Chapter 3: fool proof
I woke up to the smell of coffee accompanied by a sense of warmth and coziness from the sheets beneath me. My eyes fluttered open, at natanaw ko ang pamilyar na sulok ng silid. It was the same room I laid a few weeks ago. At gaya ng unang beses na naparito ako, there was pain on the side of my arm. Napakurap ako, and realized I was shot.
On the arm.
Not a vital spot.
What a shame. It must have been realistic if it was somewhere vital.
Well, at least I'm alive.
Still disappointed though.
Napangiwi ako nang igalaw ko ang braso. It was definitely painful, but for me, feeling pain is a step closer to my success. I've been shot quite a few times, and of course the universe is always on my side that's why I still see the day. It would be so lame if I die without even achieving the power and authority that I have been aiming for all of my life.
Ilang beses akong napakurap at hinanap ang pigura ng taong iyon.
"Elias?" Tawag ko. It's weird to call him by his fake name. Normally, I would prefer to call him Posei but he does not like that, at ayaw ko namang mainis siya sa akin.
"You're awake," narinig kong sabi niya nang bumukas ang pinto sa tabi. Considering he's only wearing a towel, malamang banyo ang loob ng pintong inyon.
Agad na bumaba ang paningin ko sa dibdib niya, to which I immediately looked away. It's not like this is the first time I saw a body as gorgeous as he had. I mean, that tan skin is so good. Not to mention that there were some dents on it na tiyak kong kung hindi man bala ang sanhi, ay mga matatalas na bagay.
Tinampal ko ang pisngi, feeling annoyed to myself. Damn it, I am not even acting! His body just made me blush! Shit.
Napansin niya ang reaksyon ko kaya agad niya akong pinuna. "Don't tell me this is the first time you saw a naked torso?"
Well shit.
I stabbed myself mentally. "H-hindi naman, pero pwede ba magbihis ka, bago pa kita papakin! You know I like you kaya wag mong samantalahin ang kahinaan ko."
There was no reaction from him, just as I expected. Pero mabuti na lang at agad siyang nagbihis. I looked away for a while at nang muli siyang magsalita ay nakasuot na siya ng puting sando at itim na shorts— a combination so simple yet so good on him.
Shit talaga. Kailan pa ako naging ganito.
"How do you feel?" Tanong niya nang makabihis.
"Ugh, not sure, I'm not feeling well." I tried my best to look worried. "What happened? Sino ang mga taong 'yon? Are they connected with what business you have with Tristan? Am I in danger too?" Saglit kong pinakiramdaman ang sarili ko. My eyes widened when I realized I am in his oversize shirt, with just my undeargarmets beneath.
What. The. Hell?
"D-did we..." I sort of panicked.
"No," he cut me off.
Nakahinga ako nang maluwag. A legit off-my-chest sigh before putting my game face on.
"Hay, akala ko naman. Don't do it if I'm unconscious, okay? As much as I like you, ayaw kong pagsamantalahan mo ang kahinaan ko. I like you, but consent matters." Kinakabahang niyakap ko ang sarili ko. Damn it, I was real nervous.
"How do you feel?" ulit niya sa tanong niya kanina.
Other than the pain and the nervous feeling he has caused, I'm fine.
Biglang nangilid ang mga luha ko. "Am I in danger, too?"
He sat in a chair and sort of stared at me. Hindi ko alam kung anong iniisip niya, and I am also well aware that he may be carefully assessing me. "You dug yourself into this hole."
Napahikbi ako. "Just a few weeks ago, I've been stabbed ngayon naman ay muntikan na akong mamatay." I started throwing tantrums. "You did not even bring me to a hospital!"
"I had a doctor checked on you."
Oh well. "Anong doktor? Baka quack doctor! Pa'no kung maimpeksyon ako, paano kung--"
He suddenly tossed a folder to my lap. Bigla akong kinabahan.
Don't tell me...
"You know, don't you?" It was more like a statement than a question. As if he's interrogating me.
My mouth gaped open, but I was unsure what to say kaya muli ko iyong itinikom. With shaking hands, I picked the folder filled with whatever information he gathered. I refused to take a look. Napayuko ako at kinagat ang pang-ibabang labi.
"You knew all along that I am not Poseidon. You knew I am not Elias Montejo."
His voice was scary, but I know I was only scared to the fact that he can actually snap my neck and drain me out of life. At wala akong kalaban-laban.
"A small-time scammer with big dreams," he let out a sarcastic laugh. "Your failed attempt to climb up your dream social status through my father made you go for his son, huh?"
Nag-angat ako ng tingin. There was nothing in his voice, not even disgust to the young woman who "supposedly" tried to ruin his family. Maybe he's not the type who kept his hatchet buried. I kept silent at nag-iwas lang ako ng tingin sa kanya.
"If you fooled my father, you cannot fool me," dagdag niya. "And I'll make sure you will pay for it."
What? Mukhang nagkamali ako nang inisip kong wala lamang iyon sa kanya. He looked like he's ready to give me hell for what I did.
Oh, I mean, not me.
For what Bituin Miranda did.
Bituin Miranda was one of Rafael Villan III's scholars. The old man, as an attempt to hide the fact that they actually run illegal business, did philanthropy act. They picked quite a few students as scholars, help save children from domestic abuse by making charities, at kung anu-ano pa. Pretty impressive at sight, but in reality, these people are ruthless users. They used poor kids to hide their illegal ways.
Apparently, Bituin Miranda was one of them. A young, beautiful orphan who happen to caught the attention of Rafael Villan III. His wife, the mother of Poseidon/Rafael Red Villan was a socialite and they only marry for the sake of business. Damn cliche and sort of hard to understand. Kung mangyaring anak ako ng mayaman, I will never risk my happiness and life into marrying someone I do not love. Never.
Well, mukhang malabo namang mangyari iyon sa akin dahil hindi ako anak mayaman, and I don't think love would be a problem for me. It's power that I want, not a stupid thing called love.
But back to Bituin Miranda's story, Rafael Villan III was so fond of her. He would send her money and gifts. There was nothing between them, but his wife thinks otherwise so she sent men to kill her. Old man Villan's men did not kill her, as ordered by him. To make the long story short, akala ng asawa ni Villan na patay na si Bituin just as she ordered but in reality, Bituin was actually alive. Rafael Villan III knew what his wife can do kaya pinutol na niya ang anumang ugnayan kay Bituin to spare her life from his wife's wrath.
Bituin lived her life peacefully, knowing na wala naman talaga silang relasyon ng matandang nagpapaaral sa kanya mula pa noong elementary pa siya. She was referred to another scholarship to finance her college— and that's where I enter the scene.
Bituin got into a car accident which burned half of her face. For the last time, Rafael Villan III broke his promise of never getting involved with her again. The old man gave a huge amount of money to fix her face— and tadaaa! It's now me.
Pero ang totoo, Bituin was dead. She was actually dead from that 'accident', which we actually planned carefully. It was a long executed plan.
Bituin was not that innocent though. Old man Villan was not fucking her, but she loves his money so she went finding rich old men to climb up the social ladder. Woman was a whore, a social climber. I'm not gonna say she deserved to die, but we are actually giving the Old Man Villan a favor. She kept getting money from him, but old man wasn't even getting laid.
And that was the so-called truth that Poseidon knew about me. A foolproof plan I spent quite some time to perfect.
He suddenly grabbed my chin, and for a moment I was scared of him. "Do you really think I would not find out?"
"W-wala kaming ugnayan ng daddy mo!" Sagot ko. Sinubukan kong makawala sa pagkakahawak niya but it was of no use. I felt his nails sunk into my skin.
"Sa tingin mo maniniwala ako sa'yo?"
"No, but at least believe your father!" I hissed.
He froze for a while. Old man Villan was known as an honest man, or so I've heard.
"Mabuting tao ang daddy mo. You knew that."
Convincing him was futile, but it was the only thing Bituin Miranda can do. "I swear wala kaming ugnayan ng daddy mo! At hindi totoo ang sinasabi mong I was going for his son! I was living peacefully, it was you who bumped into me saying strange things about Tristan!"
He doesn't look like he believe me at all. Well I cannot blame him. Hindi naman talaga madaling paniwalaan ang buhay ni Bituin. The woman lived an impossible life. I mean how could she slept with different old man for money? I can't stand a man looking at my fully clothed body, more so sleep with them! Unbelievable.
I was saved by the ringing of his phone. He let go of my chin to answer the phone. Napahawak ako sa mukha, feeling the pain from his grip. He was angry, I could tell.
He said a name— Ares, one of the Vander Mafia's reaper so I know I was in for a treat. Nagkunwari akong hindi interesado sa kausap niya but just like the man that he was, wala siyang sinabi and just kept on listening. Maybe it was related to what happened to us dahil may sinabi siyang huwag mag-iwan ng kung ano sa lugar, not even a burned part of his tacky old car.
Nang pinatay niya ang tawag ay agad akong nagsalita. "Can we set aside the issue about me and your dad, and just tell me what the hell happened?" I was hyperventilating. Kahit sino naman na nasa bingit ng kamatayan ay ganoon din ang reaksyon.
He wasn't happy with my cursing.
"Language."
Now I'm mad. "What? You accused me of things right after I almost die, tapos hindi mo ako bibigyan ng karapatan na magmura man lang?! You know what? Forget that I said I like you!" Akmang tatayo ako sa kama, only to find out I was sprained somewhere in my foot. Napamura ako sa sakit, and I heard another disapproving groan from him but this time ay hindi na siya nagsalita. Sa halip ay pinigilan niya akong tumayo.
"Ano?" I asked. "Tutulungan mo ako? Threatening me one moment, then the next you'll be kind. You're one weird guy, Poseidon. Ang hirap mong gustuhin."
"I didn't tell you to like me," sagot niya.
"Oo nga! Alam ko namang kasalanan ko, but you know what? I will unlike you! Hindi pala ka-like like 'yang ugali mo!"
I tried standing up again but again, there was legit pain. Nang tingnan ko ang katawan sa ilalim ng kumot, there were various bruises.
He looked at me as if silently commanding me to remain in bed. And I, stubborn as I was, refused. Sa huli ay sumuko na siya at nagsalita. "Alright, I'm sorry. Please rest."
Wala mang sinseridad sa boses niya, I know he was serious when he asked me to rest. He even said please kahit alam kong labag sa loob niya ang sabihin 'yon.
Nag-iwas ako ng tingin at hindi nagsalita. But this time, I didn't attempt to stand up from the bed.
Aside from the fact that my body hurts like hell, I was actually being obedient to him. I hate this guy-— he’s an obstacle to my ultimate dream, so I want him out of the way. For now, I just have to play nice.
“I will park the issue about you and my dad, but I hope we will agree on few things.”
Nag-angat ako ng tingin at tiningnan siya nang masama. “What few things?”
Itinaas niya ang isang daliri. And I was again wondering about that idea of man with long fingers.
Damn it.
“One, you will bring me to Zolotov.”
I made a waving gesture. “Pass.”
His forehead creased. “It’s your idea in the first place.”
I crossed my arms. It won’t hurt to play hard to get a little bit to make my act more believable. “Yes— but that was before you started calling me names.”
“I did not.”
“You called me small-time scammer and a social climber!” I hissed. Well, actually those were prudent thing to say about the real Bituin Miranda, dahil ang totoo, she’s way more than that. Woman was practically an ambitous leech, willing to do the lowest of the low just for money and status.
“I did call you small-time scammer but not social climber.”
Well, he really didn’t but that’s what he meant anyway! Nakipagsukatan ako ng tingin sa kanya but three seconds into it, I lost. This guy’s eyes looked… empty. Ang hirap niyang basahin. Those pretty, dull eyes make me intimidated. It was weird to call it pretty and dull at the same time but that’s how one would describe those eyes.
Nagpatuloy siya sa sasabihin. “Two, about my real identity, keep it a secret. You don’t know me as Poseidon, you don’t know me as Red Villan. You only know me as Elias Montejo--”
“And why is that?”
He raised three fingers. “Three, no asking why.”
I pouted. “What, you expect me to be risking my life over something I do not know? At least tell me what’s the deal with Tristan.”
Muli niya akong tiningnan, like he’s thinking on giving me a hint of what it was actually.
“Tristan— no, he's Zolotov. He is bad news.”
“Alam ko. We’ve been together and with all those drugs and women he had, I knew he was bad news,” I said with a shrug.
“Yet you chose to be with him?” tanong niya.
Wow, what does this reaper new about being with someone. Wait, is he married? Does he have a girlfriend? My ID on him doesn’t include those things. Reapers were practically islands. No relationships or attachments cause it will only be a weakness. Maybe he has, maybe he don’t.
“The sex was good,” I replied.
He looked disgusted.
I was, too.
I hate myself for saying it but what can I do? That’s Bituin Miranda. If it’s me, I cannot even stand in the same room with a man. Surprisingly, being with Poseidon was tolerable. Most of the times, I would have already killed any guy in a close room with me.
But right now… I was almost naked. I was only in my undergarments and an oversize shirt, yet Poseidon is still alive and breathing the same air with me. Maybe I learned to stand it.
“Is that all?” tanong ko.
“For now.”
Well, not fair. Magdadagdag siya ng kondisyon anytime he wants? Nah. “But can you tell me what just happened? Who are those guys? Hindi ba tayo magrereport sa pulis? I’m sure those guys saw my face, what if they will come back for me?”
He massaged his temple as if this problems caused him a headache.
“I don’t know. No reporting to the cops. And about your safety, leave it to me.”
Leave it to him? Patawa ba siya? I mean, no normal human would believe some bull like that. Well, his bosses might believe a reaper’s word because his bosses are not normal. They're bigtime crime lords!
“You’re not with me 24/7. Paano mo ako poprotektahan laban sa mga taong ‘yon?”
“They’re already been taken care off kaya wala kang dapat ipag-alala.”
“Taken care off? But you’re here.” Napatakip ako sa bibig, like I just discovered something. “Are you really from a… syndicate?”
“You don’t really know when to shut up, do you?”
I held my head high. “Well, make me. Are you doing it with a kiss?” tanong ko. Surely, he’s not the type who will do it, but it’s good to tease him.
But to my surprise, he looked at me intently. Saglit na namayani ang katahimikan sa pagitan namin. His eyes were staring at my own, but it suddenly stared at my lips.
“I can try that,” sagot niya.
Napalunok ako nang ilang beses at sinalakay ng kaba. Guess I was wrong when I said he wasn’t the type who will do it. I immediately slammed my body back to the bed at mabilis na hinila ang kumot upang takpan ang sarili.
“I’m sleepy!” mabilis na sinabi ko at mahigpit ang hawak sa kumot. Shit. Why did I even said that? Why did I start things I knew I cannot end well?
And for the first time, I heard his fading laughter as he walked out the room.
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