Chapter 3: Trap

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“Why are you here?” Jace asked Sierra. Mahigpit pa rin nitong hapit ang babae sa baywang habang halos naggigitgitan ang mga ngipin.

“Are you surprised? I’m here for our engagement, Jace,” sagot ni Sierra. Pilit niyang itinatago ang panghihina sa presensiya nito. She was pressed against him in a compromising way at sumasagot sa init nito ang katawan niya. Hindi nakatutulong na naaamoy niya ito, nadarama. “Don’t you have a copy of our invitation?”

Nakita niyang nagtiim ang lalaki. But she could also see his dilated pupils and the pulsating vein in his neck. He might be feeling the same way she was feeling. True, she hates this man. But he is fucking Julian Clyde Cavanaugh. Only he could awaken this damn electrifying effect on her.

“You are not Gracie,” madiing sabi nito.

“Thank God for that, huh?”

Binitiwan siya ng lalaki. She straightened her back to keep her balance despite her weak knees.

“Is everything alright, Jace?” tanong ni Lola Clementine sa lalaki. Palitan ang tingin nito sa kanilang dalawa habang may pag-aalala sa mukha.

Ngumiti siya nang ubod ng tamis sa matanda. “He just missed me so much, Lola.”

Nagdilim ang anyo ng hari sa narinig at mabigat siyang inakbayan. “Excuse us, Lola. I have to talk to her before we start whatever this is,” anito at iginiya siyang humakbang.

Sa halip na manlaban ay humilig siya kay Jace at idinikit ang palad niya sa sikmura nito. She enjoyed his tensed muscles and his almost labored breathing. They walked back inside the hotel.

Lahat ng madaanan nila ay binabati sila. Ngiti ang sagot ni Sierra sa mga ito. Pinipilit niyang hindi mabakas sa mukha ang tensyon na umiikot sa tiyan.

“You look grim for someone who will be engaged tonight. Smile, love. They might doubt our love if you keep that dark expression,” tudyo niya rito at hinaplos ang sikmura nito.

Humigpit ang hawak nito sa braso niya bilang sagot. Nagmadali ang malalaking paghakbang. Nang makapasok sila sa inupahang sitting room sa hotel ay ibinalya ni Jace ang pinto. Kasabay ng pagsara niyon ang pagbitiw nito sa kanya.

“Where is Gracie?” sa magkasalubong na kilay ay tanong nito.

Kumapit siya sa long couch para sa nawawala pa ring balanse. “She’s somewhere safe but definitely, out of your reach. It’s a waste of time to dig for details, love. Why don’t we go back to our engagement party and get this over with?”

Nagdilim ang anyo nito. “Our engagement party? You’re not the girlfriend, Sierra.”

Iyon ang alam nito. Sierra anticipated telling him the news herself. “Oh. Everyone here knows otherwise, Jace.”

Nagsukatan sila ng tingin.

“You are taking me lightly. Do you think you could manipulate everyone into believing your story—whatever that is?” anito.

“I already did manipulate everything, love. My story is the only story they know about.” Dahil mukhang hindi pa rin ito kumbinsido, “I painstakingly prepared for years just for this night, Jace,” nakangiting sabi niya, savoring the puzzled look on his face. “Have you been to the mansion? Did you see our pictures together in New York? Our trip to the Grand Canyon last fall? Our rendezvous in Rio?”

She carefully watched his expression, but he wouldn’t crack easily.

Jace constantly sends emails and pictures to Reagan and Clementine Cavanaugh about his whereabouts for the last three years. He had been to places with Gracie for the last six months. To fabricate her story, she gained access to all of his contacts—emails, phone numbers, P.O. boxes. Fortunately for her, Jace was never the expressive type with his fleeting affairs with every woman in New York and Vegas. Unfortunately for Jace, Sierra knew how to play her cards. She manipulated information. Pictures were photoshopped. Emails were intercepted and copied before getting deleted, then sent to his grandparents using a different account. Phone calls seldom got through. Videos were always corrupted. At dahil nasa magkaibang timezone ang mga ito at lagi ring busy, bibihira silang magkausap.

No one knows about Gracie. Sa pang-unawa ng lahat, ang babaeng karelasyon ni Jace, kasama nito sa lahat ng trips, at balak nitong pakasalan ay siya—si Sierra De Guia.

When the truth—or the lie, rather—dawned on him, humalakhak si Sierra.

“You haven’t seen any of it, huh? They’re works of art, love. Even you would believe that we were together in all those places, in love all over again!”

Lalong nagdilim ang mukha nito. “I have the original photos, love.”

“Futile effort. No one knows about a certain Graciela Sandoval here. You should have screwed a woman who still has roots in the country instead of someone whose closest family migrated to Mexico. Or you could have returned home first before deciding to get engaged. Since you failed to do both, for two years now since your residence in New York, I am the only fianceé they know about.”

Tumaas nang bahagya ang kilay nito. “Two years?”

“Yes. We were in a relationship for the last two years, Jace. Last year, we broke up because of your affair with a doctor—you broke my heart, but I forgave you. Earlier this year, we reconciled. You followed me to Broadway, where I stayed for a season, then we lived together in New York. I just got back here three days ago to prepare for this engagement.”

Natahimik si Jace sa bersyon ng kuwento na alam ng lahat ng tao maliban dito.

“How about my colleagues and friends in New York? They know about Gracie and me.”

“What about them? They could testify that you have had a relationship with Gracie for the last six months, but you would only appear unfaithful to me if that gets revealed. I will shed a tear as a naive and brokenhearted girlfriend. And I will win everyone’s sympathy.”

Humalukipkip ito. Ni hindi niya mabasa sa mukha kung ano’ng damdamin sa naririnig sa kanya. But he was far from looking threatened.

“And,” patuloy ni Sierra, “if you deny me or tell them I’m lying, who would believe you? Am I not the only girl you would throw like garbage, Jace?”

Kumunot ang noo nito. Nakatingin sa kanya na parang reaksyon naman niya ang pinag-aaralan.

“No.”

“Exactly. If you would go after testimonies to prove your relationship with Gracie, there are far more obsessive women in your life who could testify and claim you, too. There’s a line into your queen’s throne, love.”

Nagtagis ang bagang nito. “Seems like you’ve got everything planned out.”

Ngiti ang isinagot niya rito.

“You flatter me with your elaborate plan, Miss De Guia. But why would you want to be engaged to me? Don’t you hate me?”

Tumayo siya nang tuwid at sinalubong ang mata nito. May amnesia yata ang lalaki sa mga nangyari sa pagitan nila. Years ago, she told him she would collect his debt.

“I don’t hate you, love,” aniya. “Hate is shallow. I loathe you.”

A mix of amusement and darkness crossed his face. Nagtaas ng bahagya ang isang kilay nito. “Loathe? Hence, the effort to kidnap Gracie and take her place just to trap me into marriage.”

“Exactly,” sagot niya. “You owe me a lot. I will be collecting your debts, Jace.”

He looked like she struck the wrong chord. “Debts? There is nothing to collect, Sierra,” may diin sa bawat salita na sagot nito.

Humakbang siya nang isa palapit. Tumingala rito. “Oh. Just how loathsome could you be, Julian?” She knew she had to keep her cool in dealing with the jerk, but she is rarely cool about anything. She is a De Guia—she calls for war if needed. “Have you forgotten what you did to me ten years ago?”

Nakababa ang mukha ng lalaki sa kanya. “I discard petty things, Sierra.”

“I’m not surprised. Nonetheless, I will make you pay.”

“You’re wasting your time.”

“I don’t mind.”

Nakakulong sa isa’t isa ang paningin nila. Naggigirian.

“I will ask you again: Where is Gracie?”

Sumisirko ang hormones niya sa buwisit sa lalaki. At malapit nang tumikwas ang middle finger niya sa bullshit na mga bagay na inuuna nitong hanapin. “Oh. Are you worried about her? Because you shouldn’t be. She’s safe as long as we get married.”

“I don’t even want to be engaged to you. Why would I marry you?”

“Because like I told you, Gracie is safe as long as you marry me.”

Nag-igting sa pagkakatiim ang panga nito. “Are you telling me that you will kill a woman just to be my wife?”

“I would kill anyone for all the right reasons, Jace. I am capable of a lot of things. Don’t test me. It’s pretty ugly when things don’t go my way.”

“Anything just to get me, huh?”

“Anything just to collect.”

“So if I announced that I don’t want to be engaged right now, would you kill her right away?”

“Not necessarily right away. Killing her is my last resort.”

“You have other cards to pull? Surprise me with your plan, then.”

“Oh, you will be, Jace. So don’t push through with the nonsense. Just accept your fate with me. It will be fun.”

Mata sa mata silang nagsukatan.

“Yeah. I think being married to you will be fun,” anito bago mapanuring ibinaba ang mata sa leeg niya, sa dibdib, sa maliit na baywang, at sa mga paa.

Nararamdaman niya ang paghagod at paggala ng mata nito sa buong katawan niya. Wala sa loob niyang napagdikit ang hita.

Nang magbalik ang paningin nito sa kanya ay may magneto at uhaw sa mata nito na hindi niya alam kung paano tititigan. She braved against it anyway. She wouldn’t let herself be preyed upon by the jerk.

“Why are you suddenly tensed, Sierra?” anito sa mababang tinig. Bahagyang ngumiti.

Lihim siyang napalunok. The jerk was hotter than his recent pictures—way hotter than her memories of him. She could see him enjoying making her weak.

She’s being preyed upon.

“Why the tension, love?” anito at lumapit pa. Gumagala ang mata sa buong mukha niya. Naaamoy niya ang mabango at mainit na hininga.

She hissed at him. Hindi niya mailayo ang mukha rito.

“You won’t be able to collect and have fun with all that tension, love,” anito pa. Nakatitig sa labi niya.

“You don’t know that,” aniya at sinalubong ang mata nito.

His face inched closer. His lips almost touched hers.

“I do, Sierra. I sense your tension and your heat. I know your body more than you do, and it’s screaming for my touch the moment you appear into that glass door in the garden.”

“Pure conceit,” halos anas na sabi niya rito. “I’ve had better lovers, Jace.”

“I doubt that. You’re excited for me, love,” tudyo nito sa labi niya. “And not wearing a bra underneath that dress is not helping you hide it.” Idinikit nito nang kaunti ang katawan eksakto sa tuktok ng dibdib niya. His suit lightly rubbed her scandalous peaks.

She shivered with the contact. Kahit kailan, kahinaan niya ang nipples niya! Mapapahamak pa siya ngayon dahil sa u***g?!

Napabuga siya ng hangin. Ngumisi naman ang hari ng mga talipandas.

“I know what you want to do, Sierra. If you’re all set on making my life a living hell, I will take your fire with me. But we won’t burn together because I don’t touch what I loathe, I don’t give satisfaction to mere filth, and I don’t serve my slaves.” He smirked at her with darkness in his eyes.“And you are a loathsome, filthy slave. You will have nothing to collect from me.”

“Do that, love,” hindi nagpapatalong sabi niya rito. “Stand by your high and mighty words. Keep your fucking guard up.” Inilapit pa niya ang labi niya sa labi nito. “Let’s see who touches who first. Let’s see who will burn.”

Nang makontento siya sa pagbabanta rito gamit ang kanyang mga mata ay tumalikod siya sa lalaki. #