ANASTACIA kept on ignoring Alessandro. She’s trying so hard to understand his decision but she couldn’t help but get mad at him. Gusto niyang kalimutan nalang ang lahat pero hindi niya magawa. Paulit-ulit na umuukilkil sa isipan ni Anastacia na bukod sa kaniya ay may ibang nakasiping sa kama ang asawa habang kasal sila. He didn’t mean to hurt her. It was not his intention pero sa nangyari ay sobrang nasaktan si Anastacia. Hindi man sinadya ay nagawang magtaksil nito sa kaniya. Her father was the reason. She was partly the reason at hindi niya matanggap na sisirain ni Alessandro ang sarili dahil lamang sa kaniya.He’s living a wealthy life before they met. He was rich. He wasn’t used to working so hard day and night. He has his own cook. He has his own maid. He was ruling his own kingdom but now…he lost everything. All for her.Marahil ay dahil sa ipinagbubuntis niya kaya patuloy siyang nagiging emosyonal pero totoong sinisisi niya ang sarili. Alessandro won’t leave his luxury life if n
ALESSANDRO and Mike were walking towards the gate together. Sabay silang aalis matapos magpaalam kay Anastacia. Si Alessandro ay babalik na sa trabaho habang ganoon rin si Mike.“Just a moment,” Alessandro stopped Mike even before he called for a tricycle.Mike faced him with a blank face. Obviously they don't like each other. Alessandro knows that Mike likes his wife so much and Mike doesn’t want Anastacia for him. He wants her for himself and he’s still not giving up on it.“Do you really think I didn’t know about what you have been doing? Visiting my wife behind my back and trying so hard to steal her away from me?” Alessandro asked with cold eyes and icy tone.Mike laughed mockingly, “I know that you know. It’s just that I don’t care. I will take her away from you because obviously, you can’t give her a better life. You’re almost like a peasant. How can you give her the life she deserves?”Alessandro gritted his teeth. He was a leader of a syndicate and he’s ashamed of that past.
ALESSANDRO couldn’t calm himself down. He’s at work, but he kept on thinking about what Leonardo told him in his text message. The triad is now moving as his organization has been infiltrated by the authorities. An undercover cop made his way through the gates of hell and infiltrated his organization. Now his properties were at stake and even his wife was in danger. She’s married to him…legally and if he doesn't leave now, his wife would be questioned by the authorities and will end up being an accomplice to his crimes. He can’t let that happen, but leaving his wife is not an option for him either.“Hoy! Magtrabaho ka nga! ‘Wag kang patamad-tamad! Hindi porket pabor sa’yo ang may ari ay magpapakaboss ka na riyan.” A coworker interrupted Alessandro. He clenched his jaws. He’s pissed with this particular coworker of his but since he’s changing, he chose to let him get away everytime he acted like this on him.“Alessandro, is there something wrong?” A female worker, kind and concerned, a
SITTING while handcuffed inside the interrogation room, Alessandro’s eyes were lifeless and blank. Anastacia’s last words kept on ringing inside his head. He expected her to get angry but he didn’t expect that she would kick him out of her life. It hurts. So damn much. He feels like dying wide-eyed. But what can he do? The only way to save his wife and child was to take the risk and bargain with the people who are on the right path. Justice will keep his wife and child safe. He’s willing to take the risk even if facing justice means losing everything he worked hard on.Nothing is more important than his family. He started valuing family after he lived with Anastacia and her father and friend. He treasures that little family, so he would do everything to save them.And now, here he is. Cuffed and desperate. He called the police and got himself arrested. All because he doesn’t have a choice anymore. Without his organization, he’s no match against the triad.
“MAMA, tingnan mo kulay. Maganda!”Tinitigan ko ang batang lalaki na malaki ang ngisi sa akin. Yakap niya ang isang kuting na madungis at kulay orange. Ang mga dilaw nitong mata ay nakatingin sa akin na tila ba nagpapa-awa.Umismid ako. “Aki, pang anim na pusa mo na ‘yan!”Nagpapadyak sa lupa ang siyam na taong batang lalaki. “E mama, wala pa akong orange!”“Anong wala? Mayroon na!”“Wala, mama! Three colors kasi ‘yon. Wala pa akong orange lang.”Sinimangutan ko ang bata. Namimitas ako ng malunggay sa bakuran nang dumating ito galing eskwelahan na madungis ang damit na puti at yakap ang kuting na maputik ang mga paa.Diyos ko! Pahihirapan na naman akong maglaba ng batang ito.“Akim!”Umiling siya. “Last na ‘to, mama. Promise!”Nanliit ang mga mata ko habang tinitingnan ang nakataas niyang kanang kamay na tila namamanata.“Napakatigas ng ulo mo!”Ngumisi siya. “Thank you, mama!”Hinabol ko siya ng tingin nang pumasok siya sa loob ng bahay. Napabuntong-hininga nalang ako at tiningnan an
Anastacia’s POV NAPILITANG umalis si Francis nang hindi kami nakakapag-usap. Ang nakakatawa ay binawi niya ang mamahalin niyang bouquet at masama ang loob na umalis. Wala naman akong pakialam kahit bawiin niya iyon dahil hindi naman ako mahilig sa bulaklak. Bumalik ang paningin ko kay Leonardo nang mahina siyang natawa. “He took his gift back. Is that your type of guy?” Nangunot ang noo ko habang tinitingnan siya. “Anong pakialam mo? At bakit nandito ka?” Sinulyapan niya si Aki na bumitaw na sa kaniya at nakahawak na ngayon sa kamay ko. Panandalian akong natakot nang akalain ko na inakala ni Aki na si Leonardo ang kaniyang ama pero mukhang kilala ni Aki ang hitsura ng kaniyang ama kahit sa litrato niya lamang ito nakita. Bumaba ang tingin ni Leonardo sa paslit na nakahawak sa kamay ko. Alam kong sa unang tingin sa mukha ni Aki ay hindi maipagkakaila kung sino ang kaniyang ama. Wala naman akong balak itago si Aki kay Alessandro pero hindi pa ako handang harapin siya ngayon. Alam
Anastacia’s POV“ANA, sino iyong lalaki kahapon, huh?”Halos bumunggo sa akin si Francis nang salubungin niya ako sa lobby ng factory na pinagtatrabahuhan ko. Isa si Francis sa may-ari ng factory na ito at hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng lahat na nanliligaw sa akin ang mayabang na lalaki. Isa sa dahilan kung bakit maraming gigil sa akin sa trabaho dahil sabi nila ay nilandi ko raw ang lalaki. Hindi nalang aminin sa mga sarili nila na mas maganda at sexy ako.“Narinig mo naman ang sinabi ni Aki kahapon, Francis.”Nagtiim-bagang ang lalaki. “Iyon ba ang ama ng batang iyon? Di hamak naman na mas guwapo at mukhang mas mayaman ako sa isang iyon. Sabihin mo nga! Bakit ka niya dinadalaw, ha? May namamagitan pa sa inyo? Ano? Pinapaasa mo lang ako?”Nangunot ang noo ko. “Malinaw kong sinabi sayo, Francis, na wala akong balak mag-entertain ng manliligaw at hindi kita pinaasa—”“Tinanggap mo ang mga regalo ko! Pinapasok mo ako sa bakuran mo. Pinaglaanan mo ako ng panahon. Alin sa mga iyon ang hindi
“DAMI niyong arte!”Naningkit ang mga mata ko sa sinabi ni Leonardo. Bakas sa mukha nito ang irita at mukhang diring-diri sa narinig mula sa akin.Parang gusto ko siyang tadyakan bigla palabas ng sarili niyang kotse. Bakit ba siya nangingialam? “Ibalik mo na ‘ko sa bahay,” iritadong sabi ko habang nakasimangot.Inirapan ako ni Leonardo nang biglang nag-ingay ang cellphone niya. Sinulyapan pa ako nito na ikinataas ng kilay ko.Nang sagutin nito ang tawag ay dumagundong ang puso ko dahil sa pangalang binanggit niya.“What is it, Alessandro?”Bored na bored ang mukha ni Leonardo nang bigla nalang nanlaki ang mga mata nito at tila nataranta.“What? What did you feed her—Fine! Bring her to the hospital. I’ll be there quickly.”Nagulat ako nang paandarin ni Leonardo ang sasakyan. Dire-diretso ang walang lingon-lingon.“Teka lang, Leonardo! Saan mo ako dadalhin?”Nagtiim-bagang ito, “I have an emergency.”“Ano?” Nasapo ko ang ulo. “Ibaba mo nalang ako dito sa tabi—”“I can’t! She’s more imp