3 - Rouge

VERENA CIELLE LEE

“What did you do this time, Verena Cielle?” he asked, his voice husky and cold, sending chills not only to me but also to everyone in the room.

Ah, there it is—the signature Rouge tone: bored, irritated, and mildly entertained.

The officer beside me shifted uncomfortably, and even the girl who had earlier screamed like a banshee suddenly found the floor very interesting. Nice.

Pero sanay na ako kay Rouge. Lagi naman siyang sumusundo sa’kin tuwing I’m in trouble. He never said it, but I knew—he kept a mental list of all my chaos, just so he could be the first to pull me out of it.

Napairap ako at napahalukipkip sa kinatatayuan ko. “Why do you sound so disappointed? I thought you liked playing the hero.”

He shot me a dry look. “Ano na naman ‘tong pinasok mo?” 

I smacked my lips and stared at them. Ayaw alisin ng babae ang tingin niya sa sahig at nakatitig lang sa’min ang lalaki, seryoso ang mukha. Maybe he’s thinking about how to pay me. 

Good. Kasi hinding-hindi ako makikipag-ayos sa nasira kong image and skin! Mahal ang magpa-skin care pero kaya kong paggastusan iyon—pero etong nasaktan ako, nagkasugat at pasa ay ibang usapan na iyon.

“T-They want to settle, but Miss Cielle doesn’t want to,” kabadong wika ni Reina na pinapaliwanag ang nangyari.

Nakatitig pa rin si Rouge sa balat kong puno ng pasa at sugat. He took off his robe, leaving his white sando underneath—but I could see how his big & hard chest and biceps moved everytime he moved.

Pinatong niya ang roba sa balikat ko kaya niyakap ko iyon. Aside kasi sa mga sugat na natamo ko, sira-sira rin ang party dress na suot ko.

Napatingin si Rouge sa kanila, with dark and cold stare. Napangisi naman ako nang makitang kulang na lang ay takasan sila ng sariling kaluluwa dahil sa titig na binigay ni Rouge. They both turned pale.

He then turned his gaze to Reina. “If Cielle doesn’t want to, then don’t. My lawyer will be here in five. Talk to her, and I’ll bring this woman home.” 

I couldn’t help but flash them both a triumphant smirk before Rouge dragged me out of the precinct like I was a misbehaving brat he was contractually obligated to babysit.

But the moment we stepped out into the cold night, the grin on my face dissolved like mist.

I yanked my arm free from his grip, hard enough to sting. “Hands. Off.”

He looked down at me with a furious glare, his jaw clenched so tight I could hear the tension crack. Eyebrows furrowed, lips pulled taut. Classic Rouge look—like I owed him a lifetime’s worth of apologies.

“What did you do this time, Cielle? Does your dad know?” 

I raised a brow, flipping my hair back. “Why? Isusumbong mo ko? Go ahead. Doon ka naman magaling.”

“I’m just worrying about you, Cielle!” pigil niyang sigaw, pero ramdam ang panginginig ng boses niya sa galit. Namumula na ang mga mata niya—halata ang pagpipigil.

I leaned against his pitch-black Range Rover, arms crossed like I had all the time in the world, staring at him like he was yesterday’s problem. “Ows? Look who suddenly knows how to care. Cute.”

His eyes darkened. “Don’t test my patience, Cielle,” he growled, his voice almost a whisper, but sharp as a blade. “Get. Inside.”

“Make me,” I taunted, raising my chin while keeping my arms crossed.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t push me, Cielle. I swear, isang beses ka pa—”

“Then what, Rouge?” I cut him off, taking a step closer. “You’ll drag me again? You’ll yell? You’ll throw your cold, rich-boy tantrums like you always do?” I scoffed. “Please. Spare me the drama. You’re not my dad.”

“Pero kung ako ang tatay mo,” he snapped, stepping in close, halos magdikit na ang mga mukha namin, “matagal na kitang kinulong sa kwarto mo para matauhan ka.”

“Yuck. Kinky,” I said with a mocking smirk, kahit may pintig ng kaba sa dibdib ko. Damn him for looking this good while pissed.

He let out a harsh breath and abruptly turned toward the car. “Ayoko na. Bahala ka sa buhay mo.”

“Finally,” I muttered, and walked to the passenger side—but of course, it was locked. “Seriously?” Nilapitan ko siya ulit, “Unlock the damn door.”

Tinitigan niya lang ako. Walang emosyon. Deadpan. That annoying poker face he always wears when he’s two seconds from snapping.

“Sabihin mo muna, please.”

I blinked at him, then laughed. “You want me to say please? What are we, five?”

“Four. Because clearly, you’re still immature,” he muttered, and finally clicked the unlock button.

I rolled my eyes and climbed in, slamming the door behind me.

Inside the car, tahimik. Tanging tunog ng makina lang at mahina niyang paghinga ang naririnig. Pero ramdam ko ang tension. Parang anytime, sasabog ulit ang init ng ulo niya—or baka ako ang maunang sumabog.

I hugged myself tighter with the robe he lent me, inhaling the scent that clung to the fabric. Sh*t. Even his stupid robe smells like sin.

“Stop doing stupid things, Cielle,” he said suddenly, eyes still on the road.

“Stop acting like you’re in charge of me,” I snapped back. “You’re not my boyfriend.”

“Thank God for that,” he muttered under his breath.

Napalingon ako sa kanya, offended. “Wow. You’re welcome, asshole.”

“You started it.”

“You picked me up in a d*mn robe!”

He finally looked at me, one brow raised. “And yet, here you are—still wearing it like a clingy ex.”

I gaped. “Ikaw talaga—”

“Just... shut up, Cielle,” he groaned, rubbing his temple. “You exhaust me.”

“Good,” I said with a fake sweet smile. “That’s my specialty.”

We’re like this. Ganito kami kapag kami na lang dalawa ang magkaharap, pero sa harap ng maraming tao ay parang magkapatid na sobrang close at malambing sa isa’t isa. Pero kung walang tao sa paligid, ay kulang na lang patayin ang isa’t isa.

Mas niyakap ko ang sarili ko gamit ang robang suot niya. The night was biting cold, and his robe wasn’t exactly made for warmth—but his scent? Damn. That was another story.

Amoy na amoy ko ang natural na bango niya na naghahalo sa mamahaling pabango sa roba na tila ba e kahit anong suotin ni Rouge ay bitbit ng damit niya ang bango niya.

D*mn it, Rouge. Even your scent gives me chills more than your icy stares.

In a blink, we were already in his mansion. No words. No glance. No apology. Tahimik. Parang wala kaming pinanggalingang komosyon.

I crossed my arms, pacing. Naiinis ako. Naiinis sa kanya. Naiinis kung paano niya ako tratuhin—na parang palagi na lang akong problema. Pero ‘yun na siya eh. Gano’n na siya since day one.

A walking contradiction.

Cold, controlling, yet always the first one to catch me when I fall—gaya na lang ngayon.

And maybe that’s the real problem. Because no matter how much he pisses me off…

…I always let him.

Tatayo na sana ako para lumabas ng mansyon niyang nag-ala horror sa sobrang tahimik at dilim. It’s huge. Sa sobrang laki ay sobrang lamig rin ng loob dahil wala naman ibang tao sa mansyon ito kun’di siya lang. 

Maids? Dumadating lang kapag nasa trabaho na siya. Ilag siya sa mga tao for unknown reason.

Walang masyadong kagamitan si Rouge, tanging minimalist furnitures lang na nakakapagdagdag ng ganda ng loob.

I was about to step out when I heard a deep and husky voice behind my back.

“Do you think papalampasin ng daddy mo ang ganyang itsura mo?” I turned, catching his copper eyes glowing dark like a warning light. His stare was fire and ice all at once—dangerous but damn, I loved the heat.

I smirked, tapping my fingers against his broad shoulder like I owned the world. He swallowed hard—yeah, still got him rattled after all these years. Twelve years and he still makes my skin tingle just by standing close.

“Relax. He won’t find out… unless you’re planning to snitch,” I teased, locking eyes with him. “Or maybe you wanna tear my clothes off right now? Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”

My voice dropped low, all sultry challenge.

His brows furrowed, and he shoved me, just enough to make me laugh.

“Such a baby,” I shot back, then slipped my hand into his pajama pocket, fingers curling around his car keys like a prize.

Walking over to the driver’s seat, I flashed the keys at him. He blinked, caught off guard, but the fire in his eyes only burned brighter.

“Love you, bro! Thanks for the ride, but I’m not crashing at your place tonight. And hey, your baby’s in good hands.”