Novel-novel oleh Yourlazyblackcat

Habang bumababa ang lumang elevator patungo sa pinakailalim ng pasilidad, ramdam ng lahat ang bigat ng katahimikan na tila sumasabay sa paggalaw ng makina. Ang tunog ng bakal na gumagalaw at ang mahinang ugong ng kuryente ang tanging maririnig habang unti-unting lumalalim ang kanilang pagbaba sa lupa, at sa bawat palapag na kanilang nalalagpasan ay mas lalo lamang bumibigat ang pakiramdam ni Alex dahil alam niyang sa ibaba ay hindi lamang si Dera ang naghihintay sa kanila kundi ang mas malaking katotohanan na matagal nang itinatago ng Project Orpheus. Mahigpit niyang hawak ang baril habang panaka-nakang sinusulyapan si Jian, na ngayon ay tahimik ngunit halatang tensyonado, parang bawat segundo ay may bumabalik na alaala sa kanya na pilit niyang iniiwasan.Sa kabilang banda, si Lora ay hindi mapakali habang nakatitig sa digital display ng elevator na patuloy na bumababa. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang mas nakakatakot ang ideya na baka nahuli na si Dera at nasasaktan na ito sa ibaba, o an

Makapal pa rin ang puting usok na bumabalot sa buong archive nang pilit na binuksan ni Alex ang kanyang mga mata. Halos wala siyang makita sa paligid at bawat paghinga niya ay mabigat dahil sa usok na pumasok sa kanyang baga. Naririnig niya ang sunod-sunod na pag-ubo nina Lora at Ji Lian, habang si Jian naman ay patuloy na sumisigaw ng pangalan ni Dera. Nang unti-unti nang humupa ang usok ay mabilis na inilibot ni Alex ang kanyang paningin sa buong silid, umaasang makikita lamang niyang nakatayo si Dera sa isang sulok. Ngunit habang lumilipas ang bawat segundo ay mas lalo lamang siyang kinakabahan dahil wala na ito roon. Ang tanging naiwan sa sahig ay ang flashlight na hawak ni Dera ilang minuto lamang ang nakalipas."Dera!" malakas na sigaw ni Alex habang mabilis na tumakbo sa iba't ibang bahagi ng archive. Isa-isa niyang sinilip ang mga mesa, cabinet, at maging ang makitid na lagusan sa likuran, ngunit wala siyang nakitang kahit anong bakas nito. Hindi siya mapakali. Sa buong buhay

Walang sinuman ang nagsalita matapos lumitaw ang mukha ni Lucien Orpheus sa monitor. Ang dating malamig na hangin sa ilalim ng lihim na silid ay tila lalo pang bumigat habang nakatitig silang lahat sa lalaking nasa live camera feed. Kung si Adrian ay mukhang isang taong puno ng karanasan at talino, si Lucien naman ay kabaligtaran. Mas bata ito, mas kalmado, at may mga matang walang anumang emosyon. Hindi ito ngumingiti nang malawak, ngunit sapat na ang bahagyang pag-angat ng sulok ng kanyang labi upang maramdaman nilang isa itong taong kayang gumawa ng kahit ano nang hindi kinakain ng konsensya. "Akala ko... patay na siya." Halos pabulong na sabi ni Jian habang hindi inaalis ang tingin sa screen. Napansin ni Alex ang bahagyang panginginig ng kanyang mga kamay, bagay na ngayon lamang niya nakita mula nang makilala ito. Hindi madaling matakot si Jian, kaya kung ganito ang reaksyon niya, malinaw na mas mapanganib si Lucien kaysa sa inaakala nilang lahat. Napalingon si Dera kay Jian.

Ang mahinang ugong ng lumang computer ang tanging maririnig sa loob ng lihim na silid habang nakatitig ang lahat sa monitor. Walang nagsasalita dahil kahit hindi pa nagsisimula ang video ay ramdam na nila ang bigat ng kung ano mang katotohanang nakatago rito. Ang mga ilaw mula sa screen ay tumatama sa kanilang mga mukha habang dahan-dahang lumalabas ang lumang recording na mahigit dalawampung taon nang hindi nakikita ng sinuman. Nakahawak si Alex sa kamay ni Dera habang nakatayo sila sa harap ng monitor. Ramdam niya ang panginginig ng mga daliri nito at alam niyang hindi lamang ito dahil sa takot. Ito ay dahil sa pakiramdam na unti-unti nang bumabalik ang mga nawawalang bahagi ng kanyang buhay, mga bahagi na matagal na ipinagkait sa kanya. Sa kabilang banda naman ay tahimik na nakatayo si Jian. Hindi niya inaalis ang tingin sa screen, ngunit mababanaag sa kanyang mukha ang pag-aalala dahil mukhang alam na niya kung ano ang laman ng video. Pagkaraan ng ilang segundo ay tuluyan nang

Sa sandaling makita ni Dera ang lumang larawan na nakapaskil sa gitna ng lihim na silid, tila nawalan siya ng kakayahang huminga. Hindi niya agad narinig ang mga bulungan nina Alex, Ji Lian, at Lora dahil ang buong atensyon niya ay nakatuon lamang sa batang babaeng nakangiti sa litrato. Kahit kupas na ang kulay ng larawan at may mga bahagi na itong nasira dahil sa paglipas ng panahon, walang duda sa kanyang isip na siya ang batang iyon. Parehong mata. Parehong hugis ng mukha. Parehong ngiti na matagal na niyang hindi nakikita sa sarili niya. Pakiramdam niya ay parang may kung anong humigpit sa kanyang dibdib habang unti-unting bumabalik ang mga piraso ng alaala na matagal nang nakabaon sa pinakamalalim na bahagi ng kanyang isip.Habang nakatitig siya sa larawan ay nagsimulang lumitaw ang mga eksenang matagal na niyang nakalimutan. Naalala niya ang isang malaking hardin na puno ng puting bulaklak, ang tunog ng kanyang sariling tawanan habang tumatakbo sa ilalim ng araw, at ang isang ma

Nang sabihin ni Dera na hindi estranghero ang matandang babaeng nakita niya sa araw ng libing ni Jian, tila muling bumigat ang hangin sa paligid nila. Nakaharap sila sa lumang simbahan, ngunit sa sandaling iyon ay wala ni isa sa kanila ang nagmamadaling pumasok. Ang bawat isa ay nakatingin lamang kay Dera habang hinihintay ang susunod niyang sasabihin.Hindi dahil gusto nilang pilitin siya.Kundi dahil nakita nila ang takot sa kanyang mukha.Hindi ito ordinaryong pagkalito.Hindi rin ito simpleng alaala na biglang bumalik.Para itong isang katotohanang matagal nang nakabaon sa kanyang isip at ngayon lamang muling lumilitaw.Napahawak si Dera sa kanyang sentido habang pilit niyang inaalala ang lahat. Pakiramdam niya ay parang may mga piraso ng larawan na unti-unting nagdurugtong sa loob ng kanyang isip. Ang mga bagay na dati ay walang kahulugan ay nagsisimula nang magkaroon ng koneksyon."Naalala ko siya."Mahina niyang sabi."Pero hindi ko siya kilala bilang matandang babae."Napakuno

The morning of Gwen's official takeover of the Vergara conglomerate arrived with a tension that could be felt throughout the entire city. While the corporate world expected a mourning sister, Gwen stepped out of the blacked-out Santori limousine looking like a woman who had just inherited a kingdom she had already conquered.However, she wasn't walking alone.Lucian followed her into the lobby of the Vergara headquarters like a lethal shadow. He was dressed in a charcoal suit that cost more than most people made in a decade, but he wasn't acting like a CEO today. He was acting like a bodyguard who had lost his mind. He kept his hand firmly on the small of Gwen's back, guiding her through the glass doors while his eyes scanned every employee with a look that suggested he was ready to fire them for simply breathing the same air as his wife."Lucian, you promised you would sit in the back and let me handle the board members," Gwen whispered as they entered the elevator. "You are goi

The smell of freshly brewed Blue Mountain coffee and buttery croissants filled the room, but Gwen quickly realized she wasn't even allowed to reach for the tray sitting on the nightstand. Every time she tried to prop herself up on her elbows, Lucian's hands were there to gently but firmly push her back into the mountain of silk pillows. He looked refreshed, his dark hair damp from a recent shower, wearing nothing but a pair of low-slung silk pajama pants that showed off the sheer power of his physique."I can feed myself, Lucian," Gwen said with a weary sigh as she watched him meticulously cut a piece of fruit into a perfect, tiny square. "I am a grown woman and the CEO of a conglomerate, not a toddler."Lucian didn't even look up as he speared the fruit with a silver fork and brought it to her lips, his eyes shimmering with that terrifyingly sweet clinginess that had become his new default setting. "You are my wife, and since I am the reason your legs feel like jelly, it is my re

The air in the executive office became so cold it felt like the glass walls might shatter under the weight of Lucian’s silent fury. He watched the screen where Damian Lillard was standing behind a podium, looking somberly into the cameras as he spoke about Gwen’s delicate situation and the need for her protection. Lucian’s eyes were bloodshot and his lip curled back in a snarl that looked more animal than human, while his hands began to tremble with the urge to reach through the monitor and tear the other man apart."Look at him baby" Lucian whispered in a voice that was thick with a toxic mixture of mockery and murderous intent. "He looks like a puppy trying to howl at a lion. He thinks that by playing the gentleman he can win a single glance from you, but all he is doing is signing his own death warrant."Lucian suddenly grabbed the desk phone and punched in a series of numbers with a violent force, and within seconds he had the head of his media conglomerate on the line.He didn

The morning sun filtered through the heavy silk curtains of the master suite but Gwen was not allowed to see it because Lucian had spent the last hour burrowing his face into her neck and wrapping his limbs around her like a giant vine. Every time she tried to shift or reach for her phone to check the morning business news he would let out a low and disgruntled moan and pull her back against his chest with a strength that was impossible to fight."Stay still baby" he grumbled with a voice that was thick with sleep but still carried that edge of possessive authority. "The world doesn't need you today and the company can rot for all I care as long as you are right here where I can feel your heart beating against mine.""Lucian you have a board meeting at ten and I have a reputation to build" Gwen said while she tried to pry his iron-like arm from her waist but he only responded by nipping at her shoulder and tightening his hold until she was pinned beneath him. "If the most powerful

Gwen looked at her sister’s trembling form and then back at the man clinging to her arm like a giant possessive toddler and she realized that Kayla had already been thoroughly defeated by Lucian’s unfiltered mockery. There was no point in staying to kick a woman who was already drowning in the laughter of her peers so Gwen decided to indulge the man who was currently burning holes into the backs of every guest with his glare."Fine we can leave Lucian" Gwen whispered as she smoothed back a stray lock of his hair and saw his eyes instantly light up with a childish triumph that made him look far younger than twenty-eight. "But if we go home now you have to promise to stop pouting and behave yourself while the drivers are watching."Lucian didn't even give her a chance to say goodbye to the hosts before he was dragging her toward the exit with a strength that belied his whining persona. He stopped only once to look over his shoulder at Damian Lillard who had been watching from across

The morning of the grand gala arrived with a flurry of activity that Gwen had only ever seen in movies during her past life. The Santori villa was swarming with high-end stylists and makeup artists who moved with a frantic energy because they knew that displeasing Lucian was a career-ending mistake. Gwen sat in a plush velvet chair while three people worked on her hair and nails but her eyes were focused on the reflection of the man sitting on the sofa behind her.Lucian had not left the room for a single second since they woke up. He sat there with his laptop balanced on his knees but his gaze drifted toward her every few minutes with a sharp and possessive intensity that made the stylists tremble. Every time a male tailor got too close to Gwen to adjust the hem of her gown Lucian would let out a low and warning hum that made the poor man break into a cold sweat."You are making them nervous baby" Gwen said as she caught his eye in the mirror and offered him a small and knowing s

The road to Palermo was a jagged ribbon of asphalt carved into the limestone cliffs, the Tyrrhenian Sea churning below like a pot of black ink. Cali sat in the passenger seat of the armored SUV, her midnight-black suit crisp, her grumpy face illuminated by the rhythmic glow of the dashboard.Beside her, Devi drove with a ruthless, one-handed grip on the wheel. He didn’t look at the road his obsessive gaze flickered constantly to the side, checking the pulse point in Cali’s neck, the way her fingers curled around the pearl-handled derringer in her lap."You're too quiet, Cali baby," Devi murmured, his voice a low, vibrating rumble that fought the hum of the engine. "Usually, you’re telling me to drive into a ravine. This silence... it smells like a massacre."Cali didn't look at him. She stared at her reflection in the window a ghost in the glass. "I'm thinking about the second act, Devi. Tosca. It ends with a betrayal and a leap into the abyss. My father always loved the drama of it.

The air in the Sicilian villa was thick with the scent of lemon trees and ancient, cooling stone a sharp contrast to the metallic tang of blood that had followed them from Rome. Devi’s hand was a heavy, possessive weight on the small of Cali’s back as they stepped through the arched threshold of the master suite. He didn't just walk he claimed the space, his obsessive gaze never leaving the back of Cali's neck.Cali didn't look at the sprawling view of the Ionian Sea. She looked at the black sapphire on her finger, the thorn-edged band a constant reminder of the ruthless world she was now ruling. Her grumpy mask was firmly in place, her jaw set so tight it ached."You’re home, Cali baby," Devi murmured, his voice a low, vibrating rumble that made the fine hairs on her arms stand up."I’m in a cage with a better view, Devi. There’s a difference," she snapped, her mean eyes flashing as she turned to face him.Devi stepped into her space, his shadow swallowing her whole. He reached out

The road to Palermo was a jagged ribbon of asphalt carved into the limestone cliffs, the Tyrrhenian Sea churning below like a pot of black ink. Cali sat in the passenger seat of the armored SUV, her midnight-black suit crisp, her grumpy face illuminated by the rhythmic glow of the dashboard.Beside her, Devi drove with a ruthless, one-handed grip on the wheel. He didn’t look at the road his obsessive gaze flickered constantly to the side, checking the pulse point in Cali’s neck, the way her fingers curled around the pearl-handled derringer in her lap."You're too quiet, Cali baby," Devi murmured, his voice a low, vibrating rumble that fought the hum of the engine. "Usually, you’re telling me to drive into a ravine. This silence... it smells like a massacre."Cali didn't look at him. She stared at her reflection in the window a ghost in the glass. "I'm thinking about the second act, Devi. Tosca. It ends with a betrayal and a leap into the abyss. My father always loved the drama of it.

The air in the Sicilian villa was thick with the scent of lemon trees and ancient, cooling stone a sharp contrast to the metallic tang of blood that had followed them from Rome. Devi’s hand was a heavy, possessive weight on the small of Cali’s back as they stepped through the arched threshold of the master suite. He didn't just walk he claimed the space, his obsessive gaze never leaving the back of Cali's neck.Cali didn't look at the sprawling view of the Ionian Sea. She looked at the black sapphire on her finger, the thorn-edged band a constant reminder of the ruthless world she was now ruling. Her grumpy mask was firmly in place, her jaw set so tight it ached."You’re home, Cali baby," Devi murmured, his voice a low, vibrating rumble that made the fine hairs on her arms stand up."I’m in a cage with a better view, Devi. There’s a difference," she snapped, her mean eyes flashing as she turned to face him.Devi stepped into her space, his shadow swallowing her whole. He reached out

The Tuscan hills were a rolling sea of gold and silver-green, but to Cali, the landscape was a blur of high-speed curves and a rising, jagged fury. She sat in the back of the armored SUV, her hands steady as she checked the safety on the pearl-handled derringer. She was wearing Devi’s charcoal suit jacket over her own thin slip, a stark, masculine weight that smelled of his sandalwood and a decade of his obsession.Devi sat beside her, his silence a possessive weight. He didn't look at the horizon he looked at her profile, his thumb tracing the jagged scar on his own palm a reminder of a war he’d fought before she even knew his name."We're three minutes out, Cali baby," Devi murmured, his voice a low, vibrating rumble that cut through the sterile hum of the air conditioning. "Your mother is on the north terrace. She’s waiting for a wire transfer that isn't coming." Cali didn’t turn. Her grumpy mask was fixed, her jaw set in a line so hard it was a wonder it didn’t shatter. "I don'

The Roman skyline was a jagged crown of gold and smog as Cali stood on the rooftop of the Santoro safehouse. She was no longer the girl in the moth-eaten hoodie. She wore a tailored charcoal wool coat, the black sapphire on her finger catching the light of the rising sun.Behind her, the silk factory was still belching black smoke into the Trastevere district."The Commission is meeting at the Pantheon in an hour," Devi’s voice drifted from the shadows. He had cleaned the blood from his face, but the ruthless edge in his eyes remained. He walked toward her, his possessive stride slow, his gaze fixed on the back of her neck. "They think we’re dead, Cali baby. Or worse—they think we’re hiding."Cali didn't turn around. Her grumpy face was set in a mask of arctic stone. "Let them think what they want. By the time I’m done with the ledger I found in that lab, they won't be worried about our deaths. They’ll be worried about their own."She turned, her mean smirk flashing. "You didn't tel