"Having cold feet?" Magnus asked on the other line.
She's staring at the garden below filled with beautiful blooming flowers. The Queen's garden. She's currently in Benjamin Palace.
"I'm insulted. I'm always cold, Magnus, not just my feet." Nakasimangot na sagot niya kahit hindi siya nito nakikita.
"That's why you're bound to marry me because I can make you hot."
Hihirit pa talaga. Tsk. Ikakasal na nga sila't lahat palagi pa nitong pinapaalala kung gaano ka perpektong ideya ang pagpapakasal nila.
"Disgusting." She grimaced.
"I know. I'm puking right now." Magnus counteract with sarcasm.
Hindi talaga papatalo.
"Tss. Is everything prepared? I want a perfect wedding." Pag-iiba niya sa usapan at isinara ang kurtina para tumungo sa kama.
"I tripled the security so no one will interfere. Kisses said everything is all set, we'll just wait for tomorrow." Sabi ni Magnus.
She hummed in satisfaction. Even tho they married for convenience, she still want their wedding perfect and best. Even tho she just want it simple back then, she wanted a good wedding.
"What are you doing?" Magnus asked after the long silence.
Natigilan siya sa tanong nito. Akala niya ay tatapusin na nito ang tawag but surprisingly, Magnus asked her instead.
"Sitting in the bed. Just got done with body massage." She said and stretched her arm.
That was a good massage. After long hellish week trying to get her job done so that she's free two days for her wedding made her reconsider honeymoon just to have a little rest because she has been overworked.
"Body massage, huh?" Magnus asked with a teasing tone.
Agad na nag-init ang pisngi niya ng maalala ang huling mainit na tagpo nila ng binata. She tried so hard to forget about it but it keeps haunting on her dreams that sometimes she did not sleep at all to avoid dreaming it. What have Magnus done to her?
"Shut up." She hissed.
"Hmm. Which body massage do you love more?" He coldly teased even more.
"Magnus, isa." Banta niya.
"It's just an innocent question." Magnus shrugged on the other line.
She tsk-ed and lay on the bed. Nanatili ang cellphone niya malapit sa kanyang tenga. It actually surprise her that they exceed 5 minutes talking to each other in phone.
"Innocent, my ass. You always hit me with your corny green jokes and it made me think how did you manage to hide your pervert side with your cold aura. Two-face cunt." She coldly hissed.
War mode is on.
"I'm not fucking pervert. And two-face cunt? Such a good profanity coming from perfect lady boss." Malamig na bato nito pabalik.
"I'm perfect, I know." She state as if that's the only thing that matters to her based on what he said.
Magnus tsk-ed in disagreement. Tumikwas ang isang kilay niya sa reaksyon nito.
"You think so highly of yourself but you always end up underneath me, begging for pleasure."
Napaupo siya ng wala sa oras at agad na sumiklab ang apoy sa katawan.
"B-begging?! Huh! I did not!" Mariing galit na tanggi niya dito.
Oo nga't nasarapan siya pero hindi naman niya naalalang nagmakaawa siya dito, ah! Kung may pagkakataon mang makakaramdam siya ng matinding pagnanasa, she has high self control so that she can't beg to that arrogant bastard.
"Defensive."
Mas lalong nag-init ang ulo niya sa sinabi nito. Even the color from her cheeks scattered on her neck.
"Don't piss me right now or I'll marry a dead body tomorrow." Malamig na banta niya rito.
"Hmm. Even of I'm lifeless, you still wanna marry me, huh? I didn't know that you're that greedy."
Damn it. Kailan ba titigil ang malamig na pang-aasar ni Magnus? She feels like pissing her off is an amusement to him.
"Of course. It just mean that your power will gonna be mine and I'm the most powerful in the industry." She said cruelly.
She's heartless when it comes to business. Actually she consider that idea, killing Magnus. Pero mukhang alam naman ng lahat kung sino ang primary suspect dahil siya naman palagi ang nakakaaway ng binata. She might be powerful but if the Sebastian will try to put her behind jail, they can do that.
"Turn off now, Sebastian?" Pukaw niya sa katahimikan ng binata.
Mahina itong napamura.
"Fuck, no. I'm fucking turn on, Mrs. Sebastian." He hissed huskily on the other line.
Nanumbalik ang init sa kanyang pisngi sa sinabi nito.
"Imagine, waking up everyday with the high chance of getting stab by your wife and sleeping everything with the thought that my wife might choke me to death. Isn't that the sweetest?" There's no sarcasm in his voice. Tila nagustuhan talaga nito ang ideya.
Crazy Sebastian.
"May problema ka talaga sa utak, Sebastian. Tsk."
"And you're the problem." Agad na rebat nito pabalik.
"How can I be a problem to your brain when you don't even have one?" Malamig na pagsusungit niya dito.
"If I don't have one, I won't able manipulate the wise lady boss to marry me." He said wickedly.
"I can back out you know." Malamig na biro niya.
"Hmm, but will you?" He challenged.
Natahimik naman siya.
Habang papalapit ng papalapit ang kasal, she repeatedly think if she did the right choice. She still have one day to back out. Mataas pa na oras kung tutuusin. She can fly abroad and hide there for a little while.
But the question is, will she do it?
"Make sure to look good tomorrow." She answer instead.
MAGNUS smile slowly form on his lips on Hera's respond. He relaxed his body and lean on the pool's stairs. His half brothers look at him as if he grow another head.
"Nakangiti siya?" Mox whispered on Max trying not to forget to speak Tagalog. Nakita niya kasing taxi ang gamit ni Max papunta dito.
"Hindi ka naman bulag, pre?" Bulong pabalik ni Max.
More glared at Max. Ngumisi lang ang nakababatang kapatid. Sebastian in the same room is chaotic, unfortunately not in funny way like Benjamins.
Awkward in the air is obvious. Lalo pa't pinatawag lang sila ni Magnus dahil kasal nito. Kahit ayaw ay walang magagawa dahil sa dugong Sebastian nila. Ikaw ba naman tutukan ng baril ng mga tauhan ni Magnus mapilitan ka lang na puntahan ang mansion ng Sebastian.
All of them are silent. Magnus is the reason why they are here and Magnus is always silent, so what do you expect? They're also silent.
Nilaro-laro ni More ang yelo sa baso niya habang may pinipigilang ngisi sa labi. Si Max ang gusto niyang asarin para naman magka-ingay sila, isa rin 'tong siraulo, eh.
"Psst!" Sitsit ni More kay Max at sinabuyan ito ng tubig.
"Tang na juice--- nalagyan ng tubig ang alak!" Max whined and pour his liquor on the pool.
"Hey! Nilagyan mo ng alak ang tubig!" Reklamo ni Mint at sinabuyan ng tubig si Max.
"Ay, wow, pinagtulungan niyo ko? Ito'ng sa inyo!" Max said and splash them bigger waves.
Nabasa silang dalawa sa mukha ni Mint. Agad na gumanti ang dalawa kaya pati si Mox na nasa tabi ni Max ay nabasa.
"Ouch! My eyes!" Mox gasped.
"Nag-i-english ka?" Max eyes form into slit at sinabuyan si Mox habang sinasabuyan ni Mint at More.
"H-hey---I mean, H-hoy! Kakampi tayo!" Mox blocked his arms on his face.
Magnus brows knotted when as his smile vanished seeing his siblings splashing water like a freaking kid.
"Magnus? Still there?" Pukaw ni Hera sa kabilang linya.
"Yeah. There's just kids on my pool." He respond.
Napapikit siya ng may tumalsik na tubig sa kanyang mukha. Magnus wipe that water off and glared at the four that immediately stop moving when he got hit by the water.
"Kids? Your kids?" Even if Magnus can't see Hera, he knew his fiancé is frowning.
"Why? Were you pregnant by me back then?" He playfully said even tho there's coldness on his voice to let her know that he's not please of her accusation.
Oo nga't may anak ang ama niya sa iba't-ibang babae but hell never follow his father's footsteps. Kahit ang ina niya ay sinabihan siya na huwag ng gumamit ng babae kung hindi naman niya asawa para maiwasan na makabuntis siya ng iba.
"Bakit? Nakakabuntis ba ang pang-iinis mo sa 'kin dati?" Nakasimangot na tanong nito.
A small chuckle can't help to escape from his lips. So he managed to get into the cold strict lady boss' nerve before, huh? Even tho he keeps winning on the debate, hindi pa rin kasi nagbabago ang reaksyon nito.
The bastards' sighed in relief when seeing Magnus let them passed. Buti na lang at kausap nito si Hera.
"Kasalanan mo, eh!" More hissed and held Max head to dip it in the water.
"Your fault, too!" Mox hissed in English taking advantage that Max' head is underwater. Hinawakan rin nito ang ulo ni More at nilublob sa tubig.
Alam ni Mint na siya ang susunod i-lulublob ni Mox kaya ininunahan niya si Mox. Max hand raised above the surface to get Mint's head to drown him, too.
"Is that the reason why you hate me?" He asked while looking at the clear sky. Still didn't notice how his four siblings try to drown each other.
"Just a part. Your existence is I hate the most." Mataray na sagot nito.
"Why would you hate someone that exist for you?" He asked.
"Magnus are you being real right now or you're just telling me cheesy line to annoy me?" She hissed.
Tumaas ang sulok ng labi niya sa sinabi nito. How he loves to pay just to see her annoyed face right now but he can't because of damn tradition.
"What do you think?" He teased.
"Are you in love with me? Is that the reason why you marry me?" Diretsang tanong nito, wala ng paligoy-ligoy pa.
"Love? Is that even part of our vocabulary, wife? I married you because love is out of our vocabulary." Sagot niya dito.
Hera sighed in relief. He said the right words that would satisfy her.
"Good. Because loving me is like loving an ice. You receive nothing but coldness." Malamig na saad nito.
"I know. That's why we suit each other because I'm cold, too. We won't melt each other, we won't be each other's downfall." He agrees.
"Right? So...I'll see you in the altar?" Her voice because low on her last sentence.
A ghost smile creep on his lips.
"See you...and let me hear your I do." He bid his farewell.
Pinatay ni Hera ang tawag. Doon na hinanap ng mata niya ang kapatid at naabutan niyang nakalublob ang ulo sa tubig habang hawak ang ulo ng katabi. And their nape is red, meaning it has been more than seconds they're underwater.
"What the...fuck." He muttered in disbelief.
Doon na nagsiahon ang mga ulo ng apat. Rinig niya ang malalakas na paglanghap ng hangin ng mga ito.
"Tangina niyo!" Mura ni Max.
Lumingon siya sa tauhan niyang nasa tabi. Agad na umalisto ito papalapit sa kanya ng mapansin ang kanyang titig.
"Drain the fucking pool now." Galit na utos niya at umahon.
Agad na namutla ang apat ng marinig ang galit na tinig niya.
Four idiots! Kung hindi pa natapos ang tawag ay baka nagsilutangan na ang mga katawan nito.
Fuck. They're worse than the Benjamin men.