David’s P.O.V.
“Athena? Athena?” nag-aalalang bigkas ko sa pangalan niya, habang dahan-dahang tinatapik ang maganda niyang mukha kahit ito’y may ilang alikabok at dumi na. Ang mga mata ko naman ay naluluha na rin sa tindi ng aking kaba.
I instantly checked her pulse and breathing, maayos naman. Pero kahit gano’n, I would not risk the safety of Athena. Kahit nasa alanganin kaming sitwasyon ay mabilis ko pa rin siyang binigyan ng *CPR. Ngunit, lalo lang akong nanghina nang hindi pa rin niya iminulat ang kanyang mga mata.
May maliit siyang sugat sa ulo na tila naging dahilan nang pagkawala ng malay niya. Ilang patak din ng luha ang hindi ko namalayang pinakawalan na pala ng aking mga mata habang patuloy kong iniisip na—sa puwesto kung saan ko siya nakita ay sinikap niyang gumapang para lang makalabas.
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David’s P.O.V.Mahigpit ko pa ring yakap si Athena kahit tapos ko nang ikuwento sa kanya ang totoong nangyari. Umiiyak siyang nagsalita habang nakayakap din siya sa akin—ang kanyang mukha ay nakasubsob pa rin sa aking matipunong dibdib.“I—I was willing to let you go by that time, pero hindi ko pala kaya. Sa sobrang sakit no’ng ginawa mo sa‘kin dito mismo sa loob ng unit mo, na kulang na lang ay i-ipagtabuyan mo na ‘ko, I promised myself that I would never bother you again.” Humigpit ang mga yakap niya sa’kin.Seconds later, Athena shrugged her shoulders as she stared at me straight in the eyes. God knew how I truly loved gazing at her expressive green eyes.“Pero… pero no’ng naiwan ko ‘tong kuwintas na ‘to sa loob ng Charmed habang nagsisimula na ‘yong sunog? Habang nakikita k
David’s P.O.V.I was still swinging on cloud nine when I realized that Athena was no longer in my bedroom. She grabbed the opportunity to get away from me, took the tray with her, and left me here all alone.Kung alam ko lang na gusto pala niya ng cheesy hotdog na hindi luto, sana ay pinakitaan ko na siya niyon kagabi pa. But still, I would always respect Athena and that was why I obeyed her last night when she signaled me to stop.Hindi naman ako nag-aksaya pa ng ano mang sandali ngayon at sinundan ko na siya agad sa kitchen. Doon ay nakita ko siyang naghuhugas na ng mga pinagkainan namin, with her hair already up in a ponytail.Athena was not even using any dishwashing gloves, yet I could sense that she was enjoying the chore. She was even singing with her voice so soft.~I thought I would never fall in loveBut when I
David’s P.O.V.“Are you ready?” tanong ko kay Athena habang naghihintay kami sa visitor’s area ng QDMC Police Precinct Station para makaharap na ‘yong taong nag-utos na sunugin ang Project Charmed. Squeezing her hand, hindi ko alam kung bakit parang ako ang kinakabahan.“Oo naman. Ngayon pa ba ako hindi magiging handa?” tipid na ngiti lamang ang ibinigay niya sa akin, ngunit ang mga mata niya ay tila kababasahan pa rin ng galit.Ilang sandali pa ang lumipas ay may narinig na kaming mga yabag papalapit sa amin—kasabay nang naiiritang pagsigaw ng isang babae. Hawak ang magkabilang braso nito ng dalawang pulis. Doon kami napatayo ni Athena, at ipinasya naming lumapit sa kanila.“Aray, ano ba? Bitiwan niyo nga ako! Kagabi niyo pa ‘ko kinulong dito eh. Mga letse! Kapag dumating ‘yong abogado ko… lahat kayo, idedemand
David’s P.O.V.“Hindi totoong we suffered from bankruptcy, Dave. Everything about my curriculum vitae was fake! Kung tutuusin nga ay hindi ko na kinakailangan pang magtrabaho. We’re even richer than what you think we are. You know what? My father can actually buy the EGC. Well, even you!” Vanessa confessed before she continued.“Sinadya ko lang talagang maging secretary mo, para mapalapit ulit ako sa’yo. I even studied how to maneuver the Autodesk 3DS Max software para lang sa’yo. Ang galing ko, ‘di ba? Napaniwala kita. As a result, you’ve praised my capabilities and you even hired me in a snap. From then… I promised that I would make you fall in love with me again, no matter what!”“Pero itong atribidang ‘to—” dinuro niya si Athena at muntik pang dumaplis ang mahabang kuko niya sa pisngi nito pero mabilis kong sin
David’s P.O.V.We were already inside my car when I held her left hand again. Napansin ko namang ang kanang kamay niya ay nakahawak lang sa pendant ring ng kuwintas na isinuot ko sa leeg niya, bago ako nagbihis kanina.It was a good thing that I was able to control my temptation, kung hindi ay baka hindi na kami nakapunta pa sa presinto. But with the way how things turned now, I had to apologize to her dahil sa pagiging gago ko.“Athena, I’m sorry… I only asked Clark and Anton to scare you. I never asked them to hurt you and I hated it when Anton told me that he even touched you. I’m so sorry. Believe me, everything backfires on me!” I sincerely said before kissing her left knuckles.“Ssh… I already knew everything, but it was all in the past now, Cristoff. After all, the fact na nakita ng dalawang mga mata ko kung paano mo binalikan
David’s P.O.V.“Cristoff, where are we?” Athena asked me as she scanned the surroundings, glancing at the outside landmarks intently.“Teka, ba’t dito tayo dumaan? Hindi ba tayo papasok sa EGC? Pero, saan naman tayo pupunta?” sunod-sunod at kunot-noong tanong niya sa‘kin, nang ma-realize niyang ibang ruta ang dinaanan ko at hindi ‘yon papunta sa kumpanyang pinapasukan namin.Nakaidlip siya saglit habang hawak ko lang ‘yong kamay niya, at ang kaliwang kamay ko naman ‘yong nagmamaneho. I just let her sleep and no longer opened a new conversation.I was guilty kasi ako ang numero-unong dahilan kung bakit nitong mga nakaraang buwan ay wala siyang maayos na tulog. Although I was only using my left hand while driving, my right hand still held her and never let her go. Nevertheless, I stayed alert and drove with too much care for h
David’s P.O.V.Karga pa rin ni Athena si Angelo nang tumabi siyang muli sa akin. “Thanks, Cristoff. But you know what? I couldn’t thank you enough for this. I really appreciate what you’ve been doing for me—everything! Frankly speaking, this was indeed my favorite surprise of yours!”“Anything for you.” I held her in the waist. Pero mabilis ko ring tinanggal ang kamay ko sa baywang niya dahil parang tumitingin si Angelo sa ibaba, habang ang baba nito ay nakapatong lang sa balikat ni Athena.“By the way, Gelo… I want you to meet Tito Dave. Say hi to him,” nakangiti niyang sabi. Angelo just looked at her face.Athena was genuinely happy, and it was my topmost priority. Okay na ako roon. Kailangan kong turuan ang sarili ko na makuntento na lang doon.“You called him Cristoff, Mama. But you&rsqu
David’s P.O.V. Of course, Angelo would want to be with his real father, but still, I silently prayed that he would accept me to be with them kahit ilang oras lang. I bent my left knee on the ground para kahit papa’no ay pumantay ako sa height ng bata. Hinawakan ko ‘yong ulo niya at bahagya kong ginulo ang buhok niya. “Yes, buddy. Is that okay with you? Can I be… your daddy?” I asked him, showing my eagerness and sincerity. Silence followed afterwards as Angelo seemed to be thinking. Athena and I looked like we were dying of waiting. I was already expecting that Angelo would reject me as his father’s temporary replacement, when he answered something that suddenly made my heart melt in amazement. “Sure, Tito Dave!” Angelo enthusiastically squealed that he even jumped, causing me to swing in relief. Then, he continued. “I know how Mama loves you, and she w
Athena’s P.O.V.“Please, Cristoff. Tap your wristband!” I was impatiently tapping my wristband, but I couldn’t do anything to know his exact location… unless he would be the one to tap his.Pakiramdam ko, nauubusan ako ng oras at sa sobra kong pagkalito kung bakit kailangang mangyari ang lahat nang ito ngayon ay wala akong ibang maisip na paraan para makita siya agad. I was about to call Kuya Liam, when I suddenly remembered Denise…“Wow, how cute!” I snapped.The mini robot’s height was only about twelve-inch long. “This one is also for you. But you only have to turn it on once, Ate Athena. Sa oras lang na ikaw naman ‘yong naghahanap kay Kuya at hindi mo siya makita.”“Hmm, what do you mean by that?” I was staring at the
Athena’s P.O.V. It was just a short drive as we only decided to dine in at the ground floor of the Lexington Hotel, located at the east part of Countryside, Alabana. Halos hindi na nga kami nakapag-usap sa loob ng sasakyan. And that was a good thing dahil hindi ko rin naman alam ang sasabihin ko sa kanya. Not until… “Grabe, Cristoff! Ang dami naman nang in-order mo. Pinapataba mo ba ako?” nakangiting sabi ko sa kanya while still exploring my sight sa iba’t ibang putahe na inilalagay ng waiter sa mesa. I guessed Cristoff ordered via call or online. From the looks of it, I could say that he even reserved the restaurant for the two of us tonight. Masasarap ang lahat nang in-order niya at paniguradong masisira ang diet ko. Like The Mediterranean, the Lexington Restaurant also offers European foods—probably, to get three Michelin stars and have a healthy competition with the former. What I was seeing right now were paella, pierogi, goulash, gyros, and cheese fondue. “Hmmm, sort of!” C
Athena’s P.O.V. Another day had passed at hindi ko pa rin maiwasan ang mag-overthink. For almost four months, hindi na ako nakakatulog nang maayos sa gabi. Hindi dahil sa masyado akong busy sa EGC at CD Squared, kung hindi dahil sa isang bagay na patuloy lang na gumugulo sa aking isip. Pakiramdam ko, kung makakatulog man ako ay paulit-ulit ko pa ring mapapanaginipan ang nangyari nang mga oras na ‘yon. At paulit-ulit din akong sasampalin ng katotohanang ayaw sa’kin ng nakatatandang kapatid ni Cristoff. As much as I didn’t want to bury myself with what I heard, insecurities were reigning over me. I wanted to win Ate Diane’s favor, but I didn’t know where I would start with… until the plans went into ashes. “I don’t like her for you, Dave. Bakit ba paulit-ulit ka na lang na nahuhumaling sa babaeng ‘yan? High school pa lang, sinaktan ka na niya. No’ng college ka naman, halos
Athena’s P.O.V. It had already been almost four months since my accidental eavesdropping happened, and until now, I still didn’t know how to treat Cristoff right. I was guilty as hell, knowing that I was slowly walking away from him while weaving different sets of alibis. What I said when we were on the fire exit was true—Nadine and I really stayed at our mansion in Quezon City to talk about the reason behind that old letter. She explained to me her reasons and I was informed then, that she had also explained her side to Cristoff. I let that one pass. Siguro, kung ngayon niya ginawa sa’kin ‘yon ay hindi ko ‘yon mapapalagpas. Magagalit talaga ako kay Nadine dahil parang trinaydor niya ako sa kabila ng tiwalang ibinigay ko sa kanya. But then, hindi pa naman niya ako noon kilala at kailangan niya lang talaga ng pera. There was nothing weaker than a person’s mind, most especially in the face of money. Kapag gipit na gipit ka na, gagawin mo talaga ang lahat kahit na ang kumapit pa sa pa
Athena’s P.O.V.“Iniiwasan mo ba ako, Athena?” tila nagdududang tanong sa akin ni Cristoff—isang linggo pagkatapos ng insidenteng iyon.We just bumped into each other when we opened the same fire exit door at the twelfth floor. Paakyat siya at pababa naman ako. Naka-preventive maintenance kasi ang main elevator at malayo naman ‘yong secondary elevator sa office ko.It felt like my chest had swiftly congested by his question. Dahil hindi ko siya kayang tingnan nang diretso, I averted my stares away from Cristoff. Bababa na sana ako para pumunta sa tenth floor nang hawakan niya ang kaliwang braso ko.My mind was cloudy at first, but I chose to pretend like nothing had happened. Tutal, doon naman ako magaling—ang magkunwari.“Huh? Ano bang sinasabi mo diyan? I was just in a rush to see Evanna. At saka, bakit naman kita iiwasan?” pagmamaang-maangan kong tanong sa kanya pabalik. I was smiling at him, just for the two of us to feel that everything was still at ease.Pero sa totoo lang, naii
David’s P.O.V. [Back to the Present] Nagmamadali akong bumalik sa opisina ko, pero wala na akong inabutang Athena na naghihintay sa loob nito. Just when I thought that I would be able to surprise her, I was the one who got surprised at all. And what made me even more surprised was seeing her mini robot still on top of my coffee table. I even knocked on the door of my personal restroom dahil nagbaka-sakali akong nasa loob lang siya nito, pero ni anino niya ay hindi ko nakita nang buksan ko ang pinto nito. It had been a month and I wasn’t yet able to tell her what I had discovered. Actually, hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin sa kanya ang totoo. Alam kong mabibigla siya, kaya hanggang ngayon ay humahanap pa rin ako ng tamang tiyempo. Nagmamadali akong lumabas at napag-alaman kong naka-lock na ang glass door ng opisina niya, which possibly means na umuwi na siya. Kumatok pa ako roon nang ilang beses—making sure na baka nasa loob lang siya, pero wala talaga. These past few days ka
David’s P.O.V. “Take care of Athena, Dave. Angelo and I—we are leaving. We are going back to Germany,” Tyler hissed. “You don’t have to tell me what to do. I’ll always take care of her. But why are you leaving so soon? Is it because of Angelo’s mother?” walang paligoy-ligoy at diretso kong tanong. Hindi naman sumagot si Tyler. Nag-iwas lang ito ng tingin at saka sinuklay paitaas ang buhok. It was none of my business, but I wanted to make him realize some sense. I wasn’t expecting him to listen to me, but for Angelo’s sake… I was hoping. Then, I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t have any right to tell you this or instruct you on what you should do next, but just a piece of advice. Angelo deserves to meet his real mother. Huwag mo naman sanang ipagkait sa kanya kung ano ang totoo.” Tyler remained speechless for a while until he was able to say, “I had to resume work and take care of our business in Germany, Dave. Well, about Angelo’s real mother… she’s dead. That’s why Athena stood up for
David’s P.O.V.But whatever it was, I would not make a big deal out of it. Kung tutuusin ay pabor na pabor ‘yon sa’kin. I knew that Kuya Liam only did it for good. For all the things he did to me, alam kong hindi ako kailanman ipapahamak at pababayaan ng bayaw ko.Kuya Liam was the one who bailed me out of the jail and at that time, he even flew all the way to Europe. He gave me a lawyer who would take care of my case, without me worrying so much about my future. Of all the people, I would trust Kuya Liam even more.Kung ano man ang naging usapan nilang dalawa ni Don Miguel involving Athena and I, the deal was indeed at my advantage if part of the plan was for our paths to cross again in the corporate world. I wished it was, pero hindi ko pa rin napigilang mapalunok.If that was the case, what about the stage
David’s P.O.V. “About Angelo. Whose son is he?” I found myself asking him despite the fact that I didn’t want to begin any conversation with him. If I had a firearm here, I would have threatened him at gunpoint for him to divulge the truth to me. Mahina ang pagkakasabi ko dahil baka magising sila Athena, ngunit binigyang diin ko naman ang bawat salita—habang diretsong nakatingin sa mga mata ng taong naging bahagi ng masalimuot kong nakaraan. Nagtatagis ang aking mga bagang habang kaharap ang isa sa mga taong minsa’y pinagkaitan ako ng kaligayahan. “Enough with all the lies, please!” My voice was still controlled as I snapped at Tyler. Right now, the gushing blood through my whole system was already at boiling point and my nose was indeed flaring in anger. Matigas kong kinuyom ang mga kamao ko. Pinipigilan ko ang sarili ko ngayon dahil kaunti na lang talaga ay baka bigla ko nang mahawakan at maiangat ang kanyang kuwelyo. His son already spilled the beans, and I believed Angelo with