Chapter 2

Gabriel

My hands trembled as I hurried down the long hotel corridor, the distant music and laughter from my wedding clashing with the pounding of my heart, which echoed my inner chaos and sense of alienation.

I felt as though I were slowly walking toward my own grave, overwhelmed by a mix of fear and despair that made each step heavier than the last. The tuxedo I wore, which should have been a symbol of my triumph tonight, felt more like a suffocating cage, its invisible bars pressing against my chest and stealing away my breath, as if the air itself was constricting around me.

Huminto ang guwardiya sa tapat ng isang magara at pribadong opisina sa dulong bahagi ng hotel. Walang kung ano-anong binuksan niya ang p***o at sumenyas na pumasok ako sa loob. Nang tuluyan akong nakapasok, narinig ko ang marahas na pag-click ng pagkakasara ng p***o sa aking likuran. The guard locked the door. Ikinulong ako kasama ang demonyong nagmamay-ari na ng aking buhay ngayon.

Sa loob ng silid, tanging ang liwanag mula sa mga ilaw ng lungsod sa labas at ang mahinang ilaw sa lampshade sa gilid ang nagbibigay ng anyo sa paligid. At doon, sa gitna ng kadiliman, nakaupo sa leather na swivel chair ang isang lalaking nagpapatakbo ng aking mga bangungot—si Kael Santander.

Naka-upo siya nang tuwid sa isang mamahaling leather chair, suot ang isang mamahaling, custom-tailored charcoal-gray suit na walang kahit isang lukot. Ang kaniyang matipunong pangangatawan ay nagpapahiwatig ng nag-uumapaw na kapangyarihan. Hawak niya sa kaniyang kanang kamay ang isang baso ng whiskey, dahan-dahang iniikot ito upang marinig ang marahang kalansing ng yelo. Nang iangat niya ang kaniyang mukha, sinalubong ko ang kaniyang mga mata.

If there were one word to describe him, it would be heartless, completely devoid of empathy or warmth.

There wasn’t a trace of emotion in his eyes—only pure ice. His reputation in the business world and in the darker circles of high society was known to everyone. He was notorious for being ruthless—a man who could bring entire empires crashing down without mercy, caring little about the lives he ruined as long as he got what he wanted. Unbeknownst to many, a tragic past or a personal code might drive his relentless pursuit of power.

And now, his cold, deadly presence seemed to suck all the air out of the room, leaving a palpable tension that everyone felt but dared not break.

“K-Kael...” pautal kong binitawan ang kaniyang pangalan. Ang boses kong kilala sa katatagan sa mga boardroom ay tunog basang sisiw ngayon. “Why are you h-here? It’s my wedding day. Sabi mo... sabi mo bibigyan mo ako ng panahon,” napalunok kong sabi.

Isang malamig at maikling ngisi ang gumuhit sa mga labi ni Kael, ngunit hindi umabot sa kaniyang mga mata. Ipinatong niya ang baso ng whiskey sa lamesa nang walang ingay.

“Panahon, Gabriel?” His voice was low and deep, a rich baritone that sent an unsettling shiver down my spine. “How many months have I given you? I gave you more than enough time to think, to find a way out. But instead of paying me back, you had the audacity to throw the most extravagant wedding of the year using money that should already be in my hands.”

“Hindi sa akin ang perang ginamit dito! Sa mga Samonte ito! Sila ang may mas malaking ambag sa kasalang ito dahil sa negosyo.” Mabilis kong pagtatanggol sa sarili, habang lumalapit sa kaniyang lamesa, nakatukod ang aking mga nanginginig na palad. “Iyon ang dahilan kung bakit ko pinakasalan si Elora! Ang business merger ng mga Monteverde at Samonte ang magliligtas sa akin! Kapag nag-isa ang mga ari-arian namin, mababayaran kita!”

Tumayo si Kael mula sa kaniyang upuan. Sa kaniyang taas at tindig, mistula siyang isang higanteng lalamon sa akin. Humakbang siya palapit, bawat sapatos niya ay nag-iiwan ng mabigat na tunog sa sahig. “Huwag mo akong gawing gago, Gabriel,” bulong niya, ngunit ang bawat salita ay parang patalim na bumabaon sa pagkatao ko. “Kahit pagsamahin mo ang lahat ng shares, ang lahat ng lupain, at ang lahat ng ari-arian ng pamilya mo at ng pamilya ng bago mong asawa...hindi sasapat iyon.”

Napaatras ako. Alam ko ang totoo. Alam ko kung gaano kalalim ang hukay na aking hinukay para sa aking sarili.

“Limampung bilyong piso, Gabriel. Fifty billion pesos,” Kael repeated the words, emphasizing each number as if deliberately reminding me of the chains that bound me. “Iyan ang halaga ng utang mo sa akin sa casino. Iyan ang halaga ng pagiging sugapa mo. At ngayon, dumating na ang takdang panahon ng paniningil. Walang palugit. Walang bukas. Ngayong gabi, gusto ko ang kabayaran.

“Let me remind you, Gabriel. This is my hotel, and all of your relatives are here. Why don’t we give them a surprise? Why don’t you invite me to your wedding and tell them that you owe a billion? Isn’t that a good idea?” sarkastiko niya.

“Pakiusap, Kael! Magmakaawa ako sa iyo!” biglang nanghina ang aking mga tuhod. Ang takot na malaman ng aking pamilya, ng media, at ng buong mundo ang aking ginawang kahangalan ay nagtulak sa akin na tuluyang isuko ang aking dangal. “Kapag nalaman ng ama ko ito, itatakwil niya ako! Masisira ang pangalan ng mga Monteverde at mamamatay ang kompanya namin!”

“I don’t give a damn about your company, and I care even less about your name,” mariing sagot ni Kael. Tinalikuran niya ako at humarap sa malaking salaming bintana, pinapanood ang malalakas na hampas ng ulan sa labas. “Ang pamilya mo...ang pamilya Samonte...pare-pareho lang kayong mga sakim. Ngunit ikaw, Gabriel, ikaw ang pinakatalunan sa kanilang lahat. Dahil ngayong gabi, kung wala kang maibibigay na kabayaran, sisiguraduhin kong bago sumikat ang araw bukas, nasa kulungan ka na at basag na ang buhay mo.”

“Ano ang gusto mo? Sabihin mo sa akin! Anong kabayaran ang gusto mo?!” sigaw ko, kasabay ng pag-agos ng malamig na pawis sa aking likod. Gagawin ko ang lahat. Kahit ano, huwag lang akong mabulok sa kulungan. Kahit ano, huwag lang mawala ang karangyaan at kapangyarihang tinatamasa ko.

Dahan-dahang lumingon si Kael. Ang kaniyang mukha ay nabalot muli ng kadiliman, ngunit ang kaniyang mga mata ay may kakaibang kislap—isang kislap ng isang mangangaso na sa wakas ay nahuli ang kaniyang pinakamalaking biktima. Ipinasok niya ang kaniyang mga kamay sa bulsa ng kaniyang pantalon, at sa isang napakalamig na tono ng kaniyang boses, binitawan niya ang mga salitang magpababago sa takbo ng aking buhay.

“Gusto ko ng kabayaran na katumbas ng limampung bilyon mo, Gabriel. At alam nating dalawa kung ano... o sino... ang tanging bagay na may halaga sa iyo ngayong gabi o mahalaga nga ba.”

Napatitig ako sa kaniya, naguguluhan at natatakot sa kung anong naglalaro sa kaniyang madilim na isipan. Isang kabayaran na alam kong magiging simula ng aking tuluyang pagkawasak. Sino o ano ang magiging kabayaran?

Kael

I watched the final pieces of Gabriel Monteverde’s dignity crumble right in front of me. Standing there in his custom black tuxedo, he looked like a pathetic shell of a man, suffocating under the weight of his own foolishness.

His chest heaved with shallow, desperate breaths, and his eyes darted around my office like a trapped animal looking for a way out. He thought he was a king tonight, celebrating the grandest wedding of the high society, but to me, he was nothing more than a debtor whose time had finally run out.

His trembling hands clutched at his lapel, and a bead of sweat traced a line down his temple, betraying his inner turmoil. I slowly swirled the amber liquid in my glass, listening to the sharp, rhythmic clinking of the ice against the crystal.

The faint sound echoed heavily in the room’s tense silence, dimly lit by a single flickering lamp casting long shadows. I didn’t need to raise my voice. My presence alone was a heavy cage, locking him in with the reality he had been desperately trying to run away from, the oppressive atmosphere pressing down on us both.

“Gusto ko ng kabayaran na katumbas ng dalawampung bilyon mo, Gabriel,” I repeated. “Or maybe half of it. I will accept half of what you owed me. Pag-iisipan ko na lang kung kailan ko sisingilin ang kalahati.”

He stared back at me, his face turning entirely pale. The sheer confusion and terror in his eyes were almost amusing. He was a Monteverde—born with a golden spoon, raised to believe that everything in this world could be bought, settled, or hidden behind their powerful family name. But tonight, his family name was worthless. His father’s billions couldn’t save him because his father didn’t even know his son had gambled away their legacy in my casinos.

“S-Sino...?” Gabriel’s voice cracked, a mere whisper that barely carried across the desk. He took a hesitant step back, his hands trembling so violently that he had to grip the edge of the leather chairs just to keep himself steady. “Anong ibig mong sabihin, Kael? Walang iba...walang kahit ano sa akin na nagkakahalaga ng limampu’t limang bilyon. Pakiusap, pag-usapan natin ito nang maayos. Mag-aambag ang mga Samonte sa kompanya, bigyan mo lang ako ng isang buwan—”

“I don’t bargain with desperate men, Gabriel,” I cut him off, my voice dropping into a dangerous, quiet baritone. I set my glass down on the mahogany table with a soft, final thud. I walked over to him, my heavy footsteps counting down the remaining seconds of his freedom. “And do not speak that name in my presence.” Ang tinutukoy ko ay ang pamilyang Samonte.

The moment that name left his pathetic lips, a familiar, burning wrath flared deep within my chest. Akala niya, ang pagpapakasal kay Elora Samonte ang magiging daan niya tungo sa kaligtasan. Akala niya, sa pakikipag-alyansa niya sa pamilyang iyon, makakakuha siya ng panangga para maitago ang sarili niya mula sa akin. Wala siyang kamalay-malay na sa pagpasok ng isang Samonte sa buhay niya, siya mismo ang nag-abot sa akin ng perpektong sandata.

Ang mga Samonte—ang mismong mga utak sa likod ng kasakiman na sumira sa aking pamilya. Ang mga taong buong pagmamalaking itinayo ang kanilang imperyo sa ibabaw ng mga pagkawasak ng aking kabataan. Ang walang muwang kong nakaraan.

Sa loob ng maraming taon, hinintay ko ang perpektong pagkakataon upang gumanti, upang hilahin sila pababa sa putik, gaya ng ginawa nila sa amin. At ngayon, tila ang mismong tadhana na ang naghatid sa akin ng kanilang pinakamamahal na anak, diretso sa aking mga kamay—nakabalot sa isang puting damit na animo’y simbolo ng langit. But no. I’ll give her hell.

“You still don’t get it, do you?” I leaned in closer, forcing him to look directly into my eyes, ensuring he could see the absolute lack of empathy inside them. “You want a way out. You want to keep your precious name untarnished. You want to walk back into that ballroom and pretend you’re still the perfect, untouchable heir. I can give you all of that, Gabriel. I can erase every single cent of your fifty billion debt tonight. Perhaps.”

Gabriel looked up, a sudden, pathetic spark of hope igniting in his tear-stained eyes. “G-Gagawin mo ‘yan? Paano? Sabihin mo sa akin, Kael. Kahit ano. Kahit ano basta huwag mo lang akong ipahiya at ipakulong. Ano ang kapalit?”

I straightened up, looking down on him with utter disgust. I adjusted the cuffs of my charcoal-gray suit, my expression remaining completely blank and unreadable.

“Ipinagbili ka ng mga magulang mo sa isang Samonte para sa isang business merger,” malamig kong panimula. Ang bawat salita ko ay tinatapos nang may buong diin. “Ngayong gabi, ipagbibili mo naman ang asawa mo sa akin para sa kaligtasan mo. I want Elora Samonte. Ibigay mo siya sa akin bilang kalahating kabayaran mo.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Gabriel’s jaw dropped, his mind completely blank as he tried to process the rough and unthinkable bargain, I had just laid out. It was a trade he never imagined would happen in his entire lifetime. He was a coward, yes, but to hand over his newly-wedded bride, the woman who had just sworn her life to him at the altar, was an act of pure betrayal.

“H-Hindi...” pautal niyang sabi, umiiling-iling habang dahan-dahang napapaupo sa sahig habang nanghihina ang kaniyang mga tuhod. “Hindi ko pwedeng gawin ‘yan, Kael. Si Elora... anak siya ng mga Samonte. Mapapansin ng lahat kung mawawala siya! Paano ko ipapaliwanag sa mga magulang namin? Sa media? Isang malaking iskandalo ito!”

“That is your problem to solve, not mine,” I replied coldly, turning my back on him once more to stare out at the darkened skyline of Manila. “Tell them she ran away. Tell them she left you for someone else. I don’t care what lie you invent to save your pathetic skin. But the moment the clock strikes midnight, Elora Samonte belongs to me.”

Narinig ko ang kaniyang marahas na pagbuntong-hininga at ang mahinang hikbi ng isang talunan. Gabriel was terrified—not for Elora, but for himself. His fear of his family discovering his enormous debt, his terror of losing his status, and his sheer cowardice completely drowned out whatever conscience he had left. He didn’t love Elora; she was just a tool for him, a shield to protect his inheritance. And now, he was going to use her as a currency to buy his freedom.

“Kung... kung ibibigay ko ba siya sa iyo...” nanginginig na sambit ni Gabriel, ang kaniyang boses ay puno na ng pagsuko. Ang huling piraso ng kaniyang dangal ay tuluyan nang natunaw. “Mabubura na ba ang kalahating utang ko? Mabibigyan mo ba ako ng palugit sa natitirang pagkakautang ko?”

“My word is absolute, Gabriel,” I stated, not even bothering to look at him. “The moment she steps into my helicopter, your half slate is clean. You get to keep your money, your company, and your fake, plastic life. At bibigyan pa kita ng mahabang palugit sa kalahating kabayaran.”

I heard him slowly stand up from the floor, his movements heavy and robotic. The deal was sealed in the dark. He had agreed to the arrangement, completely oblivious to the fact that this was just the opening move of a much larger game. He thought he was saving himself, but he had no idea that I was going to use Elora to tear down both of their families piece by piece.

“Pumayag naman ako sa kasal na ito sa iisiping magiging masaya ang buhay ko,” Gabriel whispered to himself, a pathetic attempt to comfort his own guilt. “Pero mas mabuti na ito... kaysa naman ako ang mabulok at naghihirap.”

“Go back to your wedding, Gabriel,” I commanded, my voice cutting through his self-pity. “Enjoy your last few minutes as a married man and prepare her. When the rain gets heavier, bring her to the helipad. Do not make me wait.”

Without another word, I heard the door unlock and click shut as Gabriel stepped out, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I picked up my glass of whiskey once more and took a slow, deliberate sip. The burning sensation in my throat matched the dark satisfaction settling in my chest.

Elora Samonte. I whispered in my thoughts.

She was outside, smiling for the cameras, believing she had just achieved her happily-ever-after. She had no idea that the man she loved had just sold her like a piece of property to a heartless billionaire like me. Her paradise was about to turn into an absolute hell, and I was going to be the one to welcome her into it.