1- "To trust a stranger."

HE watched the doorway of the night bar as it opened, watching the successive entry of the De Veras—one of the most famous and riches families in their society.

Oscar and Luther De Vera entered first but they were accompanied by the latter's wife who came from Manila and, as far as he knows, is now staying here in Mindanao for good. Oscar went straight to his women and had fun there. The next to enter the bar's door was Rebecca De Vera who he also heard had married a man from Manila, behind her were the sweet couple—Althea and Liam.

His eyes narrowed to Althea. He must admit, he used to have a crush on Althea. She's the exact type of what he's looking for in a girl when it comes to the physical aspect. She has long and straight hair with a hairpin on the side of her ear, a soft aura, and a kind and gentle pretty face.

He just laughed to himself and shook his head. He's crazy for laying an eye on one of their family's mortal enemies. Yes, you heard it right. The De Vera is his family's most crucial enemies, may it be in history or business, and even on political matters…

The truth is that he is not the only one who has a secret prejudice against an enemy. He remembered that he also once reprimanded his sister because he caught her approaching one of the De Veras.

"Big bro?!" Venus was shocked when he suddenly grabbed her smartphone because she was caught looking very fond of chatting with someone on her social media account.

He looked straightly at the name of the man she currently seems to enjoy exchanging a conversation with. Hayden. Hayden De Vera.

His jaw tightened. He was right about his suspicion. There was even a time he heard from his friends and Venus's friends that this little sister of his is going out and seeing one of the De Vera males.

"I already warned you about them, didn't I?" he asked sharply to Venus.

This is not the first time he has confronted her with this nonsense thing.

She bit her lower lip. "But, big bro—"

"Stop this craziness, Venus, before our parents find out about it! I'm sure as hell they wouldn't like hearing that their only daughter is having an attachment with one of the enemies," he continued warning her.

"Big bro, Hayden isn't doing anything bad—"

"But you shouldn't make friends with him! You know how restricted we are to getting along with people like them, like De Veras! They're our clan's enemies!"

Venus kept her mouth shut instead of arguing and insisting on what she believed versus what this big bro of hers believed.

"And don't forget what happened to our eldest brother Salvador when he once fell in love with a De Vera woman. What did he get at last from loving an enemy? Except for nothing, he just got his heart broken a big time!"

Venus sighed and remained silent.

"You always have to remind yourself, Venus, to protect yourself from the predators. They are not going to take us seriously, they will only break us, so we need to be mindful of who we give our hearts and our love to."

She nodded, just for peace!

"Right now, stop this nonsense and cut off any relationship you have with that De Vera boy," he said lastly then gently tapped her shoulder before returning her phone and he passed by.

Looking at these young De Veras, there is no doubt that his little sister is getting along with one of them. They're all good-looking, elite, and charismatic. Some things can not be denied from the blood that flows through them.

Salvador Florencio Jr. was the primary example of being a fool in love—his eldest brother. He once had a relationship with a De Vera. To Caitlyn De Vera, to be exact. And when their parents found out about the relationship between the two, it did not do any good in both clans. In fact, it only made a commotion between the two clans. It just worsened the conflict between the De Veras and the Florencios.

He has seen it. He has witnessed it. How his older brother Salvador fought his love for Caitlyn De Vera way back in those days, but it ended up that the silly De Vera left his brother so dumbfounded and heartbroken. Caitlyn was able to move on immediately, found someone else to replace her brother, and got married soon after leaving her older brother alone and miserable. On the other side, Salvador's still trapped by that painful past.

Yes, that's how cruel the De Veras are. They are so cruel and ruthless when it comes to making the enemies fall into their charms, and then leave them behind, afterward!

"Rebecca is boldly beautiful! If I were her husband, I would never let her sleep at night!" One of his perverted friends said maliciously while looking at the most rebellious and wild woman in the De Vera clan. Rebecca De Vera.

His friends laughed, and he just grinned. It's true. Rebecca De Vera has been known to be a rebel, wild, and boldest among the De Vera girls of their generation, especially when she was still in her teenage years. She only changed a bit now that she got married.

Now, his gaze turned to Althea and watched her from this far. She is currently sitting near the bar counter and seems to be having fun with her husband's company. These lovebirds seem to be so much in love with each other.

Althea is, indeed, the gem of their clan. She's the most unique among them all. Her beauty is not so charming nor seductive, but she is attractive in her way, though. She's, in fact, the prettiest. As mentioned earlier, her aura seems to be kind, and her face is gentle. Fragile. Vulnerable. The type that needs to be taken care of by whoever handles her because she will be easily broken into pieces. That's the effect of her innocent and fragile-looking beauty.

He smirked to himself. He admitted that this De Vera once caught his attention, and he had a petty crush on Althea, but fortunately, he did not take any steps to get close to her and level up that petty crush he once had for her. He was content to just look at her from afar, and she didn't even know he existed. Maybe if he had pursued her before, he now might be like his brother Salvador—brokenhearted and left alone behind.

After Salvador, now comes their youngest sibling and their only sister, their only little girl in the family. Venus. Their most precious Venus Florencio, who also seems to be falling with one of the De Vera's charmers. Hayden De Vera.

He clenched his fist tightly. He knows that this asshole De Vera is just playing and fooling around with his sister. There is an agenda of making her fall for his charisma and soon leaves her with nothing aside from a lonely and broken heart.

But Venus—his sister is just so dear to him. She's the only rose in their family. Vulnerable. He will do whatever it takes for Venus not to go through the pain that Saldavor went through at the hands of a cruel De Vera. He will never let a De Vera lay a finger on a Florencio ever again, especially not with their precious Venus Florencio this time. He will die first, or else, he may kill first before that happens again. He will protect his family and his loved ones, specifically from their mortal enemies!

"Olivia Cristine!" exclaimed Luther De Vera's wife to the newcomer who had just entered at the door of the bar.

And he laid an eye on the head-turner who had just entered. Yeah. Yeah, it's Olivia Cristine De Vera. The second wildest girl of the De Vera clan.

She walked and passed by men who were admiring her and almost going down on their knees just to catch her attention.

Every walk of the newcomer makes the men stop and stare at her. She's breathtakingly gorgeous. Her hair is long and straight, with the right strand attached to the back of her ear, while the left strand is naturally loosened and the left side of its cheek is somewhat covered. And that is what makes her more beautiful. Not blond, no wearing of any hair color or wig, all naturally black and thin straight. It goes hand in hand with every step of the way, with every swing of her hip. She has the same vibe as those Victoria's Secret angels because of her model-like walk, like she's on a runway. Not to mention, it was not intentional. The poise was natural, and her confidence says it all.

Olivia kissed her female cousins on their cheeks as her way of greeting.

He couldn't stop himself from staring at her from head to toe. He has nothing to criticize. It runs in the blood... The complexion is the usual color of the De Vera. Milk-typed skin color and smooth. Tall and thin. Olivia's beauty is also justified by its simple plain navy green sleeved crop top dyed with a beige-colored cocktail skirt followed by beige toe-length boots and a black purse on the hand.

Althea grinned at her cousin after kissing her and then gave her a glass of liquor she had just ordered at the counter. It looked like it was made especially for this newcomer. Olivia smiled at Althea as she accepted the drink and took it without moderation.

The man, on the other hand, that's watching everything tightly, held the wine glass in his hand and drank it directly without taking his eyes off the newly arrived De Vera girl.

They're the epitome of perfect beauties. From head to toe. Especially that freakin 'Olivia, who currently makes his pants wet and causes his thing to erect in between his legs. He started fantasizing about having her soft hands tied into his bed, caressing her smooth legs, squeezing her breasts with his bare metallic hands, licking her neck with his wet lips, and ravishing her mouth. These thoughts drive him insane, and they make him want to crush her right then and right here, right now!

He even imagined himself being the one that Olivia is currently dancing on the dance floor. Her arms are wrapped into his neck while he is crushing her lips with his and massaging her butt with his hands.

Olivia is a combination of what Rebecca and Althea are. At first glance, you'll think Olivia is kind of modest because of her innocent-looking face, but she's as wild and as bold as her cousin Rebecca can. A face of an angel but as bold and wild as an evil. That's Olivia Cristine De Vera's effect.

And no. He will never fall in love with one of them. NEVER EVER.

***

OLIVIA is starting to get annoyed with her current fling on the dance floor because of his hand movements toward the delicate parts of her body. Chris is already getting beyond her limits, and she doesn't like it. Yes, she may be liberated, but it doesn't mean she permits any stranger to get into her and touch her everywhere in her body.

Getting annoyed, she tried pushing the man, but he was like an iron that didn't even move. She repeated pushing him, this time with force, so he almost fell into other dancers in the bar. They got annoyed because they were minorly disturbed by that sudden motion from him. She simply rolled her eyes and left the pervert.

She even heard him apologize to those who he collided with before he followed her, walking out.

"Olivia! Oliv!" He was getting frustrated following her and calling her name.

She ignored him and pretended as if she heard nothing. He was crossing the line, and she didn't like it!

As soon as she came out of the bar's door, she was horrified when suddenly someone pulled her, bringing her into the darkness of the night. "Oh my gosh!"

When she tried to look at the man behind her, he covered her mouth to keep her quiet and prevent her from shouting. That was the moment she realized this man had just helped her hide from Chris.

"Hssssh..." the man whispered in the dark while one hand was still covering her mouth and the other arm was hugging her from behind.

And strange as it feels that in the dark, she feels safe in the arms of this stranger. Why?

"Olivia! Where the fuck are you!"

Eventually, Chris gave up on looking for her, so he went back inside the bar. After that, she was released by the stranger who helped her and almost saved her from Chris.

This area was dark, so she could not see the man's face, but all she knew was he was so much taller than she was.

"Thank you," she uttered, not exactly knowing what to say.

"Feels like you're not enjoying him, huh," he said, smirking.

She just nodded in response because he had hit the point. She no longer enjoys Chris's company because he touches her, and she doesn't permit anyone to touch her, especially her sensitive parts.

"Do you want a drink?" she asked the man in the dark.

She heard him smile. 

"What for?"

"A simple way of thanking you, maybe, for saving me?" she said cutely, unsure of what she was doing.

"Well, I want to, but I worry that that man will bother you again if we go back inside to get a drink."

She nodded. Indeed, he has a point. If they go back, Chris might see her again and bug her.

There was a mere long silence before she made up her mind.

"All right, thank you very much then. I'll be going now. Thank you again."

"Going home already?" he asked.

She nodded and searched for her car. "Yeah."

"Let me drive you home," he offered while following her.

She faced him though she still couldn't clearly see his face.

"I do not know you, but this has been the second time you've been kind to me tonight. By the way, I brought my car."

"Will it be too much to ask if, instead of a drink, you'll let me drive you home in exchange for helping you earlier?"

She heard humor in his tone, maybe also unsure of what he was saying or offering her.

She thought about the offer. Is it really too much? Well, as far as she knows, she can still think well because she is not drunk. Except for a glass of Margarita that Althea handed her earlier, she did not remember anything else she drank after that single drink.

A kindness after another act of kindness? Ah, huh... Interesting!

Suddenly, there's something about this stranger that interests and excites her. Whatever his intentions were, she could sense the sincerity in his offer.

"Well, okay. Let me just leave the key to my car first to the guard so that my brother,  Luther, can use it later on his way home. Now, I'll be going with you and let you give me a drive home."

He smiled. "Good idea."

And she ended up hopping inside his car. She was so surprised to see how handsome this man actually looked when they were already inside, and he turned on the lights!

Breathtakingly gorgeous!

He laughed a bit but without humor and without looking at her. "What? It seems to me you saw a ghost when you finally saw my face."

"You're extremely handsome!" she honestly and seriously exclaimed.

"Am I?"

He laughed huskily, and finally, he turned to meet her eyes.

She couldn't stop herself from staring into the depths of his eyes. Yes, he may be laughing with humor, but there's more about his eyes than that. She could not figure out what it was, but it was as if they were dark and mysterious.

He started the engine, and still, she could not take her eyes off him.

A man in his full black suit and tie. Handsome, so handsome! And mysterious…

"Which way, huh, Miss De Vera? To your home?" he asked without breaking his gaze on the road.

She was shocked to hear that this man actually knew her!

"You know me?"

He turned to her, and then he grinned. The way he grinned made her shiver all over her body. 

There's really something about him that she couldn't seem to figure out what!

"Who wouldn't know the famous and gorgeous, Olivia.Cristine.De.Vera?" he said as if emphasizing her full name.

He seems to really know her! She suddenly feels uneasy and conscious and starts to get anxious. What else does this man know about her? Is he some stalker, or what?

She managed to calm still and relax, trying her very best to hide the fright that was starting to fill her whole being. "Alright. I'll show you the way to my home."

"Okay," he answered, focusing his eyes on the road again.

Time by time, the man turns to her and stares at her exposed legs. She could see the lust in his eyes.

He smirked all of a sudden. "Are you feeling nervous?"

"Huh? Uhmm—"

"Chill. I don't eat women alive."

Now, Olivia's starting to question herself in her head. Is it right that she immediately trusted a man she barely knew and even went with him to drive her home just because he saved her from annoying Chris? But this man seems to be all-knowing about her! Who is he?

She was even more disturbed by her thoughts when she came to realize that the man was deviating from the path she was pointing to him.

"Uhm, excuse me, but I guess you're going in the wrong direction," she said politely, trying to sound still nice to maintain her composure and without giving him a hint that she was really starting to feel scared.

He did not answer. He just chuckled. A kind of horrible smile with imminent danger. Who is this man, and what is he planning to do to her?!

Her fright totally dominated her when she knew he really intentionally was driving her in the wrong direction instead of the way to her home! The road is getting rough and isolated and even darker!

"This is not my way home!" she finally voiced out.

He stopped the car and looked at her, and then he grinned devilishly. He looks like a devil! A very dangerous, handsome devil she once thought she could trust for her safety!

"I know."

"Who are you?! Why are you doing this? Are you out of your mind?!" She uses an accusing tone, this time, more than an asking one.

"Do you really wanna know who I am? Darling, let me tell you— you might go crazy the moment you find out who, exactly, I am."

"Just tell me directly who you are and why you are doing this!" She almost cried out in both frustration and fright.

"Greg," he stated his name.

Greg? Not even familiar!

With a dark aura, he offered her his hand. She was hesitant at first if she would accept it, but something was pushing her to accept it, and so she did. He shook hands with her. He shook her hand hardly and firmly.

"Gregory Mikael Florencio, to be exact."

And there, she almost fainted. He is a Florencio! One of the fatal enemies of the De Vera clan!

She couldn't believe it! In just a snap of a finger, she fell into the hands of their family's mortal enemy!