Prologue

Syvastian's eyes snapped open, greeted by the soft rays of the sun peeking through the curtains.

For a moment, he simply lay there, adjusting to the brightness, but the warmth of the morning quickly turned into something else entirely, when his gaze shifted to the other side of the bed.

Empty.

Nakaramdam siya ng pagkairita. He clenched his jaw tightly, the sheets crumpling in his hand. It made him angry because he never wanted to be left behind that easily.

Bakit wala na siya rito?

His mind was restless as he sat up. Ang ibang babaeng nakakasiping niya ay pinaghahanda pa siya ng agahan at inuunahan niya pang iwan. Bukod don ay hahabol-habulin la siya nito.

But this one… she slipped away as if she was never there in the first place.

For him, it was strange. He didn’t even know her name. Pero tandang-tanda niya ang mukha ng babae.

He hated the thought, but he knew the truth—she was in danger. Everyone who came close to him always ended up in harm’s way. That was the curse of being Matthew Villarama.

Now he was stressed, trying to figure out how he could protect a woman who had already vanished from his sight. Hindi niya kasi inaasahan na iiwan siya nito sa hotel. For all he knew, his enemies might already be watching her, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Mas lalo pa itong natigilan nang may marealize.

What if he got her pregnant?

He remembered clearly that he had not used any protection.

"Bullshit!" he cursed under his breath, running his hand over his face in frustration. That possibility complicated things even more.

He reached for his phone, the device is cold against his palm. Without hesitation, he dialed one of his most trusted men.

“Check the hotel’s CCTV. Look at every camera from the lobby to the parking lot. Trace their booking details. I wanna know her name now!” His tone was sharp, commanding, and impatient.

“Copy, boss…”

Dumeretso siya sa cr, hawak pa rin ang telepono, para kumuha ng tuwalyang ipangbabalot niya sa ibabang parte ng katawan. Pagtapos ay dumeretso ito sa may bintana at doon nagmuni-muni.

“You don’t know what you’ve walked into,” he whispered coldly, his voice barely audible even to himself.

Pero sa loob niya, alam niyang kasalanan niya rin. Siya ang nagdala sa babae sa sitwasyong ito.

A sudden vibration cut through his thoughts. He glanced at his phone. A new message flashed on the screen from an unknown number.

From: unknown

She already left the hotel. Alone. You might want to hurry, or else we’ll deliver her lifeless body to you.

He tightened his grip on the phone. His enemies never missed a chance. They had done this before... targeting the women he spent his nights with, mistaking them as his lovers. They believed they could break him by taking away someone he cared about.

That was one of the reasons he never allowed himself to fall for anyone. But there was another reason, one that ran deeper and darker.

Agad siyang nag-ayos mg sarili. Dahil bawat oras na naroon siya sa hotel ay mas lalong malalagay ang buhay ng babae sa alanganin. Or worst...hindi niya na ito abutan.

“Time to find her… before it’s too late,” he muttered, his voice filled with determination.

Syvastian had lived too long in the shadows. Sanay siyang pumatay at wala na lang sa kaniya ang pagdanak ng dugo, animo'y normal ito. Pero kahit na masamang tao siya hindi niya kailanman ginustong may inosenteng madamay.

Every move he made was being watched by his enemies, pero hindi na bago iyon sa kaniya, at ang babaeng akala niya ay siyang puntirya ng mga kalaban ay isang panlilinlang. He never expect that he was the target, this time.