“W-what was that?” Nanginginig at naluluhang tanong ni Rosa habang nakayakap sa anak at tinatakpan ang tainga.“I am not sure too,” he whispered, “but, whatever that was, I will find it out myself.”Naglabas ng cellphone si Trojack and typed. Hindi na inalam ni Rosa kung sino ang kinakausap niya at kung ano ang sinasabi nito dahil ang nasa isip niya ay kung paano sila makakaalis sa kung anong gulong mayroon sa paligid.Maya-maya lang ay biglang may tunog ng police car ang papalapit sa direction nila ngunit hindi pa rin nakakaramdam ng assurance si Rosa whether they are safe already or not. Bigla na lamang tumayo si Trojack then whispered softly, “Don't worry, I’ll just check, okay?”Tumango na lamang bilang sagot si Rosa and watched him walk away papunta sa gate nila.Narinig na lamang niya na may tumigil na sasakyan ng pulis sa harapan ng gate nila at kausap na ito ni Trojack.Pinapasok niya ang mga pulis sa loob at doon lang nakatayo sina Rosa.“Hi, this is the police. We are very
Pagkabukas ng elevator ay bumungad sa kanila ang napakalaking hallway na may mga malalaking mga pinto. Mukha itong mansyon sa sobrang ganda, halos makita mo ang sarili mo sa bawat sulok.“Are you guys okay?” he asked as they stepped out of the elevator.She replied, “Y-yeah, just amazed how beautiful this place is.”“Mommy, para tayong mayaman. Tignan mo po oh, halos makita ko yung mukha ko sa lapag,” natatawang sambit ng anak niya while looking down the floor.“Kaya nga e’, kitang kita kapogian ng anak kong mabait.” Agad naman niyang hinawakan ang kamay ni Brent and they all started walking in the hallway.Bawat pinto ay may nakalagay na number kaya hindi rin naman sila nahirapang hanapin yung sinabi ng nasa reception.1205Nagayos ng kaunti ng sarili si Trojack at kumatok sa pintuan. May lumabas na isang waiter na may tuwalya sa braso.“Is this Mr. Yddro?” Matipid na tanong ng waiter.“Yes.”“Welcome, please come this way.” Binuksan agad nito ang malaking pinto and let them enter.N
“Marry him, and that's all I ask, Rosa,” mahinahong sambit ng matanda, their eyes looking at each other.Pagtataka at gulat na lang ang naramdaman ni Rosa dahil paano naging request ito ng kanyang nanay. How could she dictate sino ang pakakasalan niya?Rosa stops walking and said, “hindi puwedeng iyan ang request ng mama ko. That is impossible lalo na hindi naman siya yung tipong tao na didiktahin kung ano ang gagawin ko sa buhay ko,” matipid niyang saad.“Alam kong hindi mo rin naman gustong may kasal sa lalaking hindi mo naman mahal, I have been there,” she paused, “pero si trojak na lang ang nag-iisang apo ko na pwedeng magpatuloy ng henerasyon namin. Balak talaga ng mama mo na i-arrange ko yung dalawa to protect you. Ayon lang ang sabi niya.”“How? Paano niya ako mapoprotektahan sa pagpili ng kung sino aasawahin ko in the future?” Umiwas na ng tingin si rosa at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad ngunit mas binagalan niya.Rinig na rinig ang bawat yapak nilang dalawa dahil parehas silang na
Gloria didn’t need to ask for clarification. She knew, sa sarili niya mismo, that this wasn’t about the love of any one person. Mas malalim pa ito, something Rosa had been struggling with for a long time. Ang katahimikan sa paligid nila ng ilang segundo, napahinga siya ng malalim.“Alam mo, ‘nak,” Gloria finally said, her voice low and steady, “that’s a question na hindi madaling sagutin. But, there is one thing I am sure of, and that is love is not about whether you deserve it. Ang pagmamahal ay walang kondisyon na ganiyan.”Rosa shook her head, her shoulders stiffening. She folded her arms across her chest, as if trying to hold herself together dahil parang maiiyak na lang siya any second now. “I don’t know, after everything that happened lalo na in the past 5 years. Hindi ako perpektong tao pero ano po bang ginawa to get betrayed like that? Ang mismong kaibigan kong si Sheena at step sister ko pa talaga ang nagplano para babuyin ako,” her voice cracked, and tears started to roll dow
Rosa’s lips parted, may sasabihin pa sana siya, but before she could, there was a violent yet sharp sound, like a lightning. As she heard the loud bang, she saw Gloria’s chest with a hole in it, and her eyes wide open.Wala pang dalawang segundo ay humandusay na sa lapag ang matanda, and it made Rosa panicked. “Tuolong! Please, tulong!” Sigaw ni Rosa habang papunta kay Gloria na nasa lapag. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw blood coming out of her red dress, seeping into the fabric.Tatayp na sana para humanap ng tulong si Rosa ngunit hinawakan siya sa braso nito. She gave her a big smile and said, “don’t leave, just stay. You will find people who will love and accept you. I’ll say hi sa mama mo h-ha,” she whispered, she tried to speak, but all she could manage was a shallow breath, a soft groan of pain. She felt so weak, so cold.“Gloria, please!” Rosa screamed again, her voice cracking. “No! Please, stay with me!”Hindi na siya marinig ni Gloria, all she saw was how beautiful
“My name is Detective Turner, your grandmother is already safe at may mga nakaduty na police around her room, and the whole hospital,” he paused then looked at both of them, “we just need where were you and who could possibly do this. Can we talk for a minute inside this room, ma’am?”Trojack said, “Shouldn’t she wash herself muna? Tignan mo ang itsura niya, she is full of blood. Paano kung makita pa iyan ng anak niya? Can you explain it to him?” He was clearly pissed.“Sorry, my bad. I’ll bring some towels, and some clothes para sa inyo. We will talk with your son for a moment while you change. You can change muna then we will proceed for the questioning.” Umalis agad ang Detective sa harapan nila, then some people went to them with towels.“Hi, my name is Hara, let’s clean up, shall we?” Isang babae na naka-police unifrom ang lumapit kay Rosa.Tumingin si Rosa kay Trojack, waiting for him to say na okay lang na magkahiwalay muna sila ng saglit at sumama siya sa police, and he nodded
“Let's talk outside, if it's okay, Miss Rosa,” sambit ng detective habang nakatingin sa kanya. “I’ll a company brent while nag-uusap kayo, huwag kang mag-alala.” Singit naman ni Trojack habang nakatingin ng nakangiti kay Brent.“Be a good boy, sige na, kain na muna kayo, it will take a while,” paalala ni Rosa sa anak, and she gave him a smile before leaving the room with the detective. As soon as the door closed, agad siyang tinignan uli ng detective. “Let's talk sa room na iyon, my colleagues already check the room and it is vacant, para matapos na rin ito and makapagpahinga na kayo,” he said as he pointed out the room sa harapan lang nila.“Y-yeah, sure.” Ayan na lang naisagot ni Rosa dahil gusto na lang din niyang makapagpahinga. Pagpasok nila sa kwarto ay wala halos gamit doon kundi lamesa at mga upuan lang. Wala ring mga dumi o kahit na ano. “Let's sit down,” aya ng detective, just observing her, “are you okay with this kind of setup?”“Yes.”“Okay,” he paused then may nilaba
Wala pang kalahating minuto, dumating na agad si Trojack. “Let's go, the detective told me that they're going to take care of this case,” he paused then exhaled, “we should go have some rest lalo na gabi na.” Rosa nodded and looked at his son, then sighed. “Where will we go now? If someone was confident enough to shoot your grandmother, paano pang mga buhay namin?” “You can stay at our house for now if you like. My assistant will get your things there. Lumipat na muna kayo pansamantala sa amin, it is not safe out there.” He said, offering them and this voice gentle. She somehow hesitated, her eyes filled with uncertainty. Pero dahil wala rin naman silang choice kung hindi sumama sa kanya dahil mas safe kung may nagbabantay sa kanila. His offer was the only hope that they can have, especially in the midst of crisis and despair. Naisip rin niya na kailangan ng company ni Trojack lalo na yung lola niya ay nasa ospital. “We will stay at your house for the meantime, pero dapat
HIndi makakalimutan ni Trojack ang mga sinabi ni Rosa bago pa ito umalis ng opisina niya.Lumingon si Rosa, sinulyapan ang lalaking nakatayo habang nakapatong ang mga kamay sa mesa, at mahinahong pinaalalahanan, "She isn’t as kind as she looks," she said coldly, her voice carrying a hint of mockery. "You’d better be careful not to be tricked by her."His eyes narrowed, his expression unyielding. "Ironic. The one who hit someone today was you," makitid ang mga matang sabi ni Trojack.Gusto talaga ni Rosa na hindi lang saktan kundi tuluyang tapusin si Sheena, pero tamad na siyang magpaliwanag pa. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. No one will ever believe her tulad ng nakaraan, mismong ama niya pa nga ang mas pinili siyang palayasin sa kanila, and no one was there by her side.Kung ang lalaking ito ay napakabulag para gawing sentro ng buhay niya si Sheena, ano pa nga bang masasabi niya?Not only did I want to hit her—I wanted to throttle her.Nang makabalik si Rosa sa opisina nang
"Be good and listen," Trojack said softly, stroking Sheena’s head.Hindi niya makakalimutan ang mga sinabi ni Trojack sa kaniya habang naglalakad palabas ng company.Her heart leaped at his gentle gesture. In that moment, she felt as though she had captured all the affection he had to offer. The warmth in his voice and the protective touch made her feel comforted, validated, and undeniably triumphant habang si kay Rosa, labis ang kanyang natatanggap. Ngunit sa sobrang takot niya na baka parusahan siya ng kanyang kasakiman, tumigil na siya sa paggagawa ng gulo.Could her greed lead to punishment? She suppressed the thought quickly, resolving to maintain her composure. No more provocations, at least for now. Wala naman siyang taglay na pambihirang kagandahan. Ang tanging paraan upang makuha niya ang pabor ni Trojack Yddro ay sa pamamagitan ng kanyang personalidad.That had always worked for her, and it would keep working. After all, Rosa would soon be out of the picture."She’ll be fi
"Get out! I don’t want to see you again!" Rosa’s voice was icy, her finger pointing resolutely toward the door. Sheena sneered, leaning lazily against the armrest of the sofa. "Ano? Hindi ba sapat ang lakas ng lalaki mo? Or are you disappointed in the... service?" Her mocking smile deepened. "Rosa, you’d better watch your tone with me. Otherwise, I’ll let the entire company know about your little secret. Tingnan natin kung paano ka mabubuhay sa trabahong ito." It only made her more angrier deep inside, wala siyang karapata para sirain na naman siya. She did it once, but never twice. She was the reason why her life sucked, and kung paano niya kinaya ang trauma ng magisa. Her expression didn’t waver, but her hand moved instinctively to the phone. Mariing pinindot ni Rosa ang telepono sa opisina at tinawagan si Vrest. Pressing the internal line, she spoke in a calm but firm tone. "Vrest, come to my office." Agad na dumating si Vrest, pawisan at nagmamadali. Itinuro ni Rosa si Sheena
Three days later, it was five in the morning.Nanaginip bigla si Sheena. "Ah...no!" Sheena sat up in fear, sweating profusely. When she looked at everything around her, she realized that it was a nightmare.Rosa’s face turned pale, but she quickly regained control, her eyes narrowing with contempt as she stared at Sheena. The memories of that night, though fuzzy, still haunted her. She hadn’t recognized the man at the time, but she was sure it wasn’t someone of importance."You're wasting your time," Rosa responded coldly, her voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside."I don't care about the past, and I certainly don't care sa kung ano ang ginagawa mo ngayon.”Sheena leaned against the back of the chair, her lips curling into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Oh, really? You don't care? Yet here you are, trembling." She took a step closer, her eyes scanning Rosa’s face, trying to gauge her reaction."You think I’m scared of you?" Rosa snapped, her posture straightening. "You
The ambiance of the café was calm and elegant, contrasting sharply with the tension Andrea brought as she stormed in. Sheena dressed modestly yet with subtle elegance, sat waiting at a table in the corner. Her fingers tapped the side of her coffee cup as Andrea slid into the seat across from her.“You’ve been so elusive lately,” Andrea started, narrowing her eyes. “Nagpunta ka raw ng trip. Saan ka nagpunta?” tanong nito, puno ng kuryosidad.Sheena’s grip tightened on her cup. “Just a quick getaway,” she said, her tone casual. “Naglibot lang ng dalawang araw para mag-relax,” mabilis na sagot ni Sheena, pilit na itinatago ang katotohanang namuhay siya nang marangya nitong mga nakaraang araw.“Your shop must be struggling for you to take time off,” Andrea probed, suspicion in her voice.“Hindi naman, pero wala ring masyadong customer, kaya nagpahinga na muna ako,” sagot ni Sheena nang walang bakas ng kaba while she smiled faintly..Andrea leaned in, lowering her voice. “You won’t believe
Alam ni Jon na hindi maganda ang naging relasyon nina Kieshna at Rosa noon pa. His expression darkened as he turned to glare at Kieshna and said, “Rosa and her son just got back. There’s no need for your sharp words. You’d better get along with them.”Her lips tightened, but before she could respond, a voice from the staircase broke the silence.“Mom, kaninong bata ito?” biglang singit ni Andrea mula sa hagdanan. Her curious tone echoed through the hall as she descended the stairs. Her gaze landed on the boy in her father’s arms, and her brows furrowed in confusion.“Kaninong bata? Anak ‘yan ng ate mo, ipinanganak niya sa ibang bansa,” sagot ni ina nito sa malamig na tono.Andrea’s eyes widened in shock. “What?” she blurted, hurrying down the stairs to confront Rosa. “You didn’t even tell us you had a child. Hindi ka ba nahihiya?”“Andrea!” His father’s voice snapped like a whip. “How can you speak that way? Brent is family, and I won’t allow you to disrespect him or your sister. Hind
Since Jon Melandez had given advance notice, Kieshna ordered the servants to prepare dinner. The table would be set lavishly, but not a single dish catered to Rosa's preferences. Instead, she focused entirely on her daughter's favorites, ensuring her point was made without words.The quiet hum in the kitchen was interrupted when one of the servants approached her hesitantly."Madam, sabi po ng amo, mahilig daw sa hipon ang panganay na dalaga. Bumili po ako ng hipon. Hindi niyo ba ipapaluto?" tanong ng kasambahay habang lumapit.Her eyes narrowed, her expression darkening. She waved a hand dismissively. "Oo, ipaluto mo! Cook it—but make it spicy enough to burn. Let that little brat choke on her arrogance,” sagot ni Kieshna nang may galit sa tinig.Agad namang sumunod ang kasambahay at umalis. Halos hindi maibsan ang sama ng loob ni Rosa; tila umaapaw ang init ng kanyang ulo. Sa mga nakaraang taon, yumaman nang husto si Jon, and the company was listed, their family assets soaring well p
The meeting concluded shortly after, but as everyone prepared to leave, Trojack said, “Miss Rosa Melandez, please stay.”Saktong iinom sana si Rosa para maibsan ang tuyong lalamunan, ngunit halos mabulunan siya nang marinig ito. Kaagad siyang napapalibutan ng mga inggit at selos na tingin, especially Penny’s sharp, resentful stare.After the others left, Rosa took a steadying breath, then turned to him. “Is there something I can help you with?”He cut to the point.”Bakit ka pumasok? I told you to stay at home, hindi mo kailangang pumasok.”“I can do everything without your permission. Plus, I do not need your help especially raising my son. I’ll talk to the hr about my sudden day off kahapon. Hindi mo ako kailangang bigyan ng mga special requests. I am just staying at your house because we needed to make sure na makulong muna yung—” she stopped talking dahil unti unti na naman niyang naalala yung nangyari kahapon, and the thing that happened in between them.Trojack’s tone softened.
Habang nagluluto, bigla na lang umalis si Trojack at nagpaalam kay Brent.He went to the kitchen and said, ‘Rosa, I’ll be out, baka bukas na ako makabalik. Eat and have some sleep. Pupuntahan ko lola ko sa ospital rin before work. I’ll text you for some updates about her, pero the doctor said she is fine.”“Thanks for letting me know, be safe.” Rosa replied while cutting some onions.Hindi na nagsayang ng oras si Trojack and umalis na agad, leaving both of them downstairs. Hanggang ngayon tulog pa rin ang kasambahay nila na si Gigi, sa sobrang pagod siguro ay hindi na ito nakakilos or nagising. Hinayan na na lang muna ni Rosa kaya hindi na niya ito ginising.Patapos na rin naman siya sa mga gamit nila.That night after they ate, she held him close as they fell asleep together under the gentle moonlight.The next morning, after dropping him off, she took a taxi to her company, AD Pavillion. Though the building was small compared to the nearby skyscrapers, the brand had gained respect l