Chapter 4

JACOB ALDEGUIRE'S POV

From across the room, I watch them. The way Xavier’s hand closed around Elowen’s elbow. Not the grip of a concerned fiancé, but of someone reminding her who owned the leash.

What unsettled me most wasn’t his roughness.

It was her reaction.

Dahil parang wala lang sa kanya ang ginawa ni Xavier. Ni gulat at bakas na nasasaktan siya ay wala akong nakita. At para bang sanay na sanay na siya sa inaasal ng b*bo kong pamangkin.

All she did was to stand there, in front of him as if it was normal. As if she’d learned long ago that resistance was pointless.

Then, they stopped walking near the hallway.

Xavier leaned closer to her, his face hovering near her neck. I couldn’t hear what he said, but I saw what he did next.

He inhaled.

Slowly and deeply. After that his expression changed.

It wasn’t anger.

It wasn’t jealousy.

And that's when I moved.

I walked toward them calmly, unhurried, like I was merely passing by. No urgency. No confrontation written on my face. Just another guest enjoying the evening.

At nang nakarating na ako sa tabi nila ay huminto ako sa paghakbang para kunin ang kanyang atensyon.

“You’re being a little possessive with your fiancée, Xavier,” I said evenly. “Let her enjoy the evening.” Sambit ko at tiningnan niya ako. Malamig. Para bang kina-kausap niya ako sa pamamagitan ng tingin niya.

At gaya ng inaasahan ko ay hindi siya sumagot. Kaya hindi na din ako naghintay at ipinagpatuloy ang paglalakad ko at iniwanan sila.

By the time I reached the living room, the noise swallowed everything again. The laughter bursting from every corner, glasses clinking, conversations overlapping one another like nothing tense had ever happened in the hallway.

They followed shortly after.

Elowen returned to Xavier’s side, sitting across from me. He placed a possessive hand at the back of her chair, his thumb pressing lightly against the wood as if reminding her he was there. She didn’t react. She rarely did.

I took a seat, leaning back, letting the room settle into its usual rhythm.

Then, aomeone poured me a drink. Another guest started a story. The night resumed its performance.

At sa kalagitnaan ng masayang usapin ay umalingawngaw mula sa isang kilalang bisita ang seryosong tanong. Pero hindi ako sigurado kung dapat ko ba talaga iyong tawaging seryosong tanong.

“Jacob,” one of my sister’s guests said, grinning, clearly emboldened by alcohol. “Do you have any plans on getting married anytime soon?”

Ang tanong na iyon ang siyang nagpatahimik sa lahat. Huminto sila sa pagtawa at ang iba ay inihinto ang pag-uusap na para bang nag-abalang din sila kung ano ang isasagot ko.

I smiled.

Not serious, but a playful one.

I reached for the glass in front of me, fingers curling around the cool surface as I looked at the man who dared to ask.

“Not now,” kalmadong sambit ko. “That woman doesn’t seem to have an interest in me yet.”

The room erupted.

Someone laughed too loudly. Another whistled. A few joked about how impossible that was.

“Who wouldn’t be interested?” bulalas ng isang lalaking bisita.

“You’re handsome, powerful, rich—” he paused for a bit. “—and completely irresistible.”

I laughed along with them, tipping the glass slightly before taking a slow drink.

“Maybe,” I said lightly, lowering the glass, “she thinks I’m just playing with her.”

A few chuckles followed.

I continued, voice still casual, unthreatening.

“Besides,” I added, “she has to leave something first… and decide later.”

The laughter returned, louder this time. Jokes flew across the room. No one questioned my words. No one noticed the shift beneath them.

Wlaang ibang nakapansin niyon maliban sa kanya.

Si Elowen.

I lifted the bottle of beer to my lips, drinking as the room stayed alive around us.

And over the rim of the bottle, I glanced at Elowen.

Just for a second.

She didn’t smile. Neither laugh.

She only looked back at me. Eyes wide and unreadable. Like she knew exactly who those words were meant for.

Slowly… I moved my foot under the table. Just enough for it to brush against hers. A light, accidental-feeling contact. Not enough for anyone to notice. But enough for her to feel it.

She froze for a fraction of a second. I could see it in the corner of my eye.

Mula sa loob ng aking bibig ay tinusok ko ang kaliwa kong pisnge gamit ang aking dila ng maitago ang ngising kumukurba sa aking labi.

"You were supposed to be mine, I thought, watching her reaction, but this f*cker got his way to you first," inside my head.

And as I lifted my glass, pretending to join in the laughter of the others, I never took my eyes off her.

"Aagawin kita sa kanya..." sa isipan ko habang nagkatitigan kaming dalawa.

Ilang segundo lang din ang itinagal niyon dahil iniwas ko din ang tingin ko sa kanya. Tumutungga ako ng beer, pero bahagya pa ring nakangisi. At sa kalagitnaan ng tawanan ay natigilan ang lahat ng umalingawngaw ang malakas na tunog ng paghampas ng mesa.

"What are you doing, Uncle Jacob?" boses iyon ni Xavier.

Unti-unti akong bumaling sa kanya. At nang tuluyang nagtagpo ang aking tingin ay sobrang talim ng kanyang mga mata.

"Do you think... I'm st*pid?"

TO BE CONTINUED...