LOGINKAIA CLEMENTE POINT OF VIEWNanatili akong nakaupo sa gilid ng operating room habang nanginginig ang kamay na nakatingin sa suot ko. My clothes were painted red… Tres’ blood. Ilang minuto ko na iyong tinititigan pero pakiramdam ko ay ilang oras na ang lumipas. The entire hospital lobby smelled like antiseptic and cold air. Mas lalo nitong dinadagdagan ang kabang nararamdaman ko.The nurses hurried from one hallway to another and stretchers rolled across the polished floor every few minutes. Everyone was moving. Everyone had somewhere to go. Pero ako…Pakiramdam ko ay naiwan akong nakatigil sa oras. “Kaia, why don’t you come with me? Magpalit ka muna ng damit,” malumanay na sambit sa akin ni Maurice. She held my hand and squeezed it as if she’s trying her best to comfort me. Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya. Siya ang naiwan kasama ko dahil saglit na umalis sina Dylan kasama ang tatay niya at si Iverson. They were cooperating w
KAIA CLEMENTE POINT OF VIEWHindi ko alam kung ano ang mas mabigat… ang katahimikan sa loob ng sasakyan o ang mga salitang gusto naming sabihin sa isa’t-isa pero pareho naming hindi masimulan. I rested my head against the window as I watched the trees blur past us. Every kilometer we left behind meant I was getting closer to home. Closer to Dylan. Closer to the life that had been stolen from me. I should have been happy. I had waited for this moment for days. Ilang beses ko itong pinagdasal while I was staring at the ceiling of that room and wondering if I’d ever make it out alive. Pero ngayong nanangyari na talaga, hindi ko maipaliwanag kung bakit parang may mabigat pa ring nakadagan sa dibdib ko.Maybe because I wasn’t leaving alone.Katabi ko si Tres.The same man who lied to me two years ago. The same man who took my memories away from me. The same man who became my fake fiance. And yet… he was also the same man w
DYLAN FONTANILLA POINT OF VIEWSleep never came that night. Every time I closed my eyes, another possibility crossed my mind. I kept replaying today’s exchange over and over as I tried to anticipate every move Tres might make, and every mistake I couldn’t afford to commit.In every version of the plan, something went wrong.By the time the first rays of sunlight slipped through my curtains, I had already accepted one painful truth. There was no perfect outcome waiting for us. Only choices…And the consequences that came with them.The mansion was already awake before seven. Maurice and Iverson had left before dawn to prepare the private plane while the rest of our security team coordinated with the pilot. Even though Tres specifically asked for a plane, I wasn’t foolish enough to come unprepared. Ever since Tres sent me the meet-up point, my family already assembled a team, even at midnight. Every v
DYLAN FONTANILLA POINT OF VIEWI stood outside Paige’s bedroom for a few seconds, my hand resting on the doorknob but I never quite found the courage to turn it. The call with Tres had ended a few hours ago, yet it already felt like the weight of the world had settled on my shoulders. Narinig ko na ang boses ni Kaia. Alam ko nang buhay siya. That should have been enough to give me peace of mind. It should have been enough to make me feel relieved after days of not knowing whether my wife was even breathing. Pero hindi. Sa halip, parang mas lalong bumigat ang pasan ko.I had to tell a little girl that I was about to send her back to the man I couldn’t bring myself to trust. Ayaw kong maramdaman niya na ipagpapalit namin siya, makuha lang namin si Kaia… kahit na iyon naman talaga ang gagawin ko. I don’t want her to think that she’s only a pawn. I closed my eyes for a brief moment before knocking gently. “Paige? Gisin
DYLAN FONTANILLA POINT OF VIEW“What happened?” Hindi agad sumagot si Dad.Tahimik lang niya akong tiningnan habang hawak ang cellphone sa kamay. Hindi ko alam kung gaano katagal kaming nagkatitigan pero sapat na iyon para maramdaman kong may kung anong bumigat sa dibdib ko.May nangyari.At alam kong may kinalaman iyon kay Kaia.“It’s Tres.”Parang may humigpit sa lalamunan ko. Napatitig ako sa cellphone na hawak niya, pabalik sa mukha niya. “What about him?” I croaked.He called and he wants to talk to you.” Ilang segundo akong hindi nakagalaw.Sa dami ng gabing inubos ko sa paghahanap kay Tres, sa dami ng taong kinausap ko at lugar na pinuntahan ko mahanap lang kung saan niya posibleng itinago si Kaia, hindi ko inaasahang siya mismo ang tatawag. Hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ba ako o omas lalo lang akong kakabahan. Dahan-dahan kong inabot ang telepono mula kay Dad. Nangin
DYLAN FONTANILLA POINT OF VIEW “You have to eat, Dylan.” I didn’t respond. It’s been almost half an hour since Maurice knocked on my door, asking me to join everyone for dinner. After him came Iverson. Then Danielle and Lance. Even my Dad dried. I ignored every single one of them. Mom, however, had a spare key, The soft click of the doorknob was enough to tell me she was already inside my room. I stayed on my bed and stared blankly at the ceiling while she quietly walked toward me. A few seconds later, I felt the mattress dip as she sat at the foot of my bed. “You’ve been like this for days, anak,” mahinahon niyang sambit. “We tried giving you space because we know you’re hurting, but this… this isn’t healthy anymore.” I closed my eyes. “Hindi ka kumakain nang tama. You barely sleep. You keep driving around the city for hours…” she
2 TBHW 41“I talked to Dylan’s mother.”Tila pumintig ang tainga ko nang marinig ang sinabi ni Sir Aziel. Ibinaba ko sa lapag si Rory at hinayaan itong maglaro bago tuluyang tumingin sa bagong dating na si Sir Aziel. “Ang nanay ni Dylan?”Tumango siya. “Nakasalubong ko
“Nagkita ba kayo kagabi ni Dylan, Thalia?”Agad akong nag-angat ng tingin kay Ma’am Brielle nang marinig ang tanong niya. Nasa unahan siya ng sasakyan at katabi ni Sir Aziel na siyang nagd-drive samantalang kami naman ni Rory ay nasa likuran. Hindi kaagad
“Lieutenant, hinahanap ka kanina noong anak ni Senator.”Dylan was pulled out of his own reverie upon hearing his co-worker’s voice. Nag-angat siya ng tingin dito at taka itong tiningnan. “Nasaan? Bakit daw?” he asked curiously.Mula nang mahawakan niya ang kaso ng senador na si Senator Clemente, k
“So, kailan ang kasal?”Dylan stopped laughing upon hearing his mother’s question. Marahan siyang nag-angat ng tingin nang mapagtantong kanina pa pala nakatingin ang ina sa kaniya. A small smile crept on his lips before he snaked his arm around his girlfriend’s waist. “We’re just waiting for the ri







