LOGINSinubukan ko ulit makinig, pero nag-iba na ang usapan nila, napunta na sa pagsusugal at kung magkano ang makukuha nilang pera.There's a woman here. It's not just me and my children. There's someone else also here, being locked up and tortured because of me. Nandito rin kaya siya sa silid na ito? Kung wala, nasa ibang silid? I didn't even know what kind of place we're in! Nasa bodega ba kami? Sa lumang bahay? Shit!At anong gagawin nila sa akin? Why am I the target? What do they want from me? The thought of the enemy watching me, planning this sophisticated abduction, chilled me to my bones. It wasn't just a random heist, it was a personal, calculated vendetta.Hindi ko na alam kung anong oras na, basta narinig ko na lang na may biglang bumagsak sa aking harapan, kasabay noon ang isang galit na boses sa aking gilid."Kumain ka!"Kasabay noon ang pagtanggal niya sa aking piring. Agad kong ipinikit ang aking mga mata nang tumama ang nakakasilaw na liwanag ng bumbilya sa aking mukha. Kin
MAYA'S POVAkala ko katapusan ko na. All I could think about were my two children. Nasaan sila? Ligtas ba ang mga anak ko? The sheer terror of not knowing where they were was eating me alive. Before the darkness completely consumed my mind earlier, the last thing I remembered was the sound of their small, terrified screams.A mother's worst nightmare is being powerless to protect her own blood, and that realization was tearing my soul apart.Nagising ako sa isang kaluskos sa aking paligid. When I tried to open my eyes, itim na itim ang nakikita ko. My eyes were covered with a thick, dark fabric. Nakaupo ako sa isang silya habang nakatali nang mahigpit ang aking mga kamay at paa.Sinubukan kong igalaw ang mga pulso ko, pero bawat kilos ko ay lalong bumaon ang magaspang na lubid sa balat ko.Kinabahan agad ako. Panic seized my throat.I heard heavy footsteps nearing me. Napaayos ako ng aking upo, lubos na kinakabahan habang sinusubukang pakiramdaman at tignan ang mga taong iyon kahit pa
NIKOLAI'S POV"I need your help."Humalakhak ulit siya, a sound that made my blood boil.Fvck this man!"Uh-uh, where's your so-called family security? Useless? Now you're crawling back to me to seek help? What's our deal this time, Sandoval?"Nilagok niya ang kaniyang whiskey saka tumayo. He towered over the space, radiating power and dominance, treating my agony like a comedy show. Alam kong aabot sa ganito ang usapan, pero pwede bang mamaya na iyan? I have a family to save for God's sake! Minutes matter!"Rustom. I need your men. The fraternity..."Sumenyas siya sa kaniyang mga tauhan na ibaba ang mga baril nito bago ako hinarap, both hands in his pockets."The fraternity isn't someone to clean your ass, Nikolai. None of the members use the fraternity to save someone's life who isn't even part of it. The person you want to save is not one of us. Not even you... anymore. You know the rules, Nikolai. Once you're out, there's no coming back."My jaw tightened."I know the rules! Fvck,
NIKOLAI'S POVI feel like my world stopped. From the moment my father said those words, it felt like someone was digging a grave for me."What....."Hindi ko mahanap ang tamang salita. My chest is booming and my mind is starting to panic. Hindi maaari. Hindi sila pwedeng makuha. My heart hammered against my ribs so violently it was deafening. The air in the place suddenly turned into ice, suffocating me, paralyzing every muscle in my body as the horrific reality began to sink in.Dad pulled out his phone then called someone."I want men right now!"Doon lang ako tuluyang nabalik sa aking ulirat. Mabilis kong tinawagan si Leo. My hands were shaking. Dad looked at me with so much concern but I couldn't care less. All I wanted this time was to fvcking find my family!"Leo!"Mabilis akong pumasok sa aking sasakyan. Pinaandar ko agad iyon. Sa peripheral vision ko, nakita ko ang pagmamadali ring pagsakay ni Dad pabalik sa kaniyang sasakyan upang sundan ako. Agad ko namang pinaharurot ang ak
NIKOLAI'S POV"The Sandoval Group is globally recognized as one of the most reliable security and technology structures in the upper market, Leo. But what the fvck happened now? You all suddenly became stupid and incompetent," hasik ko, ang boses ko ay nagpababa ng tingin ng lahat.Mabilis na napayuko ang kaniyang mga kasamang tauhan sa tindi ng takot sa nagbabanta kong awra.Leo remained looking at me, his face tight."We’re still trying our best to solve this, Sir..."Umiling ako at muli akong natawa nang mapakla."I already gave you enough time, Leo. I don't want to cost any trouble or danger for my wife again. I want to get the goddamn answer now. I want the exact, unfiltered report of Winona Trinidad's real disappearance seven years ago.""Give us 24 hours, Sir. We promise to deliver that head to you," mariing sagot ni Leo bago sumaludo.After that brief, cold confrontation, I dismissed them with a flick of my wrist.Kinuyom ko ang aking mga kamao habang sinusundan ng tingin ang
NIKOLAI'S POVSeven years ago, I almost lost Maya, and those years without her felt completely empty. Para akong pinapatay araw-araw. It was a slow, torturous death that was far more painful than the physical trauma of my near-fatal accident. It was soul-crushing. Araw-araw, nilalason ko ang sarili kong utak sa pag-iisip na hindi niya naman talaga ako minahal, na baka tumakbo siya dahil napilitan lang siya.Dahil sa huli, sino ba naman ako? I’m just a ruthless, arrogant man who stole her from my own brother. I called her names to guard my pride, pushed her to the limits, and even tried to play with her heart just to remind myself of the bad blood between our families.Maybe a twisted part of me back then wanted her to suffer, to pay for the sins of her mother that tore my own parents apart. Maybe I wanted to hurt her, not physically, but mentally and emotionally, to balance the scale of pain in my head. I wanted to see her break so I wouldn't have to break alone.Pero hindi ko kaya. I
“Ano?! Kasal? Nababaliw ka na ba?!”Halos mapasigaw ako sa loob ng kotse. Mabuti na lang at malalim na ang tulog ni Tala kaya hindi siya nagising. Agad kong binawi ang kamay ko mula sa pagkakahawak niya at dinala ang sarili ko palapit sa pinto ng kotse, palayo kay Nikolai.“You think marriage is ju
Halos lumabas ang mga mata ko sa gulat. Tumingin ako kay Nikolai na kasalukuyang nakatitig sa amin na parang nakakita ng multo. Ang mukha niya kanina na punong-puno ng galit ay biglang napalitan ng matinding kalituhan.“No! I won’t go home unless Auntie Maya comes with us! I want her to be my new m
“Huhuhu… Daddy… Where are you?”Mas lalong lumakas ang iyak ng bata habang sumasabay ang buhos ng ulan. Bilang isang mabuting tao, lumapit ako, binalewala ang sarili kong basang damit at ang sakit sa puso. Agad akong lumuhod sa harap niya para mapantayan siya.“Hey, sweetie… Bakit ka nandito sa ula
MAYA'S POV“Go, Kenji! Wooo!”Halos mawalan ako ng boses sa pagsigaw habang iwinawagayway ang hawak kong banner sa VIP section ng Grand Apex Velocity Arena. Ang ingay ng paligid. Bawat ugong ng makina ng mga sports car ay yumayanig sa dibdib ko. Pero wala akong pakialam. Lahat ng pagod ko bilang co







