Love Me or Hate Me

EPISODE 12

Asa’s entire crew stayed at his condo for the rest of the day. Nang sumapit na ang gabi ay um-order pa si Amanda ng sandamakmak na pagkain para sa celebration kuno nila.

“What in the world are we even celebrating?” Asa snapped at his stylist.

“Well, I feared that Javi might run away if he learned about what happened to Miguel. I’m just glad that he still chose to stay with us. He is so unlike all the other alphas who immediately folded with just a little threat from Adam,” Amanda replied.

“Whatever. I’m gonna go take a bath. Kayo na muna ang bahala kay AJ,” sabi ni Asa.

“I guess hindi ko na ‘to itatago pa sa ‘yo,” sabi naman ni Tommy kay Javi. “May mga taong nagbabantay sa nanay at kapatid mo. Pinapasundan din kita minsan lalo kung lumalabas ka.”

“Is that really necessary?” Javi asked him.

“Ikaw na ang nagsabi na mag-iingat ka para kay Sir Asa at AJ, ‘di ba? This is just part of our plan to keep you safe. We know what Adam is capable of. Besides, by keeping you safe, Sir Asa’s safety will also be protected. It’s not just about you,” replied Tommy.

The young alpha just nodded.

“Well, ano ba ang sumagi sa isip mo noong nalaman mo ang nangyari kay Miguel?” tanong naman sa kanya ni Lino.

“Syempre po natakot din ako. Judging from the way he treated me in the restaurant, inakala ko nang hindi mabait na tao si Adam. After hearing Miguel’s story, I realized that he’s more than just a bad person. Of course I’m afraid for myself and my family, but I could never leave Asa and AJ alone. If anything, they need me now more than ever,” Javi replied.

Amanda just stared at him dreamily. “Asa is such a lucky bitch. If you had been a beta, I would’ve ditched Lino a long time ago to—”

Hindi na natapos pa ni Amanda ang sasabihin niya dahil binatukan na siya ni Lino.

“I’m curious, but what was Asa like during the time when he’s still working at the network? Ilang taon din siyang nagtiis na magtrabaho roon, ‘di ba?” tanong ni Javi sa apat.

Harold, who’s currently carrying baby AJ, chuckled lightly. “Dati pong nagtatrabaho ang nanay ko bilang kasambahay ng pamilya ni Asa. I’ve known him for a long time. Before he started working at the network, he’s actually really gentle and sweet. I’m a little older than him, kaya madalas akong sabihan ng parents niya na bantayan siya. Doon kami naging close. In fact, ako po ang unang naging miyembro ng crew niya mula nang mag-artista siya,” sabi nito.

“Even when he was still new to show business, he was really passionate and hardworking. He was eager to learn and always listened to the advice of the veterans that he worked with. Mabilis siyang sumikat hindi lang dahil sa apelyido niya, pero dahil na rin sa bilis niyang matuto at dedikasyon niya sa trabaho.”

“Unfortunately, ever since he broke up with Adam, doon na po nagbago ang ugali niya. He became a lot more careful with people. Hindi na siya basta-bastang nagtitiwala kung kanino lang. He became notorious for his attitude and personality. A lot of people resented him for that. Hindi kasi nila alam ang rason kung bakit naging ganoon si Sir Asa. I might sound biased, but it was never his fault why he became who he is today,” Harold added.

“Yeah. I blame Adam,” Amanda said.

Harold sighed wearily. “After breaking up with Adam, Sir Asa did everything he can to make things difficult for the network. . .”

“What do you mean?”

The four chuckled meaningfully. “Let’s just say that he entered a rebellious phase,” Tommy said with a meaningful grin. Si Amanda naman ay biglang naghalungkat sa isang drawer.