CHAPTER 4

SERAFINA'S POV

I stayed in the garden for a few more minutes. Kailangan kong pakalmahin ang sarili ko.

Unfortunately, hindi ganoon kadaling mawala ang inis ko.

I was still furious.

Pero at least, wala rito si Enzo, wala rin si Tiana. At ang pinakamahalaga, walang nakakakita sa akin na gusto ko nang ihagis ang asawa ko sa swimming pool.

Huminga ako nang malalim bago tuluyang bumalik sa ballroom.

I had to remember my role. I am Serafina Carvajal, the quiet and obedient wife. The woman who never complained and always did exactly what her husband told her to do.

At least…

Iyon ang alam nila.

Because if they knew what was actually running through my head. I was pretty sure someone would call an exorcist.

Pagpasok ko ulit sa ballroom, sinalubong ako ng ingay ng mga bisita. May mga nagtatawanan. May mga nag-uusap tungkol sa negosyo. May ilang babae namang abala sa pagkuha ng litrato at abala rin sa payabangan sa mga materyal na bagay na mayron sila.

I was about to return to Enzo's side when something caught my attention or rather.. someone.

Huminto ako.

May isang lalaki sa kabilang bahagi ng ballroom. Hindi ko agad maalis ang mga mata ko sa kanya.

Well, that was unexpected. Hindi ko naman siya kilala, pero kahit hindi ko alam kung sino siya, hindi ko maikakailang napansin ko agad ang presensya niya.

Matangkad siya. Hindi iyong ordinaryong matangkad lang. He had the kind of height and build that made the people around him seem smaller without him even trying. Maayos ang tindig niya, relaxed pero hindi casual.

Suot niya ang isang dark suit na mukhang custom-made para sa katawan niya. Hindi iyon sobrang fitted, pero sapat para mapansin ang lapad ng balikat at ang athletic build niya.

Okay. Infairness...

I tilted my head slightly.

Who is that?

Hindi ko man makita nang malinaw mula sa kinatatayuan ko, pero halata namang hindi ordinaryong tao ang lalaking iyon.

Hindi siya maingay. Hindi siya nakikipagtawanan. Hindi rin siya mukhang interesado sa kung ano mang nangyayari sa paligid niya. Nakatayo lang siya roon habang may kausap na ilang lalaki, pero sa tuwing gumagalaw siya... People noticed.

Napansin ko ang ilang babaeng palihim na tumitingin sa kanya at mukhang hindi ako ang nag-iisang nakatitig sa kanya.

Hindi ko lang talaga alam kung bakit. Maybe because he was handsome.

No, scratch that. He is very handsome.

Mula sa malayo, halatang masculine ang features niya, sharp, defined, hindi iyong tipong pretty boy. May kakaibang appeal sa mukha niya, isang bagay na hindi nangangailangan ng ngiti para mapansin. At nang bahagya siyang lumingon.

Oh. My. God.

Napakurap ako.

Okay, that face should come with a warning.

His dark hair was neatly styled, though a few strands rested naturally against his forehead, his jaw was sharp, his nose straight.

At kahit hindi siya nakangiti, may kung anong dangerous charm sa paraan ng pagkakatingin niya sa paligid. Hindi ko maipaliwanag.

But some people carried a presence so commanding that even in silence, the entire room seemed to revolve around them.

Ganito ang dating niya. Hindi siya kailangang magsalita nang malakas. Hindi niya kailangang ipakita kung gaano siya kayaman. Hindi niya kailangang gumawa ng kahit ano. He simply existed. And somehow… Everyone noticed.

Including me.

Wow, sinong nagpa-unlock ng ganitong character?

Akma kong ibabaling ang tingin sa iba nang may narinig akong bulungan mula sa grupo ng mga babaeng nakatayo malapit sa akin.

“Is that really him?”

Agad akong napatingin sa kanila. Ang mga mata nila ay nakatuon sa lalaking kanina ko pa pinagmamasdan.

“That’s Cassius Aristotle.”

Bigla akong nanigas.

Wait. What?

“That famous trillionaire tycoon?” tanong ng isa.

Tumango ang babae.

“Himself. Cassius Aristotle.”

“He looks even better in person.”

“Of course, he does.”

“He's the most powerful business tycoon in the country.”

“And the richest.”

“Imagine having that much money.”

“Imagine having him.”

Nagkatinginan ang mga babae bago nagtawanan.

Pero ako?

Hindi ako makagalaw.

Cassius Aristotle.

Slowly, I turned my head toward the man again. And suddenly, I remembered.

Oh, no wonder.

No wonder he looked familiar. No wonder his presence felt different. No wonder I had this strange feeling that I had seen that face before.

Because I had.

Inside the novel. Cassius Aristotle, the villain.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko.

The villain is hot.

I immediately mentally slapped myself.

Serafina! Priorities!

That was him. The ruthless villain of The Betrayed Wife. The business tycoon everyone feared. The man who controlled a massive empire and had businesses in almost every major industry.

And most importantly, Enzo Carvajal's greatest business rival.

Natatandaan kong nabasa ko ang tungkol sa kanya. Cassius wasn't the male lead. He wasn't supposed to save anyone. He wasn't supposed to get a happy ending.

He was the villain, the cold, ruthless and dangerous man in the novel.

The kind of man who would destroy another company before breakfast and probably drink expensive coffee afterward.

According to the novel, he was the biggest obstacle to Enzo's success. Their companies had competed for years.

Business deals. Investments. Properties. Everything.

Cassius Aristotle always seemed to be standing on the opposite side.

And yet…

I looked at him again.

The author forgot to mention something.

The villain was ridiculously handsome.

Honestly, if I were the author... I would have made him the male lead.

Hindi ko namalayan na nakatitig na pala ako sa kanya ng matagal.

Kaya naman nang lumingon siya sa direksyon ko. Nahuli niya ako. Nagkabanggaan ang mga mata namin. Saglit kong napigilan ang paghinga.

For one strange second, everything around me seemed to disappear. His eyes were dark, steady and intensely focused. Not warm. Not friendly.

Just… Penetrating.

Parang isang tingin lang niya, kaya niyang malaman kung ano ang iniisip ko.

My heart suddenly beat faster.

What the hell?

Agad kong inalis ang tingin ko. Hindi ko alam kung bakit. Maybe because I wasn't supposed to be staring at him. Or maybe because there was something unnerving about being noticed by the villain of the novel.

Whatever it was... Ayoko nang malaman. I was already married.

Technically.

At higit sa lahat, mayroon na akong sapat na problema. I was trapped inside a ridiculous novel. I had a cheating husband. May kabit ang asawa ko. And apparently, puwede akong parusahan ng story kapag hindi ko sinunod ang plot.

I definitely didn't need a ridiculously handsome villain adding complications to my life.