Chapter 1

"I ANNOUNCED YOU, the husband and the wife!" The priest happily announced as the people inside the church clapped their hands to celebrate the marriage of the two prestigious family in the country.

Alisha Klorìe, the bride smiled, giving them the right expression, they wished to see. She was suddenly aware of a pair of hands lifting her veil, and the mysterious ocean-blue eyes met her brown ones.

Tanaw ni Alisha sa harap niya ang lalaking pinakasalan niya, nakangiti ito ng malaki na puno ng pagmamahal na nakatingin sa kaniya. Sa kaniya lang nakatutok ang buo nitong atensyon at dahan-dahan siya nitong hinalikan sa harap ng mga dumalo sa kanilang pinakamasayang araw. They look so in love with each other.

Their lives look like a happy ending straight out of a fiction cliché novel you'll see, but of course, they live in the reality, so Alisha can clearly see the real reaction of the man she married.

Kita niya ang pandidiri pagtapos siya nito halikan, isama na ang kanina pang pilit na ngiti ng binata. She chuckled, teasing him a little. His name is Reuz Montenegro, the son of the conglomerate family in the country and she, the bride, was your typical dancer in the bar before she met this man.

"Congratulations, darling!" a lively voice suddenly called out Alisha using an endearment. Ang boses na iyon ay nanggaling sa ina ni Reuz.

The mother of Reuz, which is Leticia, had a beamed plastered on her face.

Ibinalik naman ni Alisha ang matamis na ngiti nito. "Thank you so much, mother! This is the best day of my life!" aniya habang pinasadahan ng tingin ang dalawang lalaking kasunod nito.

They are both Reuz's older brothers. Kahit na kasalan ang pinuntahan ng dalawa, ang expression ng mukha nila ay parang galing sa libingan. Kahit isang matipid na ngiti ay hindi mabigyan si Alisha ng mga ito. Lantaran na pinakita nito kung gaano sila nabuburyo sa mga nangyayari.

She simply glanced at Reuz, also not minding the two rude men in front of her.

"Mom, Thank you for preparing this grand wedding when I and Ali were so busy." kahit kalmado ay kita pa rin ang kislap sa mata ni Reuz.

Napangiti naman ng malaki ang ina niya at niyakap siya ng mahigpit. "I just want you to have a family, honey~ And I'm glad to know that you finally found the perfect partner for you!" Leticia gave Alisha a meaningful look.

"That comment really makes me happy, mother." Alisha sweetly chuckled to ease the uncomfortable feeling after she saw Leticia's silent message.

Many people greeted her when Leticia finally bid her goodbye to talk to some important people. It's obvious how she used their wedding for political reason. It made her laughed a little, everything that's currently happening in her own wedding is chucklesome.

"It's good to see you looking so healthy, Alisha!" A friendly greeting caught her attention kaya agad napabaling ang mata ni Alisha sa bagong sulpot na babae sa harap niya. The woman has a worried and a happy expression on her face, as if she is overjoyed that Alisha is now married.

Her face certainly looks familiar.

Sa wakas ay ngumiti si Alisha at binati ang babaeng nasa harapan niya nang mapagtanto niya kung sino ito. "Rebecca? We haven't seen each other for a while now! How's life?" Alisha excitedly exclaimed. She remember, base on the files that her husband sent her previously, Rebecca Halton acts like they're close friends to have her strong ties. However, as you can see, they aren't. Not in the least.

Rebecca grabbed her hand and rubbed it softly. "I'm doing great! Thank you for asking, dear." The kindness in her voice was evident, at kung hindi lang si Alisha binalaan ni Reuz sa totoong ugali nito ay baka maloko siya ng babae dahil sa mala-award na galawan nito.

Pekeng ngiti lamang ang otomatikong gumuhit sa labi niya. "Really~! That's good to hear." Sinadya niya namang ipakita dito na wala siyang gana makipagplastikan base sa tono ng boses niya at mukhang nahalata naman agad ito ng babae pero dahil siya ay si ‘Alisha’ na isang anghel para sa lahat, hindi katanggap-tanggap na may mga pangit na usap-usapan ang lalabas tungkol sa kaniya.

Kunware siyang tumingin sa mga nakapilang guess na ready na siyang batiin. "I'll excuse myself first, since I still have many guesses to greet." Sinundan din Rebecca kung saan nakatingin si Alisha at agad nagpaalam. Once again, Alisha gave her the sweetest smile she could ever receive in her life hanggang makaalis na ng tuluyan si Rebecca.

Pasikreto na napabuntong hininga si Alisha ng mawala na sa paningin niya ang dalaga. Medyo nangangalay na ang labi niya kakangiti kanina pa.

"Who's that?" Bigla namang sumulpot sa tabi niya si Reuz.

"A-ano ba! Nakakagulat ka naman, uso magparamdam 'no?" Feeling niya may lahi talagang kabute si Reuz dahil sa paulit-ulit na sulpot nito sa harap niya na parang walang presensya.

"Who's that biatch?" Bulong ulit ni Reuz sa kaniya, bigla namang naramdaman ni Alisha na nagsitaasan lahat ng balahibo niya sa likod. "—that's not important, move aside first. Masyado kang malapit."

Lumayo naman ng kaonti ang binata dahil sa reklamo niya pero hinapit nito ang baywang niya kaya mas sobrang lapit at mas dikit na sila sa isa't isa. "So, sino siya? She looks familiar." Curious na tanong nito at hindi pa rin binibigyan pansin ang nakakamatay niyang tingin.

Madiin na napapikit si Alisha para pakalmahin ang sarili, para kasing walang narinig ang binata sa sinabi niya. "Watch your hands. Get that off me." madiin niyang saad habang pilit na ngumingiti dahil sa mga matang nakatutok sa kanila.

"You know that we can't. We have too many eyes on us." Sagot ng binata at pilit din na nakangiti. "Hindi pwedeng parehas tayong pumalya."

"Ano ba kasi, hindi ba pwedeng kailangan lang natin ng free time, ganoon? Kailangan ba lagi tayo magkadikit? Please lang, yung kamay mo, puputulin ko yan." nananakot na aniya. "At bakit ba sobrang invest ka malaman about kay Rebecca? Do you have crush on her or something?" pangaasar niya pa dito.

Idinaan na lang ng binata sa tawa ang sagot na tila silang dalawa ay nagkakatuwaan. "Mangilabot ka nga sa sinasabi mo." Mahinang asik din nito sa kaniya.

Alisha, on the other hand, simply pinched the cheek of Reuz like they were having some sweet moments, pero madiing pagkurot ang ginawa niya para lang makaganti sa lalaki. "Fine, fine." She admitted her defeat and answered. "Remember the files you sent last time? About the people that were close to Alisha? She was one of them. And it seems like all of the information on it was pretty accurate."

Napansin ni Alisha ang unti-unting walaan ng mga guess. They probably went already to the reception area. Ang mga natira na lang ay mga pribadong tauhan ni Reuz kaya naman pwede na silang magusap ng maayos.

Napaisip saglit si Reuz kung sino doon ang tinutukoy ng dalaga. "—oh, yeah! Was it the woman who do plastic surgery as her hobby?"

Napahinto saglit si Alisha bago napahalakhak. "Seriously, dude? Ayan lang natandaan mo sa kaniya? At bakit iyan pa? Haha!" Wala siyang pake kung ang tingin sa kaniya ng mga nakakarinig ay weirdo. Gusto niya lang talaga tumawa ng malakas ng mga oras na iyon. Mangiyak-ngiyak na siya habang tumatawa.

Umirap ni Reuz sa kaniya, medyo namumula ang tenga dahil sa kahihiyan. "Okay, stop now. Need na natin pumunta sa reception area bago pa may mabuong kaganapan na wala namang katotohanan doon." Maarteng sabi nito saka umaktong lalabas na ng simbahan pero hinila siya ng dalaga pabalik.

"Bakit pa tayo pupunta doon?" Nagtatakang tumingin si Reuz sa kaniya but she just grinned playfully. "—we can just ditch 'em and go home now."

"IT'S A GOOD THING that we just ditched the receptions." Maligayang sambit ni Reuz habang busy magempake ng damit.

Alisha just smiled at Reuz's silly reaction. After they both ditched the people who attended their wedding, they are here, busy packing their clothes for their honeymoon.

Nakaupo lang si Alisha sa kama habang sumisimsim ng wine. Aalis sila bukas ng umaga para sa honeymoon na talaga namang pinaghandaan pa ng pamilya ni Reuz. Well, he was their favorite child after all.

"Hindi mo ba itatanong kung anong excuse ang sinabi ko?" She said, then smirked at him when he looks at her with confused expression.

"What? What excuse?"

"Your mom—I mean mother called earlier habang nasa banyo ka. She asked where the hell we are since we just disappeared all of the sudden. Guess what I told her..." Alisha grinned playfully. "I told her mauuna na tayong maghoneymoon. And, she happily agreed! See? Best excuse to use! Haha!"

Napatayo si Reuz habang nanlilisik ang mata na tumingin sa kaniya. "Yuck! Mandiri ka nga Alisha!" Kita niya kung gaano literal na diri sa mukha ng binata pero napahinto siya saglit sa pagbanggit nito ng pangalan niya.

"Alisha? Do I look like I'm wearing a mask right now?"