Kabanata 4

Bawat hakbang ko papalapit sa kanya ay tila isang sumpa na binibitawan ko sa hangin. The air in the VIP lounge felt thicker, charged with a strange electricity that made the fine hairs on my arms stand up. The smell of his scent—isang halo ng mamahaling tabako, sandalwood, at ang matapang na amoy ng whiskey—ay tila isang lason na masarap langhapin.

He didn’t move as I approached. He just watched me with those cold, obsidian eyes. He looked like a king sitting on a throne of shadows, and I was the fool brave enough to enter his court.

“You’re too far away,” I whispered as I reached his table. My voice was surprisingly steady, despite the wild thumping of my heart.

He slowly set his glass down on the mahogany table. His movements were calculated, graceful, like a panther about to strike. “At ikaw naman ay masyadong malapit sa panganib, Miss.”

Ang boses niya ay malalim, baritono, at may kakaibang gaspang na tila humahaplos sa balat ko. It was the kind of voice that commanded obedience, pero sa pagkakataong ito, it only fueled my defiance.

“Danger is exactly what I’m looking for tonight,” I replied, my gaze never wavering.

Isang tipid at mapanganib na ngiti ang sumilay sa kanyang mga labi. He gestured to the seat across from him, but

I didn’t take it. Instead, I walked around the table and sat right next to him, our thighs brushing against each other. The heat from his body was instantaneous, a searing contrast to the air-conditioned room.

I could see the tattoos on his arm more clearly now—skulls, roses, and jagged lines that looked like a map of a life I could never imagine. These were not the hands of a man who worked in a boardroom. These were hands that knew how to hold a gun... and how to hold a woman.

“I don’t even know your name,” he said, his eyes tracing the red lipstick on my mouth.

“Good. Because tonight, I don’t have a name,” I leaned in closer, my breath fanning his neck. I could see the pulse jumping in his throat. “I’m just a girl who’s tired of being good. What about you? Who are you, Shadow?”

He let out a low, dark chuckle that vibrated in my chest. “Names are for people who want to be remembered. Tomorrow, I’ll be a ghost to you. But tonight...”

He reached out, his large hand cupping the side of my face. His thumb brushed over my lower lip, pulling it down just enough to reveal the moisture inside. The touch was possessive, rough, and so incredibly right.

“Tonight, I can be whatever you need me to be,” he whispered.

I didn't wait for him to say anything else.

I reached for his glass of whiskey, took a sip—the liquid fire burning my throat—and then I pressed my lips against his.

The kiss was a collision of reckless intent. It tasted like bitter alcohol and sweet rebellion. His mouth was hard, demanding, and when his tongue pushed past my teeth, I felt a jolt of pure electricity shoot straight to my core.

He groaned into the kiss, a sound of hunger that made my knees weak. His hand moved from my face to the back of my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair as he pulled me closer, erasing every inch of space between us. I could feel the hard planes of his chest against my breasts, the friction of his silk shirt against my sensitive skin.

I was drowning, and for the first time in my life, I didn't want to be saved.

He broke the kiss, his forehead resting against mine. His breathing was heavy, ragged. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing, little girl? If you don’t walk away now, there’s no turning back.”

I looked at him, my eyes clouded with desire and a desperate need to feel something—anything—other than the emptiness my father left in me. I reached down, my hand finding the belt of his trousers, my fingers trembling as I felt the hard evidence of his arousal beneath the fabric.

“Take me somewhere else,” I breathed against his lips. “Ruin me, Shadow. Bago pa ako tuluyang mawasak ng iba.”

Dante’s eyes darkened, a flash of something feral and protective crossing his features. He didn't ask who was trying to ruin me. He didn't need to. He just stood up, his hand gripping mine so tightly it almost hurt.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice dropping into a growl.

He led me out of the bar, his body shielding me from the crowd like a shield of obsidian. Every person we passed seemed to shrink back, sensing the danger radiating off him. But I didn't shrink. I held onto him, my heart racing with the thrill of the unknown.

Outside, a black SUV was waiting. A man in a suit opened the door, bowing his head as we approached.

“Drive,” he commanded as we settled into the back seat.

The moment the door closed, he was on me again. He pinned me against the leather seat, his mouth finding the sensitive spot just below my ear. I arched my back, a soft moan escaping my lips as his teeth grazed my skin.

“You’re so beautiful,” he muttered against my neck, his hands roaming over my curves, pulling the silk of my dress up until he could feel the bare skin of my thighs. “And so fucking reckless.”

“I’m yours for tonight,” I gasped, my hands frantically unbuttoning his shirt. I wanted to see him. I wanted to feel him.

“Just for tonight.”

He pulled back just enough to look me in the eye. His expression was unreadable, a mixture of obsession and something that looked almost like regret. “Careful what you wish for, little girl. Once the Shadow claims something, he rarely lets it go.”

But I wasn't listening to warnings anymore. I was listening to the sound of his breath, the heat of his skin, and the promise of a night that would burn the "Good Elena" to ashes.

As the car sped through the dark streets of Manila, headed toward his penthouse,

I knew I had crossed a line I could never uncross. And as he kissed me again, deeper and more desperate than before,

I realized that I didn't want to be the daughter in the boardroom ever again.

I wanted to be the girl in the shadows. His shadows.