na hawak at nagtanong tungkol sa matanda. Sinagot ito ni Jenica at pagkatapos ng ilang minuto ay binigyan na siya ng permisyong lumabas ng istasyon. Nilibot ni Jenica ang tingin sa labas ng istasyon at nakita niya si Bryce na kausap si Lynet sa hindi kalayuan. Humakbang siya palapit sa dalawa at si Lynet ang unang nakapansin sa kaniya. Masama ang tingin nito sa kaniya kaya tumaas ang kilay ni Jenica. Ano na naman ang problema ng babaeng 'to?"When the autopsy report is out, the Mondragon will file a case against the Desmana," sabi ni Lynet kay Bryce habang nakatingin nang masama kay Jenica. "Didn't I tell you that this woman will only cause you trouble, Bryce?" Kumunot ang noo ni B
"You all want to look on my things?" tanong niya na may munting ngiti sa mga labi, saka siya tumingin sa gawi ni Bryce. "What do you think, Mr. Desmana? Is it really good for them to check what's inside?" paniniguradong tanong niya."Just--" Lumunok si Bryce nang magtama ang tingin nilang dalawa. Mukhang nakuha nito ang gusto niyang iparating sa tingin na iyon kaya ito na mismo ang naunang umiwas ng tingin. "Stop harassing her, Grandma. She knows nothing and this ID card might just be a hoax. Miss Jane and Doctor Acinea might not know each other nor have met so how can she stole something from the doctor? We all know that Doctor Acinea is not an ordinary doctor when she is able to hide from the eyes of the government and private institutions," seryosong saad ni Bryce.Lynet sneered. "I saw that ID card in Doctor Acinea's hand. You all should believe me!"Bumaling ang tingin ni Jenica kay Lynet. Bahagyang kumunot ang noo niya. Sa gathering na 'yon, hi
People might know a thing or two about the secret organization of notorious assassins that was responsible for assassinating corrupt officials and wanted criminals around the world. But far beyond the world of assassination is the world that the public don't know. A world that even the government don't dare to mess with.It's the underground world of the mafia.Dahil isa si Jenica sa mga miyembro ng HQ, may alam siya tungkol sa mga mafia organization. Pero dahil magkaiba ang mundong ginagalawan niya at ng mga ito, hindi gano'n kalalim ang impormasyong hawak niya.Ngayon lang din niya napagtanto na may isang Mafia don sa Laguna na kilala ng HQ. Dahil masyadong sensitibo ang identity niya bilang Doctor Acinea, minabuti ng HQ na makipag-ugnayan sa Mafia don sa lugar na iyon.Ilang segundong tumitig sa kaniya ang lalaki bago nito kinurba ang gilid ng mga labi. "I never thought that you are a beautiful woman, Doctor Acinea. If I have kn
Bumalik si Jenica sa mansiyon ng mga Desmana at agad na hinanap si Bryce. She believed that she had cleaned the mess Lynet created for her. At bonus pa na nakakuha siya ng ebidensya laban kay Bree mula sa kinopya niyang mga impormasyon sa phone nito.She already checked the file containing Bree's inbox history and surely, she got a handful of evidence against her. Kailangan lang niyang ibigay kay Bryce ang mga ebidensya para matapos na ang pangako niya sa lalaki."What is it?" kunot-noong tanong ni Bryce. May binabasa ito sa phone at ni hindi man lang ito nag-angat ng tingin sa kaniya.Nilagay ni Jenica ang phone sa mesa nito at seryosong tumingin sa abalang lalaki. "I got evidence against the Mondragon. You can do your plans now."Doon lang nag-angat ng tingin si Bryce. "Really?"...Bree Mondragon was invited by the Prosecutor office. Naipasa na ni Bryce sa korte ang mga ebidensya laban kay Bree at pormal na i
"Antonete is striving in liquior and food industry," sabi ni Jenica at ini-skip ang slide sa next page. "If we want to defeat this small branch, Desmana need to offer something that can sweep the market and catch Antonete off-guard."Humalumbaba si Daisy habang lumalim ang tingin ni Bryce sa presentation. Kasalukuyan silang nasa conference room ng Desmana Group main building.Alam niyang nakikilala siya ni Daisy pero hindi ito nagkusang lumapit sa kaniya bilang isang Agent, pero pinakilala nito ang sarili bilang childhood sweetheart ni Bryce na lumipad sa States at kababalik lang ng bansa. Alam ni Jenica na nagpunta sa Laguna si Daisy dahil inatasan ito ni Agent Z. That man set his eyes in Laguna because of the clues regarding poisonous needles and Antonete's branch. Just like what she had known before Agent Z snatched her side mission, all the clues about the mastermind of the poisonous needles are pointing from the South to the North where the capital is. Kaya may hinuha na siya n
"This is the heiress of Guam?" biglang tanong ng lalaking kanina pa masama ang tingin sa kaniya. "I didn't expect her to be so young and incapable" dagdag nito. Bumaling ang tingin ni Jenica sa nagsalita at ngumiti nang malapad dito. "I just arrived in the company and might need the guidance of the senior," sabia niya.The old man snorted. "If you can't handle this big empire, then you should not come back!""Why?" Pumaling sa kaliwa ang ulo niya at ngumiti nang malapad sa lalaki. "The senior didn't ask help from anyone?"Nagkatinginan ang mga tao sa loob. If the man said no, then it means he shoot himself on the foot. If he would say yes, then he is declaring that he never experienced being a newbie and it would make him a liar. In the end, he didn't say anything and just snorted.Lumawak ang ngiti sa mga labi ni Jenica at muling nilibot ang tingin sa loob ng conference room. As an agent, she's not easily intimidated by the scornful faces of everyone present. In fact, it made her
She had a dream. A girl of five was wearing a pink dress while smiling brightly at the woman who was sitting beside the round table. The woman had a pair of almond eyes and a sweet smile was hanging at her lips. Suddenly, a tall man walked towards them and lifted her up while laughing happily. That warm picture of a family of three was replaced with a bloody scene. The woman was lying in a pool of blood while the man was telling her something with a pained expression on his face. Just like the woman, the man was bathed in blood.She could not read his lips nor hear what the man was telling but she could feel the child's fear. The girl cried and ran away from that room. The scene changed into a huge mansion being eaten in fire. The girl was standing in front of the mansion and a man with the same face as her Uncle Marc approached the little girl. Jenica slowly opened her eyes. She noticed her tear-stained cheeks and she frowned. Her heart was heavy and she knew it's because of that d
"Aren't you too calm for someone who's reputation went downhill in one night?" tanong ni Jared nang lumapit ito sa kaniya. Tumingin siya sa lalaki. She smirked and twirled the wine glass she's holding. "So you're able to walk around with the HQ's men, huh?" tanong niya saka tumingin sa mga spies at agents na lihim na nakikihalubilo sa mga bisita. Afterall, it's a big party of the elites at hindi palalagpasin ng HQ ang pagkakataon na makipagkonekta sa naglalakihang angkan sa bansa. What made her frown was the fact that her workmates didn't realize that Jared's around. He's really able to fool a lot of agents from the HQ."I told you." Ngumiti nang pagkalaki-laki si Jared. "No one will be able to find me unless I let them."She rolled her eyes at him and looked around again. Nakita niya si Alex na may kausap sa hindi kalayuan. Lumapit siya sa lalaki at tumayo sa gilid nito. Nang mapansin siya ni Alex ay nagpaalam na ito sa kausap. Bago pa man humakbang palayo ang kausap ni Alex ay tum
Alex smiled and said, "Yes, grandma."Nanlaki ang mga mata ng matanda at nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin nito kay Jenica at kay Alex. Disbelief was clearly written on the old woman's face. Natahimik ito nang ilang minuto, at maya-maya pa ay bumuntong-hinga."Alright. If that's really the case, what else could I do?" Taimtim na tiningnan nang matanda si Alex. "I know you don't like that Antonete lass and I won't make things hard on you and your wife, but you need clean the mess you made, understood?"Tumango si Alex at nagpasalamat sa matanda. The old matriarch then turned her hawk-like gaze on Jenica. Tiningnan siya nito mula ulo hanggang paa. "You don't seem like a country bumpkin to me so I suppose you have someone backing you up young lady. From what clan are you? Alex didn't tell me anything about your origin so I expect honest words coming out from that sinful lips of yours," sabi nito sa kaniya. The corner of lips twitched. Mukhang hindi talaga maganda ang gising ng matanda dahil
When Jenica saw the man, she froze. Is she seeing things? Bakit niya nakikita ang Tito Marc niya? Nawalan ng kulay ang mukha ni Jenica.More than 40 years ago, the old man from Guam clan adopted a boy who lost his parents from the big fire that killed more than a thousand lives. The boy is said to have possessed great resemblance to the old man that prompted him to adopt the child. And according to the DNA result, the boy was the old man's illegitimate grandson that made the whole Guam clan scorn him. The old matriarch of the Guam disliked the boy and made things difficult for him. For years, the boy endured everything until an accident occured in the Guam family. A big fire engulfed a huge mansion in one night and killed all members of the Guam family except for the only survivors, Marc Cenizo the adopted grandson, and Jenica's favored father. Starting from that day, the Guam family hid behind the spotlight for years and the masses slowly forget the powerful family who shook the en
It was not the first time that Jenica saw Alex and Jared talking to each other. Pero ngayon lang niya napagtanto na sa harap ni Alex, bahag ang buntot ni Jared. It looked like Alex held the upperhand against the HQ's number one enemy. Naningkit ang mga mata ni Jenica. Matapos ang pag-uusap ng dalawa ay ngiting lumapit si Jared sa kaniya. "It must be fate that we came to know each other --""We're not done yet," sabi niya. "We still have business to settle."Nag-isip saglit si Jared, pagkuwa'y ngumiti na naman nang abot sa tainga. "It is about those poisonous needles?""I'm not talking about that," aniya at sa isang iglap ay sinapak ang mukha ni Jared. "Oww!" hiyaw nito at hinawakan ang nasaktang mukha. Masama itong tumingin sa kaniya. "Do you still wanna fight?!" galit nitong sambit. "Alex and I agreed that my forces will stop fighting you. Or do you think that my temper will let you trample my face?" dagdag pa nito. Nag-igting ang bagang ni Jenica. "You owe me a child."Jared w
It was a one night's mistake. Nagising si Jenica sa kama ni Alex and she didn't know what to think while looking at her husband's sleeping face. For all those years living with the 'dying' him, Jenica was in good hands. Actually, Alex treated her well except on circumstances that'll involve his family.Jenica knew that his family was a bunch of greedy dogs whose after their master's crumbs, and it was the reason why Alex had to marry her in order to secure his wealth against those bunch of dogs. Kaya sa ilang taong pananatili niya sa poder nito ay hindi naman talaga siya minaltrato ng asawa niya. Sadyang may pagkakataon, lalo na kapag bumibisita ang matriarch sa mansion, na kinukulong siya ni Alex sa loob ng kuwarto nilang mag-asawa para itago siya sa mata ng mga Fuego. And except for that foolish Robert na nakahuli sa kaniya minsan, walang sinuman sa mga Fuego ang nakakaalam na may asawa na si Alex. The Matriarch was worried that Alex will die without leaving an offspring, kaya ila
"Am I obliged to answer your question?" tanong ni Jenica. Umasim ang mukha ni Gia at akmang itataas ang kamay para sana sampalin siya pero umiwas si Jenica at humakbang palayo. Narinig pa niya ang nagtitimping impit na sigaw ni Gia sa likod pero hindi na niya pinansin ang babae. She didn't know why the two of them always cross paths. Parang itinadhana talagang mag-away sila sa public places. Gia should be thankful na wala siyang time para makipag-away dahil hindi talaga siya magpapatalo sa rambolan. But she'll admit. There's something off about Gia's presence that she needs to find our sooner. Hindi kalaunan ay narating niya ang likod ng hospital. Isa iyong malawak na bakanteng lote at walang katao-tao, but Jenica knew better. The place was full of discarded medical equipments and knee-length wild grasses were growing around them. Hindi kalayuan ay may abandonadong subdivision na ayon sa mga tagaroon na pinamahayan na umano ng masasamang elemento. Hindi naman naniniwala si Jenica
She heard footsteps coming down from the stairs and Jenica squinted her eyes and crossed her arms against her chest. It seemed like her husband was a good friend with her enemy? Or maybe not?Nakita niya nalang kasi na kinaladkad ng mga security guards si Jared palabas nang sumenyas si Alex. "Who is that guy?" tanong niya, glancing at him and studying his expression.Tumayo si Alex sa gilid niya at sabay nilang tinanaw ang nagdadabog na lalaki sa tapat ng main door. "A nuisance," kunot-noong sagot ni Alex sabay tingin sa gawi niya. "What would you like to eat?" "Chicken," sagot niya. Iginiya siya ni Alex sa kusina and Jenica stole a glance at the main door, where she saw Jared standing there. The man grinned when their eyes met and Jenica smirked in response. Tumaas naman ang kilay ni Jared pero kalaunan ay gumanti ng ngiti. Jenica smiled in secret and followed Alex onto the kitchen. Pero hindi pa roon nagtatapos ang pagdaupang-palad nila ni Jared. Kinabukasan ay nakita niya ang