Novels by Grecia Reina

NAGANAP ang isang tahimik at pribadong kasal sa isang maliit na isla na parte ng Isla Alfieri. It was solemn that only family and close acquaintances were present. Although they had done a ceremonial engagement months ago to formally seal the alliance, which all the heads of the organizations in the underworld were present because it was mandatory.Alessia and Caio chose a private ceremony for their sunset wedding. Kaya heto sila ngayon at nakangiting nagmamartsa patungo sa isa’t-isa. Nakasuot si Alessia ng simpleng puting wedding gown, habang itim na tuxedo naman ang suot ni Caio.Wei was playing violin on the wedding march, making the surroundings more romantic.Sina Ren at Yaya Glo ang naghatid kay Alessia sa altar. Habang naroon din ang magulang ni Caio na maayos naman ang pakikitungo sa kanya. They were against their marriage at first, but Caio was unstoppable. Now, they both adored Alessia.Wushi was beaming as their ring bearer. Masayang-masaya itong maksaksihan ang pag-iisang

8 MONTHS LATERKazan, RussiaIT WAS a silent winter night in Kazan when Caio and Alessia finally moved on their most awaited operation—hunting Viktor Ivankov. Matagal nila itong pinagplanuhan para siguruhin magtatagumpay sila. There was no room for errors. Lalo na at ito ang kauna-unahang joint operation ng dalawang organisasyon na mismong pinangunguhanan ng kanilang mga lider na kapwa naroon din.Mabilis ang bawat galaw ng mga miyembro ng Black Assassins at Phantoms. Rouyun and Carl had already recovered, kaya kasama rin sila roon. “We are all in position, Your Highness,” wika ni Rouyun mula sa communication device na nakakabit sa kanyang tainga.“Yes, Ghost. Copy that.” Tumango si Alessia. Tumingin siya sa tabi niya—si Caio na katatapos lang kausapin si Carl.Kapwa sila nakasuot ng full battle gear at may hawak na malaking assault rifle.They had a sneak attack. Biglang namula ang niyebe dahil sa dugong dumanak. Maya-maya pa ay nagpalitan na ng putok ng baril. Mayroon ding mga pag

“DADDY!” Masiglang salubong ni Wushi sa ama nang makauwi ito sa bahay kasama si Alessia.Agad itong kinarga ni Caio. “You’re heavier now. How are you, son?”“Uncle Ren and I saw dragons and dinosaurs!” Tuwang-tuwa ang bata habang nagkukuwento. Alessia let the two of them catch up.“Where’s the people in the house?” Takang tanong ni Alessia. Hindi niya kasi nakita si Ren na madalas kalaro ni Wushi. Sinadya kaya iyon ng binata dahil alam nitong dadalhin niya si Caio ngayong gabi?Naiintindihan naman ni Alessia na hindi pa welcome si Caio sa kanilang pamilya. Given their bloody history, at alam niyang hindi naman niya puwedeng madaliin ang pagtanggap ng mga ito sa lalaking nakatakda niyang pakasalan.Nilapitan niya ang dalawa. “Both of you should rest. We’ll have a big celebration tomorrow for Wushi’s birthday.”Hindi naman nagprotesta ang dalawa. Caio took charge of looking after their son to sleep. Habang si Alessia ay hinanap si Ren. At gaya ng inaasahan, natagpuan niya ito sa gilid n

HINDI inaasahan ni Alessia na magtatagal si Caio sa Italy. As they predicted, the Venetto family rebelled against the organization. The bratva backed them up. Kaya kailangang nanatiling ni Caio roon para maayos ang kaguluhan sa loob ng Mafia. Tuluyan ding naparusahan ang buong angkan ng mga Venetto at ang pamilya Gauci. “Nanay, when will Daddy come?” Nayayamot na tanong ni Wushi. “Soon, sweetheart. He’s a little busy at work.” “He needs to work hard so he can buy me toys, Nanay?” inosenteng tanong nito. “Exactly, so let’s just wait, okay?” “Okay. Uncle Ren is always playing with me, but he is busy too. Why is everybody busy?” “Because adults need to work to survive.” “I don’t want to grow up, then.” Wushi wrinkled his nose. Kahit lagi naman nagkikita ang mag-ama sa videocall, lagi pa rin itong hinahanap ni Wushi. Lalo na at malapit na ang kaarawan nito. They were still in Beijing. Isang araw bago ang kaarawan ni Wushi, nakatanggap siya ng tawag mula kay Caio na dumating na it

NAGTIPON ang buong squad sa loob ng conference room ng private residence ng mga Chan sa Beijing tatlong araw matapos mailagay sa huling hantungan si Xiaoyu. Everyone agreed to put her in their family ancestral shrine. Mula sa Hong Kong, inilipat iyon sa Beijing dahil nakompromiso ang kanilang base roon tatlong taon na ang nakararaan.“Ali did not attend Xiao’s burial, but she promised to be here today,” wika ni Ren. Isa-isa niyang tiningnan ang mga taong nakapalibot sa malaking pabilog na mesa. There were only five of them excluding Alessia and Zhan.Everyone seemed anxious. Lalo na at napag-alaman na ng lahat ang tungkol sa pagbabalik ni Zhan. Vesta was too excited to break them the news about it.“Vesta, are playing a prank on us? Did Ali really find Zhan?” Hindi nakatiis na tanong ni Hyacinth.“Hyacinth Jiejie, why would I lie? Besides, why are you even here? Does your husband know?” wika ni Vesta habang nakatingin sa mga kuko nito sa kamay.Hindi naman ito pinatulan ni Hyacinth. H

“WE have to fly to Beijing. I need to bring Wushi there, our quarterly meeting is coming. Hindi ko rin naman na maitatago ang bata sa pamilya ko. Besides, he will be safer there,” wika ni Alessia habang naroon sila sa living room na private resort na pag-aari ni Caio. Gusto sana niyang dalhin ang mag-ama sa main base ng organisasyon ng Triad, pero sa huli ay pinili niyang dito muna manatili habang nag-iisip siya. Every corner of the vicinity was heavily guarded.“I will go there as soon as I settle this mess. The Venettos will not sit idle, I need to give them the punishment myself.” Kalmadong wika ni Caio pero nasa mata nito ang matinding galit. “I tried to understand Chiara’s motivation because she was jealous. But killing Wushi just because she was that petty? That’s unforgivable!”“Sigurado kang hahayaan mong dalhin ko si Wushi sa China? Hindi ka ba natatakot na baka hindi mo na siya makita?”Kinuha ni Caio ang kamay niya at hinalikan iyon. “Didn’t we promise to start trusting eac

FAMILY REUNIONNAGTIPON ang lahat sa pahabang mesa sa loob ng mini library sa bahay. Kaden was explaining the situation and Nikole would support him with information. Ipinaliwanag nila kung ano ang hindi inaasahan na pangyayari noong debut ni Tehani. “In short, Lucas’ father is… Uncle Julian?” hindi makapaniwala si Kane. Although he couldn’t remember the man, puno ng pictures sa bahay na magkasama sila habang karga siya nito noong bata pa. “Now I know why Teha is not here. She’d surely freak out.”Hindi mapakali si Juli sa kinauupuan. Parang hindi agad natanggap ng kanyang sistema ang mga sinabi ng magulang. Buhay ang ama niya. Pero ang masaklap ay hindi sila nito makikilala. Pero kahit isang yakap lang sana, okay na siya roon. Matagal nang nag-iipon si Juli ng impormasyon tungkol sa pagkawala ng ama. Suportado naman siya ng magulang kahit sa napakaliit na tyansa na maaaring nakaligtas ito. Because everyone knew, Julian Arevalo died a hero. Kaya isang napakalaking surpresa sa kanila

THE PRESENT“BAKIT pakiramdam ko kilala ko sila. It’s weird, they felt familiar.” Lumalim ang gatla sa noo ni Luke habang pabalik na sila sa kanilang Mesa. Hindi naman kasi talaga sila dapat pupunta sa party na ito kung hindi sa pangungulit ni Lucas. Apparently, he liked this girl. Kaya kinilala na rin nila ang magulang nito. Biglang tinambol ang dibdib ni Hera sa sinabi ng asawa. May koneksyon kaya ang mag-asawang iyon sa nakaraan ng ni Luke? Alanganin na ngumiti si Hera. “Love, kalma lang. We’ve been together for twenty years. Even our son is having a girlfriend. You’d still want to know your past?”“I want to be whole again, Love. Para bago man lang ako mamatay masagot ang napakaraming katanungan sa isip ko.”Tumango si Hera. “I will help you…”Bumalik na sila sa mesa pero nagpaiwan si Lucas na kausap pa ang magulang ni Tehani. Luke couldn’t get his eyes off Tehani’s mother. She was surely pretty, but there was something about her that he could not explain. Bakit malakas ang kab

NAPASIGAW si Julian nang tumama sa kanyang ulo ang matigas bagay. It was a ship debris. Naroon na siya sa speedboat at papaalis na siya. Kailangan niyang makabalik sa pampang. Pero dahil sa malakas na hagupit ng hangin at sa kanyang tama sa ulo ay nahihirapan siyang makagalaw. “Hirsch! Do you copy?” There was a faint static sound. Mas tinatalo ng lakas ng hagupit ng hangin ang tunog mula sa kanyang earpiece. Pinanatili niya ang natitirang katinuan bago pa siya maianod ng nangangalit na mga alon kaya itinali niya ang sarili sa speedboat. “Hirsch! Hirsch!” Pero isa pang debris ang tumama sa ulo niya at tuluyan na siyang nawalan ng malay. Milagro na maituturing na sa isang pribadong isla napadpad ang naghihingalong katawan ni Julian na sa awa ng diyos ay nanatiling nakatali sa speedboat. Habang sa hindi kalayuan ay may isang babaeng panay ang hikbi at sa sobrang sakit na kanyang nararamdaman ay gusto niyang lamunin na lang siya ng karagatan. She just got married. But her husband die

20 YEARS LATERABALA si Nikole sa pagiging Chairman ng CREC at malalaki na ang mga anak nila. She had another two kids with Kaden, isang lalaki at babae ang bunso. Sina Nikolas at Tehani. Ang panganay nilang si Kane ay siya na ngayong namamahala ng law firm. And kambal nilang si Callie at Juliette ay siya namang namamahala ng negosyo ng naiwan ng mga ama niyo. Si Nikolas naman ay mukhang susunod sa yapak ng ama na mag-aabogasya rin. Pero ang bunso nilang si Tehani… ay mukhang hindi pa alam kung saan ang patutunguhan.Nasa loob si Nikole ng kanyang opisina nang biglang pumasok ang madilim na mukha ni Kaden. Halos dalawang dekada na ang dumaan mula nang ikasal sila pero makisig pa rin ito. Alaga nito ang katawan kaya parang hindi ito tumatanda. “What’s wrong sweetheart?” takang tanong ni Nikole sa asawa.“Ang magaling mong bunso may boyfriend na!” Nanggigigil itong naupo sa receiving chair. Masyado itong protective sa bunso na namana yata ang taglay na katigasan ni Nikole noong kabata

NIKOLE and Kaden celebrated a wedding of a century makalipas ang tatlong buwan. Napakabongga niyon na ginanap sa Manila Cathedral. Halos lahat ng kilalang tao sa mundo ng negosyo ay imbitado roon.Litaw na litaw ang ganda ni Nikole sa suot nitong traje de boda na idinisenyo pa ng pinakasikat na fashion designer sa Europe. She was like a princess. Even Kaden looked dashing in his wedding suit. Every guest was mesmerized by them.Puno ng galak ang bawat pamilya nina Kaden at Nikole. Lalo na si Vicente na hindi napigil ang maluha habang hinahatid si Nikole sa altar. Tuwang-tuwa rin si Kane na laging pinamamalita sa school nito na may bagong mommy na siya. Kane was their ring bearer. He even made Noah his best friend. Naroon rin ang bata bilang coin bearer. Callie and Juliette were the most adorable flower girls. Nagsasaboy ang dalawa ng petals ng pulang tulips sa red carpet nang ginanap ang wedding entourage. Kulay pula at ginto ang motif ng kasal at punong-puno ng mga fresh flowers a

“MAMA Niki and Daddy are sleeping together!” halos mabulabog ang buong kabahayan dahil pa ikot-ikot si Kane na nag-sisisisgaw habang hila-hila ang kanyang saranggola. “Yehey, they are making a baby!” Nagulantang ang mga nakarinig. Habang si Ken ay halos about tainga ang ngiti habang nagkakape nang umaga ng iyon. But the olds pretended they didn’t hear it. Bumalikwas ng bangon si Nikole. Kanina niya sapo ang noo dahil sa kahihiyan. Sa dinamirami ng makaka kita sa kanila ay ang batang makulit na iyon pa. Akmang tatayo na siya nang bigla siyang pigilan ni Kaden. “Stay…” “Kade, you have seen what happened? Ano na lang sasabihin ng pamilya mo?” parang biglang nawala ang antok niya sa katawan. “They won’t mind, believe me. Baka nga sila pa ang unang mag-celebrate.” Nikole’s face burned. “But—” “No more buts.” Hinila siya nito pabalik at bigla na lang itong pumaibabaw sa kanya. “You’re really something. After all our acrobatic show last night, you could still walk?” pinalihmgian si

ONE week had passed quickly, and the moment Triana had waited for so long came. At last, she’d meet Caleb tomorrow in Paris. It was a perfect time since their parents went to Barcelona for a few days’ vacation. And after that, the Chaudharys would travel to Iceland for the holidays. It was Triana’s idea to celebrate Christmas Eve under the Northern Lights. Then they’d return to the Philippines for the New Year’s celebration and the fourth death anniversary of her father.“You’re beaming today,” Devance complimented her while fixing her things.“Of course, finally I can see the love of my life after almost three months! The well is getting dry.”Devance looked at her, confused. “The… what?!”“Oh, never mind.” Triana giggled. It seemed that Devance’s dirty humor was contagious. Unlike before, she could joke around with him like this because she was comfortable.“Did I hear it right? The well is getting dry?” Devance laughed out loud. “Sorry for being slow. I didn’t know you had this sen

INSIDE Caleb’s office in Makati, everyone was busy with the preliminary bidding on the conference room. He was not obliged to attend because he had already assigned this task to his Project Manager. Caleb sat comfortably on his swivel chair while browsing pictures from Lara’s social media account. She was with Triana. The latter had no penchant for this kind of update because she valued her privacy.It appeared that she was already in Paris. Triana must be waiting for his arrival so they could celebrate the Christmas holidays together. Caleb was only fixing his schedule so that everything would still be in order when he left for a few days.Then something popped into his notification that Lara posted a story. Caleb’s jaw immediately flexed when he saw Devance kiss Triana in the background. It could be a simple gesture, but it stirred his jealousy. They looked so sweet, like a real couple having fun.Caleb hardly clasped his cell phone and harshly sighed. He almost broke it when he put

THE house was peaceful again after the Festival of Lights. Triana’s family returned to the Philippines after enjoying their vacation. Akhil requested a family meeting inside the library on the third floor.“We will proceed with the European trip. You will join us to meet different investors and attend several business conferences as part of your training before I appoint you as the top-ranking executives of the company. Being the Chairman and the CEO of AGC is no joke, I’m telling you,” Akhil explained to the couple. Gracia was seated beside him, listening in silence.Triana and Devance tilted their heads. “We’ll do everything to help you grow your empire, Dad.”“With my guidance. I know you will,” Akhil was confident.“I admit I’m easy-go-lucky, but I took my studies seriously when I went to Oxford.” Devance sounded proud. He looked at Triana and winked. Because aside from the flight school in Amsterdam, he also attended a business course at Oxford University.“I promise to help as w

THE Festival of Lights finally came, and just as expected, the Chaudharys were busy attending to their guests, mainly extended families from different parts of the world. They were Akhil’s relatives, and there was a feast for a few days. Lucia, along with the twins, also arrived to celebrate with them.The house was full of colorful lights. Triana felt this festival was equal to Christmas. Until now, she couldn’t memorize these numerous festivals of this country. But one of the things that surprised her was that their calendar year was approximately more than fifty-six years ahead compared to the Gregorian calendar. Everything she learned about Devance’s heritage made her in awe.The celebration lasted for almost a week. Triana could not deny she was exhausted from socializing with the visitors. And she had to sleep with Devance every night to avoid suspicion. Devance had been complaining about his backache from sleeping on the couch since Triana would not let him sleep on the same be

DEXA angrily entered her room and shoved a few crystal vases with fresh red roses on the bedside table. Everything broke, and yet it was not enough. She even kicked a large ceramic vase in her collection. It was her favorite, and too late for her to regret despite realizing her hardship of acquiring it from China, and it was recorded from the Qing Dynasty. The intricate pottery was shattered into pieces.“Damn you, bitch!” She was so mad at Triana and disappointed in her father, especially with Devance. She couldn’t believe they’d joined forces to humiliate her.“Liars!” Dexa was enraged. She knew Xavier was not perfect, but she was sure he loved her and would never do such an odious thing to Triana. He promised to start a new life with her before they married two years ago. He even swore that he’d change for the better only for her. And she believed him.She scurried to the walk-in closet. It was full of her luxury collections of bags and shoes. But she only got her few favorites and

“I’M SORRY, darling.” Triana was teary-eyed as she glanced at Caleb. They immediately went back to the hotel because Akhil had called her. He asked where they were at the moment. As if making sure that she was with Devance.“No need to be sorry. You know I always understand you. Somehow, I’ve predicted this will happen once you get married. And I settled with it, right? I’m happy at least we’re together even for two days.” Caleb embraced her tight. He helped her pack her things after a while.Triana bit her lower lip when everything was ready. Sadness clouded her heart. She didn’t know when to see him again. She knew Caleb was a very busy man, and he would always make time for her. Just like now, he traveled extra miles to meet her.She hugged him from his back. “I’ll miss you. I promise to find ways to meet you again. Devance will help us.”Caleb heaved a sigh. He clasped her hand and faced her. “I see you’re getting close to Devance. I admit I’m jealous and afraid you’d fall for him

TRIANA put on the Philippine flag at the summit of Mount Everest. Napakaraming makukulay na prayer flags sa tuktok niyon at itinusok niya ang maliit na bandilang dala niya sa makapal sa niyebe. Nilingon niya ang lalaking nakasunod sa kanya at itinusok din nito ang maliit na bandila ng Pilipinas at tatlong flaglets, dalawang kulay blue at isang pink—the man was Austin. The flaglets represented the triplets. Kaya nakigaya rin si Triana, isang kulay asul, rosas, at dalawang pula—each had a label of their children’s name. “I did it!” Triana muttered inside her oxygen mask. She spearheaded this expedition with Austin’s help. When Triana promised her husband to be his legs, she meant it. Kasama nila ang isang Nepali team na mga professional hikers at halos dalawang taon ang kanilang naging paghahanda para mapagtagumpayan ang kanilang layunin. The climb was highly technical that they even encountered a few frozen bodies on the trail. Pero buo ang isip ni Triana at wala sa bokabularyo niya

THE Chaudharys yet again gathered as they mourned Eashta’s passing. Sa dami ng mga rebelasyon ay nanatiling magkasama sina Devance at Triana. Hindi sila iniwan ng kanilang malalapit na kaibigan nang malaman ng mga ito ang kanilang pinagdadaanan. Lara and Austin had rescheduled their flight going back to London. Nagmadali ang mag-asawa na tinungo ang hospital na kinaroronan ni Eashta para damayan sila. Even the two could not believe what had happened. But they never blamed them and didn’t even utter a word to make them feel their negligence. Dahil kahit hindi sabihin nina Triana at Devance ay lihim nilang sinisisi ang sarili sa mga nangyari. Caleb and Austin also postponed their honeymoon to be with them. Hindi naman hinihiling ni Triana na isakripisyo ang mahalagang milestone sa buhay ng dalawa para damayan sila, pero pinili ng mga itong manatili sa tabi nila hanggang sa maihatid na huling hantungan si Eashta. They were adamant that their honeymoon could wait. And Triana had appre

NANLAMBOT ang tuhod ni Triana sa narinig. Mabuti na lang at maagap ang kamay ni Devance at iginalaw nito ang wheelchair para masalo siya mula sa likuran. Mabilis na pumasok sa kuwarto si Eshvi at niyakap ang walang buhay na bata. “Eashta...” Eshvi began to wail. “I’m sorry for your loss. We did our best to revive her.” The doctor expressed their condolences. Magkakasabay itong lumabas sa silid para bigyan sila ng privacy. Triana came back to her senses. Nilapitan niya ang bata at pilit na hinihila ang siko ni Eshvi palayo. “Don’t touch her! You have no right!” Nanginginig ang mga kamay ni Triana sa sobrang galit. Pero tila walang naririnig si Eshvi. Kagaya niya, patuloy ito sa pagpalahaw ng iyak. “Eashta! Wake up baby, please...” ani Eshvi habang mahigpit na yakap ang bata. Samantalang si Devance hindi makuhang gumalaw dahil sa bigat ng mga pangyayari. Tulala lang siyang nakamasid sa walang nang buhay na anak. He lost his two precious children in a year! At mula noon hangga

THE beeping of the hospital apparatus surrounding Eashta was louder than usual in Eshvi’s ears. Bigla siyang nataranta nang magsulputan ang ilang doktor ng anak dahil sa biglang pagbabago ng kalagayan nito. “My daughter… what’s is happening?” Walang patid ang pagpatak ng kanyang luha. Kitang-kita niyang nire-revive na lang ang anak at kapag hindi ito nakayanan ng munting katawan nito ay baka malagutan ito ng hininga anumang sandali. “Please… no…” nauutal niyang sambit. Hindi siya naniniwala sa dasal pero nang mga oras na iyon ay wala siyang ibang makapitan. She prayed hard to whoever deity listening to her pleading. Hindi niya kakayanin na mawala sa kanya si Eashta. “Miss Javier, please calm down,” anang babaeng nurse na naroon sa tabi niya. They both stood in the receiving area of Eashta’s private room. Pero kitang-kita nila ang nangyayari sa silid ng anak dahil sa dingding na salamin. “Shut up!” singhal niya sa babae. Bigla tuloy itong napaatras dahil sa ginawa niya. Dumista

HINDI namalayan ni Triana na walang patid ang pagtulo ng kanyang luha habang nakikinig siya sa kuwento ng asawa. Could it be true? “I’m really sorry, Kanchhi. I doubted you. But you know, it was just an excuse to make you hate me. Because despite learning that Devna is not mine, I still love her and nothing will change that she is our daughter.” Ilang ulit na pumiyok ang boses ni Devance. “Oh, God! Eashta!” Biglang nanlambot ang mga tuhod ni Triana. Kung hindi lang siya nakahawak sa handle ng wheelchair ni Devance baka kanina pa siya bumagsak. “Please tell me you are joking, Dev. I never went to Doctor Alfonso’s office since I thought you were just making up that story to drive me away...” Nanginginig ang mga labi niya. Parang ayaw tanggapin ng kanyang utak ang mga impormasyong galing sa asawa. Had Devna been switched? That was impossible! Pero hindi niya puwedeng isawalang-bahala ang mga sinabi ni Devance. Since she and Eshvi gave birth on the same day in the same hospital. At k

BIGLANG lumundag ang puso ni Triana nang makita ang asawa. Akala niya talaga namamalikmata lang siya pero nang nilapitan ito ng kambal at maluha-luha itong yumakap sa mga anak saka niya napagtantong hindi siya dinadaya ng kanyang paningin. Especially that he saw Grady showed up from the dining room holding a cup of tea. “Dev!” Hindi napigilan ni Triana ang sarili at patakbong lumapit sa kinaroroonan nito. He was comfortably sitting in his wheelchair. Maaliwalas ang mukha nito kumpara nang huli silang magkita. He was clean shaven and wasn’t looking that much miserable compared when he was in his cabin. Pero nanatili ang kaseryosohan ng mukha nito pagdating sa kanya. “I miss you so much, Baba!” halos magkasabay na wika ng kambal na parang ayaw bumitaw mula sa pagkakayapos sa magkabilang braso ng ama. “I thought you broke your promise to come home with Nanay.” Nakangusong anas ni Rini. “But here you are now! Your wheelchair is cool!” inosenteng bulalas ni Ravi matapos ay pinagmasdan a