Chapter 02

Hindi mapakali si Larry habang nasa loob ng private jet. The view of the clouds was peaceful, but his mind? It was a chaotic server room. Hawak niya ang kanyang iPad, nakatitig sa chat log nila ni MrProdigyX.

Hindi ito tungkol sa seven thousand dollars. It was about the data. It was about the past. Pinikit niya ang kanyang mga mata. And there, biglang bumalik sa kanyang ala-ala ang lahat.

Beep beep beep

Five years ago, ​ang tunog ng heart monitor ang unang bumungad sa pandinig ni Larry. His head felt like it was splitting in half, parang may rumaragasang truck sa loob ng utak niya. Dahan-dahan niyang idinilat ang kanyang mga mata, puro puti ang paligid and the sterile scent ng hospital.

​"Gising siya! Doc! Gising na po siya!"

​Isang boses ang narinig niya, malambing pero puno ng urgency. Isang babae ang mabilis na lumapit sa kama niya. She was stunning, kahit na halatang puyat at pagod. Her eyes were filled with genuine concern na hindi pa niya nakikita kahit kanino noon.

Larry tried to sit up, pero nanakit ang buong katawan niya. Napatingin siya sa paligid. Everything felt foreign.

​"Who are you?" hingal na tanong niya. His voice was raspy, parang galing pa siya sa impiyerno. "Where am I?"

​"I’m Lillia, and you're still here in Azerbia." sagot ng babae, habang hinahawakan ang kamay niya. "Naaksidente ka sa coastal road a week ago. Nakita kitang duguan sa loob ng sasakyan mo. I had no choice but to pull you out before it exploded and brought you here."

A week ago? ​Larry tried to search his memory, pero puro itim. Ang naalala lang niya ay ang huling eksena; the screeching tires, the blinding headlights, and the feeling of falling. ​He looked at Lillia. The way she cared, the way her eyes showed genuine concern for a complete stranger. Isang linggo na pala siyang tulog pero si Lillia ang nag-aalaga sa kanya.

Doon nagsimula ang lahat. Mula sa pagiging 'nobody' sa isang bayan na walang nakakakilala sa kanya, nahanap ni Larry ang katahimikang matagal na niyang hinahanap sa piling ni Lillia. Hindi siya nagparamdam sa Berlington, hindi siya naghanap ng signal. He literally ghosted his own empire.

​Sa loob ng ilang buwan, Lillia became his world. Siya ang taga-timpla ng kape niya, taga-basa ng libro, at ang nagturo sa kanya na ang buhay ay hindi lang puro stocks at tech innovations.

​"Alam mo, Larry," sabi ni Lillia isang gabi habang nakatanaw sila sa dagat, "para kang bituin na naligaw sa lugar namin. Ang ningning mo, pero parang ang bigat ng dinadala mo."

​Hindi na nagdalawang-isip si Larry. He surrendered his guard. Sa bawat araw na lumilipas, mas lumalalim ang connection nila. Until one night, in the middle of a thunderstorm, their boundaries blurred. The vulnerability turned into passion. It was intense, raw, and felt like the ultimate seal of their connection.

​Pero gaya ng lahat ng magandang panaginip, may biglang 'glitch' na dumating.

​Isang hapon, bumalik sila sa ospital para sa final check-up ni Larry. Ang doktor na nakasanayan na ang mukha ni Larry, ay seryosong tumingin sa mga lab results na hawak nito.

​"Mr. Sy," panimula ng doktor, sabay salamin. "Based on the internal trauma you sustained due to the severe internal damage during the accident, ang chance mo na magkaroon ng biological child is practically zero. The trauma was too extreme. Hindi ka na makakapag-anak."

​Parang huminto ang ikot ng mundo. Ramdam ni Larry ang panlalamig ng kamay ni Lillia sa hawak niya. ​Lumabas sila ng ospital na tahimik. Larry felt like he was hit by a truck all over again. This time, it wasn’t his body that was broken, but his legacy. Sa isip niya, he was a failure. Paano siya makakapagtayo ng empire kung wala naman siyang heir?

​Dahil sa sobrang pride at heartbreak, he made a choice. He thought he was doing Lillia a favor by leaving. Hindi niya matanggap na hindi niya mabibigyan ang babaeng mahal niya ng pamilya na deserve nito.

​He left before the sun could rise. Iniwan niya si Lillia sa Azerbia. Unbeknownst to him, may nabuo na palang maliit na buhay sa sinapupunan ni Lillia, isang batang lalaki na nagdadala ng talino niya. ​The very same kid who, five years later, would hack his system and sell him his own mom.

Pagbalik niya sa Berlington that time, akala niya ay makakauwi siya sa isang sanctuary. Instead, he walked into a corporate boardroom ambush.

​Naalala pa niya yung dinner sa mansion. The crystal chandeliers felt like they were mocking him. His father, with that cold, calculating gaze, set his steak knife down with a clink that echoed like a death sentence.

​"Larry, we’ve analyzed your condition," panimula ng Papa niya. His mother was just staring at her wine glass, avoiding his eyes.

"Since the medical report confirms you’re biologically incapable of producing an heir, we’ve made a decision. The Sy Corporation, all the shares, and the board seat? They go to your sister."

​His sister, who was heavily pregnant at the time, offered him a sympathetic, yet patronizing smile. "Don't worry, kuya. I’m sure you’ll find a hobby. Or maybe adopt a puppy?"

​Parang binuhusan ng yelo ang buong katawan ni Larry. Ang legacy na inalay niya ang buhay niya para protektahan, ninakaw sa kanya dahil lang sa isang malfunctioning na DNA.

Sa gabing yun, sa gitna ng marangyang dining hall, narealize niya ang kababawan ng lahat. Ang pera, ang stocks, ang power? Lahat yun ay basura kumpara sa init ng kamay ni Lillia sa Azerbia.

​Sa kagustuhan niyang maging 'perfect' para kay Lillia, he chose to be a coward. He ghosted her, thinking it was a sacrifice. Buti pa kay Lillia, tanggap siya kahit wala siyang maibigay na biological legacy.

She loved him for his soul, for his weird morning coffee habits, and for the way he watched the sunset. ​He had a normal life within his grasp, and he threw it away for pride.

​Determined to fix his biggest mistake, he went back to Azerbia a few months after his recovery. Iwanan na ang empire, iwanan na ang legacy. He just wanted her. ​Pero pagdating niya sa maliit na bahay sa coastal road, it was empty.

​The garden where they used to read books was overgrown with weeds. The scent of her jasmine perfume was gone, replaced by the salty, lonely air of the coast.

Nagtanong-tanong siya sa mga kapitbahay, pero nobody knew where she went. Para siyang bula na naglaho. He spent millions, used his private trackers, and exhausted his resources, pero si Lillia? She was a ghost he couldn't trace.