MasukHINGAL NA HINGAL at tagaktak ang pawis si Zoren nang makarating sa St. Raphael Medical Center na pinakamalapit na hospital sa pinangyarihan ng aksidente. May mga humarang na sa kanyang media upang makibalita ngunit hindi niya ang mga ito pinaunlakan. He needs his wife and nothing else! Nang makarating siya sa emergency room na naka-pula pa rin ang ilaw ay nakita niya roon sina Vilmie, na sekretarya ng asawa niya, at ang kaibigan nitong si Shoelie, na parehong namumutla at bakas ang pag-aalala sa mukha. “What happened?!” he asked immediately. “M-Mr. Voss…” Vilmie muttered. “I said, what happened?!” he roared, starting to lose control because of anxiety. Shoelie stood up. “Mr. Voss, can you please calm down? We’re in front of the emergency room, and Renese is inside. Baka makaistorbo tayo sa loob,” seryosong saway sa kanya ni Shoelie. Zoren took a deep breath and massaged the bridge of his nose. He put his hand on his waist in a manly way, trying to calm himself first while walki
TAHIMIK LANG si Renese habang nakatitig sa labas ng bintana papunta sa restaurant kung saan niya kikitain ang boyfriend ni Ravisse. It’s been two weeks since they started to investigate Ravisse’s past, and it’s harder than they ever imagined. Hindi naging madali para sa kanilang kumbinsihin ang boyfriend ng kapatid niyang makipagkita sa kaniya. They tried to talk to him many times ever since they found his address, but they got rejected many times as well. So she didn’t expect him to call her last night and tell her that he wanted to meet and talk. Hindi niya kasama si Zoren ngayon dahil nagkaroon ng malaking problema sa kumpanya nito na hindi maaaring ipagpabukas. Gustuhin man nitong samahan siya, pero pinigilan niya ito. She can handle herself. Tsaka sigurado naman siyang hindi siya mapapahamak kagaya ng pinag-aalala nito dahil dalawang sasakyan ba naman ang ibinigay nito sa kanya na puro guards. Naputol ang malalim na iniisip ni Renese nang binalot ng malakas na ringtone ng phon
“RENESE, DARLING! You look tired. Manila life is wearing you down, I see. Come in, come in! I have so many pasalubong to show you fresh from Europe!” excited na bunga sa kaniya ng ina niyang si Roxanne nang makapasok siya sa mansion nila.Bumungad sa kaniya ang sala na punong-puno ng mga paper bag na may tatak na mamahaling brands. Well, iyan lang naman ang luho ng ina niya—ang mag-shopping hanggang sa maubos na ang dala nitong pera.Kakagaling lang kasi nito mula sa isang buwang bakasyon sa Europe, specifically from Switzerland, France, and Italy.“Ang dami naman nito, Mommy,” puna niya at saka kumuha ng isang paper bag bago sinilip ang laman. It was the limited edition Fall-Winter Collection of Chanel.Roxanne chuckled. “Paris, Milan, Rome—I raided them all, darling! Chanel, Prada, Gucci—well, you name it, I bought it.”“You shouldn’t have, Mom. I have a lot of this in my condo. Wala nang space,” aniya.“Nonsense. A little luxury never hurt anyone. Besides,” Roxanne’s eyes twinkled,
RENESE FELT heavy as she entered her husband’s car, which had been waiting for her for a while. She’s overwhelmed and heartbroken by her father’s words, which are much more painful than the ones she receives from social media. “How was it, wife?” Zoren smiled but instantly vanished when he saw her distress. “What’s wrong? May nangyari ba?” nag-aalalang tanong nito sa kaniya. She bit her lower lip and threw herself on Zoren’s arms. Nabigla naman ang asawa dahil sa ginawa niya ngunit ‘di nagtagal ay niyakap din nito ang babae na humihikbi. “What’s happened, baby?” Zoren muttered. Renese spoke, sobbing, “He... he blames me, too. My dad. He said... terrible things and it hurts...” Zoren rubbed her back to calm her down. Panay ang halik nito sa tuktok ng ulo niya na para bang sinasabing nandito lang ito. “Shh, don’t listen to him. He’s wrong. I’m here for you always, ‘kay? He’s blinded by his feelings for Lilithas,” he hushed. Nang kumalma na siya ay sinalaysay niya kay Zoren ang la
NANGINGINIG ang kamay na binaba ni Renese ang phone niya pagtapos niyang kausapin si Franky na pinaliwanag sa kaniya ang lahat ng nalaman nito sa pag-iimbestiga.Zoren was standing behind her while rubbing her back to calm her down.“Calm down, wife. I’m here. Relax,” Zoren said.She shook her head and held the edge of the table tightly. “I can’t calm down. Nag-aalala ako na baka si Dad... baka may mangyaring masama kay Daddy,” bulong niya.Hindi siya natatakot para sa sarili niya. Natatakot siya para sa daddy niya. Kahit naman kasi may hindi pagkakaunawaan sa kanilang mag-ama ay hindi niya pa rin naman mababago ang katotohanang tatay niya pa rin ito. Magalit man siya rito, tatay niya pa rin ito. Magunaw man ang mundo, tatay niya pa rin ito.Hindi na niya kailangang magtanong kung anong motibo ni Lilithas para gawin ang lahat ng ito sa kaniya. It was because of the sole person—Ravisse, Lilithas daughter with her father.Lilithas also blames her for Ravisse’s death, just like how she b
“BAKIT hindi mo kaagad pinakilala ang sarili mo sa’kin kung matagal mo na pala akong kilala?” mahinang tanong ni Renese kay Zoren habang hinahaplos ang tattoo nito sa dibdib na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin siya makapaniwalang ginawa nito. Nakaunan siya sa braso ni Zoren habang parehas na walang saplot sa ilalim ng makapal na kumot. She closed her eyes when he gently combed her hair with his fingers. “Because I think it still wasn’t the right time, wife. I didn’t want to scare you. If I told you everything from the start, you would’ve run away from me and called me a creep,” sabi nito. “But all this time, you were watching over me?” she asked. “Always, even when you didn’t know.” Renese winced. “And you think that wasn’t creepy?” pangbabara niya rito na ikinatawa naman ng binata. Ano’ng nakakatawa? “I know what you’re thinking, wife. I’m not a stalker, all right? More like...” Hinawakan nito ang baba na para bang nag-iisip. “More like a very concerned guardian angel.” Renes







