CHAPTER 4: The San Miguel Triplets

"Wait... what do you mean uuwi na sila next week?" Wala sa sarili kong natanong habang nakatitig sa seryosong mukha ni Arthur.

My heart skipped a beat, and a sudden wave of panic washed over me. Noong una, akala ko ay tahimik at payapa ang papasukin kong buhay sa mansyong ito habang nagtatrabaho at nagsusulat. But hearing him call his three sons "sakit sa ulo" and "troublemakers" made all my internal alarms go off at once.

"Exactly what I said, Cherry," Arthur calmly replied, taking a slow sip from his teacup as if he hadn't just dropped a massive bomb on my lap. "My sons the San Miguel triplets have been staying abroad to manage some of our international holdings. Pero pinauwi ko na sila. It’s time they learn some responsibility, and it’s also time they meet their new sister."

'S-Sister?! Fuking shit. Triplets?!'

The word echoed like a nightmare inside my head. Tatlong magkakamukhang lalaki na lumaking spoiled, pasaway, at matitigas ang ulo ang makakasama ko sa iisang bubong? Lord, bakit parang nabawasan nga ang problema ko sa mga sakim kong kamag anak, pero napalitan naman ng tatlong higanteng sakit sa ulo?

'Paano kung bullies sila? Paano kung itapon nila 'tong laptop ko o mas malala, ang abo ni Papa?!'

I nervously gripped my father’s urn closer to my chest, my knuckles turning white. Feeling the cold wood somehow grounded me, giving me a tiny ounce of courage. Tumingin ako nang diretso kay Arthur, trying to mask my anxiety with a tough facade.

"H-Hindi po ba pwedeng...huwag niyo na muna akong ipakilala sa kanila?" I negotiated, my voice trembling slightly.

"I mean, baka magulat sila. Baka isipin nila ginto ang hinahabol ko sa inyo. Tsaka gaya ng sabi ko, magiging katulong niyo naman po ako rito, kaya pwede namang ituring niyo na lang akong...staying maid?"

Arthur let out a low, booming chuckle that vibrated through the grand dining hall, clearly amused by my desperate attempt to escape the situation.

"Nonsense, Cherry. A deal is a deal," he said, his tone leaving absolutely no room for arguments. 

"You will be introduced as a San Miguel. I didn't save you from that burning hell just to make you scrub my floors as a servant. High society needs to know that you are under my protection now."

He stood up, fixing the button of his tailored suit, before looking down at me with a soft yet piercing gaze.

"Don't worry too much about my sons. They can be...aggressive and difficult to handle, but they wouldn't dare defy me. For now, just focus on resting, writing your novels, and getting used to your new life."

Bago pa ako makasagot, Arthur turned around and gracefully walked out of the dining hall, leaving me alone with the half-touched breakfast and a looming sense of dread.

---

The next seven days went by like a blur. Sumunod nga ako sa kondisyon ko.

kahit pinagbabawalan ako ng mga katulong, pilit pa rin akong tumutulong sa pagpupunas ng mga mamahaling vase at pag aayos ng malaking library. 

I needed to keep myself busy, or else my mind would wander back to last time's trauma, to the image of my apartment burning down, and the greedy laughter of my tito and tita.

Whenever I had free time, I locked myself in my massive bedroom, typing furiously on my laptop. Ang lahat ng galit, takot, at tindi ng mga emosyong nararamdaman ko ay ibinuhos ko sa pagsusulat.

It was my only escape, my only therapy.

Until finally, the dreaded day arrived.

"Ma'am Cherry, pinatatawag na po kayo ni Sir Arthur sa tapat ng main entrance," kumatok ang isang kasambahay sa pinto ko, her voice filled with a subtle hint of nervousness.

"Andiyan na po sila."

'Putres. Ito na 'to.'

My stomach did a nervous flip. I quickly checked myself in the full length mirror.

I was wearing another modest but beautiful dress that Arthur had prepared for me, my long, wavy curly hair framing my pale face. Taking a deep, trembling breath, I picked up my phone and marched out of the room like a soldier heading to the battlefield.

Habang pababa ako sa grand staircase, rinig ko na ang malalakas at mabibigat na yabag ng mga sapatos mula sa tapat ng naglalakihang pinto ng mansyon.

The heavy double doors swung open, and three tall, incredibly well built figures stepped inside, cutting through the silence of the house.

My breath caught in my throat, and I almost tripped on my own feet.

The triplets were breathtakingly handsome, each possessing the same sharp jawline, dark hair, and intimidating aura as Arthur, but with a younger, far more dangerous energy. They looked like runway models, but their eyes cold, arrogant, and piercing told a completely different story.

The one in the middle, wearing a dark leather jacket, scanned the foyer before his eyes immediately traveled up the stairs, locking directly onto me. A slow, mocking smirk played on his lips.

"So..." he started, his voice a deep, gravelly baritone that sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine. 

"Ito pala ang sinasabi ni Dad na bago nating...kapatid."

The other two looked up as well, their gazes boring into my soul, examining me from head to toe like predators sizing up their prey.

'Shit...bakit parang mas gusto ko na lang yatang lamunin ulit ng lupa ngayon?'

"Boys, behave," Arthur’s commanding voice boomed from behind them, making the thick tension in the room slightly bearable.

He walked over to the foot of the stairs and gestured for me to come down. 

"Cherry, come here. Meet my sons."

I swallowed hard, forcing my legs to move down the remaining steps. Every click of my shoes felt like a countdown to my own execution. Nang makalapit ako, lalo kong naramdaman kung gaano sila katatangkad. 

They literally towered over me, surrounding me with a suffocating scent of expensive cologne and pure, unadulterated dominance.

"This is Jace, the eldest," Arthur pointed to the one in the leather jacket.

He crossed his arms, his intense dark eyes glinting. At doon biglang huminto ang mundo ko. Ang pamilyar na amoy ng pabango niya, ang hugis ng panga niya, at ang boses na 'yon...

'Oh my god. No.'

My eyes widened in pure, unadulterated horror as I looked past Jace and stared at the other two. Ang suot na mamahaling orasan ni Jax, ang mapanuring mga mata ni Jett, the realization hit me like a high speed freight train, leaving me completely breathless.

Ang lalaking nakasama ko sa Velvet Lounge...ang lalaking pumatay sa antok ko...ang lalaking naghatid sa akin sa rurok ng ligaya sa Neon Motor Inn...

Hindi lang siya iisang lalaki.

They were triplets. At silang tatlo ang nakasama ko sa kama noong gabing 'yon, playing a wild, dark mind game on me in the shadows of that dimly lit motel room. Silang tatlong magkakamukha ang nagpabaliw sa buong katawan ko, ang nagparinig sa akin ng mga malalalim na ungol, at ang pinagbuntungan ko ng lahat ng lakas ko.

At ang mas malala? Ang pilyong note na iniwan ko sa nightstand na nagsasabing "yours is bigger" ay para pala sa kanilang tatlo.

The smirk on Jace's face widened into a dangerous, knowing grin. Jax’s cold demeanor cracked as his eyes darkened with absolute possessiveness, recognizing my scent instantly. Jett slowly took the gum out of his mouth, his gaze dropping to my lips before looking back up with a wickedly amused expression.

They knew. 

Silang tatlo, kilalang kilala kung sino ako at ngayon ay kaharap ko na sila bilang bago nilang...

'fuck..'

"Nice to meet you, Cherry," Jace whispered, deliberately emphasizing my name with a deep, raspy voice that brought back every single dirty memory of our wild night. 

"We've been looking forward to...spending more time with you under this r

oof."

'Lord, kunin mo na ako ngayon din. Pwede bang pabalikin niyo na lang ako sa nasusunog kong apartment?!'