CHAPTER TWO: THE SECRET OBSESSION

"Magandang araw po, Don Caesar at Don Philip!"

Tumango lang naman si Caesar sa mga katulong na bumati sa kaniya.

"Where's Ross?"

Ross was his only nephew. Ngunit halos pitong taon lang ang agwat nilang dalawa dahil maaga ring nag-asawa ang ama ni Ross habang si Caesar ay nasa elementarya pa lamang noon. Ross' father died in a plane crashwhile Ross was still a baby, kaya halos siya na rin ang nagtaguyod dito, but financially only.

Nakita naman ni Caesar ang biglang pag-aalinlangan sa pagsagot ng katulong. Nanliit ang mga mata ni Caesar.

"Tch, move," aniya sa katulong at kusa na siyang pumasok sa loob.

Pagkapasok, narinig kaagad ni Caesar ang hagikhikan sa may kitchen area. Ngunit hindi ang asawa ni Ross ang kasama nito, kundi ang mismong pinsan ng asawa nito. Hindi tanga si Caesar upang hindi niya mahalata na may namamagitan sa dalawa.

Somehow... he felt cunningly relieved.

"Ohhh, what kind of a little affair is this?" natatawang wika ni Philip, na kaibigan niya, nang mapagtanto din ang sitwasyon sa harap nila.

"Shut up, Philip..."

"And you're not even angry about him having an affair behind his fiancee's back?"

"Why would I?" walang buhay na sagot nito. "Buhay niya 'yan. It's only a matter of time bago masira ang buhay niya..."

Imbes na awatin at istorbohin ang pamangkin, napatitig na lamang si Caesar sa malaking portrait sa harap niya. Isang malaking larawan iyon ng fiancee ni Ross. Caesar could not help but admire how simple, yet so elegant Ross' fiancee is. Despite wearing glasses that might make her look nerdy, hindi pa rin naitago ang maganda nitong mukha—and her irresistible charisma.

"Oh Christ, Caesar! Now I know why you never care about your nephew cheating... It's because you like his fiancee—"

"Shut up, Philip!" agad na saway ni Caesar, naiinis na baka may makarinig sa sasabihin nito.

"Chill! There's no one around," natatawang wika nito. "But are you for real? You cannot lie to me, Caesar. Those eyes while you're staring at her... they are full of obsession."

"Tch." Hindi na nakatanggi si Caesar.

"God! So the famous, aloof Don Caesar is finally in love with someone nine years younger than him—and worst, with his nephew's fiancee!" gulat ngunit nang-aasar na bulalas ng kaibigan.

"Right, I want her, Philip..." Biglang ngumisi si Don Caesar, saka muling tumitig sa larawan ni Rizzy. "I really do want her... to the point that I'm even thinking of killing my own nephew just to have her." Caesar's fingers ran through his hair frustratedly.

"Holy Moly, Caesar! Don't you ever do that! Tandaan mo, si Ross na lang ang pamilya mo. Fuck. And dude, you're scaring me too..."

Napangiti na lang si Caesar. Philip would never know what he had already done and was willing to do. Just like his nephew Ross, who was willing to kill him just to get the company he owned.

Of course, Caesar knew it all. Alam niya ang balak ng tuso niyang pamangkin.

Ngunit kailan ba nagsimula ang pagkagusto niya kay Rizzy?

It all started when Ross introduced her to him. Sa una ay namangha lang siya dahil sa kasimplehan nito. But she was too timid at palaging nasa kay Ross lang ang atensyon. Nang tumagal, hindi na napigilan ni Caesar na pagmasdan ang babae.

Mahiyain, simpleng manamit, at walang arte sa katawan. Actually, she was the type of girl anyone would barely notice, but for Caesar, she was something.

Hindi siya masyadong pinapansin ng babae. Babatiin lang siya nito, saka siya lalayasan. Kahit ilang beses na siyang nakituloy sa bahay nina Ross, halos hindi siya pansinin ng babae. As if iniiwasan siya nito, or... she was just never interested in him.

And that was when Caesar's obsession started... He wants her attention, too.

Nabalik sa reyalidad si Caesar nang gulat na tawagin siya ni Ross kasama ang kerida nito.

"U-uncle? Why are you here?! And Uncle Philip?!"

"Yoo, Ross!" ani Philip.

"Why wouldn't I be here? I'm just visiting you," giit naman ni Caesar.

"But you should have informed me first—"

"Am I not free to visit you?"

"Ahh, that's not what I mean, Uncle!" Nabalisa naman si Ross at bumaling sa babae nito. "A-ahh, wala pala si Rizzy coz she was on vacation. So I'm currently discussing the wedding with her cousin. S-so I'm with Rizzy's cousin... she is Jeanette."

Ngumiti naman ang babae at malagkit na tumingin sa kanilang dalawa ni Philip. Sinadya pa nitong yumuko nang mas mababa sa pagbati upang ipakita ang cleavage nito.

"Hi po, Uncles! I'm Jeanette po, I'm discussing details about the wedding since wala po si ate Rizzy." Biglang nag-pout ito. "Actually, I dunno why Sis would go on a vacation at a busy time like this. She should be discussing everything with her husband. But before she left po, pinakiusap niya na ako na muna ang magde-decide sa lahat habang nasa vacation siya. Hays, she really looks uninterested in the wedding," paggawa-gawa nito ng kuwento.

"Uninterested?" ulit ni Philip.

"Yes, Sir Philip! Lahat inaasa niya sa akin, pero sino ba naman ako para tanggihan siya? She's even too lazy to learn house chores, kahit pinipilit ko siyang turuan—"

"Bitch," mahinang bulong ni Caesar saka nito nilayasan ang dalawa. Sumunod naman si Philip na sinubukan siyang sawayin sa sinabi habang papunta sila sa veranda. Naiwan namang natameme si Ross at si Jeanette, hindi inaasahan ang maririnig mula sa tiyuhin.

He would have slapped Ross' bitch if he just stayed a little longer.

Hinithit ni Caesar ang sigarilyo. After the incident just now, mas lalong tinimbang ni Caesar ang desisyon niya—ang pabayaan si Ross sa buhay nito, or... agawin si Rizzy.

Hindi na rin kasi makapagpigil si Caesar. Lalong lumala ang pagka-obsess niya kay Rizzy.

He really wanted her...

Caesar even dreamed of seeing the innocent Rizzy in a naughty dress on his bed... Or what her body looked like under those loose dresses, and how that innocent face would react with pleasure.

He wanted to be the only one to discover it.

"Fuck..." stressed na bulalas ni Caesar habang tinatanaw ang malawak na hardin sa ibaba—a place where Rizzy mostly spent her time, and where Caesar would just watch her from afar.

Suddenly, an unknown number rang. Caesar answered it grimly.

"Who the h—"

"Uncle... This is Rizzy."

Natigilan naman si Caesar. "R-rizzy?"

"Yes, Uncle. Can we meet now... but in secret?"

Rizzy wants to meet him in secret? Why?