David’s P.O.V.
Gusto kong alalayan si Athena mula sa pag-akyat niya sa yate, katulad nang kung paano ko siya inalalayang maka-akyat noon pataas mula sa waterfalls ng *Lischer Garden. Iyon ‘yong mga panahong inakala kong ibang tao siya na kailangan kong iligtas. Sinampal pa nga niya ako noon at inakusahan ng manyak!
It was when I first experienced the snow in Europe. It wasn’t that remarkable, but what made it extra special was the fact that I was with her. But now, I had no other choice but to support Melissa’s body while she was making her way to the yacht. Sa paningin ni Athena, ibang babae na ngayon ang dapat kong alagaan.
Damn memories! Memories na kailanman ay hindi pinahalagahan ni Athena. Memories na kagaya ko ay tinapon lang niya na parang basahan! But why am I still holding on to that? Why would my mind still want to remember those scenes from the p
David’s P.O.V.“I guess we’re near the location, everyone! So, what are we all waiting for here? We better dress up!” I professionally clapped my hands, acting like I wasn’t really halting Derek and Athena’s conversation. “Come on, grab your diving suits now! Dressing room is on this way.” Tinuro ko ‘yong likurang bahagi ng yate.Agad na binigay ng mga kasama naming trainers ang aming mga diving suits. Ang mga babae—maliban kina Melissa, Athena, at Nadine—ay pumunta sa dressing room upang magbihis. Kaming mga lalaki naman ay lantarang naghubad at tanging swimming trunks lang ang itinira bago namin kinuha ang mga kailangan namin sa scuba like diving gears, buoyancy compensators, and flippers.Sinadya ko talagang lumapit kay Athena nang iabot sa akin ng trainer ang aking wetsuit. Ginusto kong mapansin niya ang matipuno kong katawan na sadyan
David’s P.O.V.Everything felt like a dream—the kind of dream I would have wanted to swap with the reality I was in. I was irrefutably drowning not because I was at the depth of the sea, but because I was kissing the only woman I had ever wanted to be with.But the way she was kissing me made me realize that she wasn’t really Athena. Her lips were different now! Alam ko dahil kahit lumipas man ang maraming taon, hindi ko nakalimutan ang lasa ng mga labi niya.Smoldered with despair, I guessed I was only hallucinating from thinking about her too much. To my dismay, it was still Melissa.As quick as a flash, I cut the kiss and the two of us immediately placed back our breathing apparatus in our mouths. Baka malunod pa kami rito nang wala sa oras. Isa pa, ayoko pang mamatay. There were still a lot of things I wanted to do in my life.But questions
Athena’s P.O.V.With eyes wide open, I was shocked as hell when David suddenly hugged me in front of everyone. Even in front of his girlfriend—Melissa.“Thank, God. You’re safe!” he whispered those words while his warm breath was fanning on my neck.It was as if he no longer cared wherever we were right now or who were suspiciously looking at us. My body had stiffened, but caging me in his arms would be the best part of crossing—what I thought was our forever distance.What’s happening?I wanted to ask him but my mouth remained slightly open.Of all people, I would have never expected him to be worried about me. I guessed I wasn’t able to catch my jaws from dropping off the sands earlier. Hindi ko rin tuloy maiwasan ang malakas na pagtibok ng puso ko.
David’s P.O.V.I let out a sarcastic chuckle. What the heck had just happened?Nakauwi na ako’t lahat lahat, pero hindi pa rin lubusang nagsi-sink in sa utak ko ang lahat nang naganap! Chad accompanied me here in my penthouse dahil sa itsura ko ngayon ay kailangan ko talaga ng makakausap.Siya na rin ang nagmaneho pauwi dahil wala ako sa kondisyon para gawin ‘yon at baka maaksidente lang kaming dalawa. Melissa just booked an Uber papunta sa resort… so for the meantime, I let her use my car pauwi sa condo na tinutuluyan niya. She wanted to stay with us, pero ako na lang ‘yong tumanggi sa kanya.“Brad, okay ka lang?” tanong ni Chad. Actually, kanina pa niya ako paulit-ulit na tinatanong ng ganyan.“Ano ba namang klaseng tanong ‘yan, Chad? Sa tingin mo, okay lang ako ha? Kung ikaw &lsqu
David’s P.O.V.In the first place, kasalanan ko rin eh. I shouldn’t have been deceived by Athena’s charms again. I should have known from the start that everything about her was purely lie and pretentions. She was indeed a damn impostor—well-trained by her nefarious father!Pagak akong natawa. Nagpanggap nga siyang kakambal niya dati, hindi ba? Ngayon pa ba ako magtataka sa mga capabilities niya?Of course, she could deceive me… while wearing her face of an angel!Malamang, maging ang pag-iyak-iyak at pagkakatulog niya kagabi sa may dalampasigan ay drama at pagpapanggap lang. Ako naman itong si tanga, todo-todo sa pag-aalala sa babaeng minahal ko nang walang katumbas… pero napakagaling lang naman palang artista!Yes. I was the one who really brought her back to the resort during the dawn! I
David’s P.O.V.I tried to speak German to the policemen the best way that I could to oppose what Mr. Delgado had ordered them, “Warte, herr! Du kannst mich einfach nicht mitnehmen. Ich kann erklären.” [Wait, sir! You just can’t take me. I can explain.]But these policemen just dismissed my protest and stated what I thought were Miranda rights. Then, they took my phone away from me and handcuffed my wrists in a flash. Everything was happening so fast!“Please, sir! This is all just a misunderstanding. I didn’t abduct Mr. Delgado’s daughter because she is my girlfriend.” Hindi ko alam kung nakakaintindi ba sila ng English, pero sinabi ko pa rin ang gusto kong sabihin.Pakiramdam ko ay bigla na lang akong nabobo para magsalita ng German language dahil sa mga oras na it
David’s P.O.V.A total of two days and two nights of living inside the jail was the longest time of my life. Hindi ako kumain at lalong hindi ako natulog. Kumakalam na nga ang sikmura ko at tingin ko’y nangingitim na rin ang ilalim ng mga mata ko. I just busied myself in cleaning the whole cell including the toilet that I actually shared with my three companions.In return, the inmate who was always the first one to ask me questions since I came here, lent me a book. I had known him as Jacob Auster, and he was a dean’s lister before he became a gang leader.“Rivera, jemand hat dich besucht.” [Rivera, someone came here to see you.] The female warden let me out for a while. Then, one policeman handcuffed me and ushered me to the visitor cell.Nabuhayan ako ng loob nang makita ko kung sino a
Athena’s P.O.V.[What happened after the ending of Sabotaging My Walkout Queen Book 1]“Hija, ready ka na ba?”bungad ni Ate Paula nang pumasok siya sa kuwarto ko. “Hinihintay ka na ng Daddy mo at ni Tyler sa ibaba. Nagsisipagdatingan na rin ang mga bisita—” Bigla siyang natigilan nang makita ang aking mukha—smudged with my mascara.“Ano ka ba namang bata ka? Anong nangyari diyan sa mukha mo? At saka, nasaan na ‘yong makeup artist mo? Ako ang pagagalitan ni Don Miguel niyan eh. Ano bang nangyari dito, Kate?”Hindi ko naman pinansin ang sinabi niya, bagkus ay muli lang akong humarap sa vanity mirror. Ano namang pakialam ko sa mga bisitang ‘yon? Hindi naman ako interesado. Puro mga kakilala lang naman nina Daddy at Tito Eros ang mga ‘yon!
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