Chapter 5

Nagising si Karolina sa gitna ng gabi, hingal pa at magulo ang isip. The bed beside her was empty, Alejandro was gone.

For a moment, she just lay there in silence, staring at the dark ceiling while trying to calm the chaos inside her chest. The sheets were still warm from his body, carrying the faint scent of his cologne mixed with smoke and expensive liquor. Her body still remembered everything from earlier, the closeness, the heat, the way he made her forget how to think straight. Too intense, too consuming. Every touch still lingered on her skin like a mark she couldn’t erase no matter how hard she tried.

Nakakauhaw.

That was the only thing she could focus on.

Dahan-dahan siyang bumangon at lumabas ng kwarto, barefoot, habang tahimik na naglalakad sa madilim na hallway ng mansion. The cold marble floor sent chills through her body. The place felt different at night, bigger, colder, like it was watching her. Shadows stretched across the walls while the dim lights from the chandeliers barely illuminated the hallway. Even the silence felt heavy, suffocating in a way she couldn’t explain.

Pagdating niya sa kitchen, agad siyang kumuha ng baso at nagsalin ng tubig. Her hands trembled slightly as she lifted the glass to her lips. She drank slowly, trying to steady her breathing, trying to silence the uneasy feeling crawling under her skin. Pero bago pa man siya tuluyang makapagpahinga, biglang may brasong humawak sa kanya mula sa likod.

Nanigas si Karolina.

“You’re awake,” isang mababang boses ang bumulong sa gilid ng leeg niya.

The familiar scent hit her instantly.

Oh it’s Alejandro, she thought. Kaya hinayaan niya nalang gawin ang gusto nito. At bigla siyang napasinghap nang maramdaman niyang humigpit ang hawak ng binata sa kanyang baywang. His chest pressed firmly against her back while his breathing brushed against her skin, slow and controlled.

“Don’t move,” he murmured.

Hindi siya gumalaw gaya ng sabi nito. Her pulse spiked as his hand slid carefully inside her panty, holding her in place. Karolina’s thoughts scattered, confused, dizzy, trapped between fear and something she didn’t want to name. Her breathing became uneven as his fingers traced slowly against her skin, deliberate and possessive, like he already owned every part of her.

He, then, tilted her chin slightly, forcing her to look up. The kitchen suddenly felt too small, too hot, too dangerous. And just as their lips almost met—

“Let her go.”

Cold. Composed. Chilling.

The voice cut through the room like a blade.

The arms around her immediately loosened. Karolina stepped back fast, breathing uneven, turning her head toward the door. And there he was.

Alejandro.

‘Alejandro? No… wait. If he’s Alejandro… then who the hell is this guy supposed to be?’ Karolina’s stomach dropped violently.

Or at least… another version of him.

Her mind spiraled in panic as she stared between the two men. Same height. Same face. Same dark eyes that looked capable of ruining lives without remorse. Even the way they stood was identical, calm and terrifying at the same time.

“What the fuck is happening?” Karolina was confused as fuck. Wala nang nagme-make sense sa kanya at that moment. Her thoughts were spinning so fast, hindi na niya alam kung ano ba talaga ang totoo Alejandro sa kanila. Her chest felt tight as panic slowly consumed her. Alejandro was already complicated enough, pero ngayon may kambal pa? She felt betrayed, overwhelmed, and honestly scared. Parang biglang gumuho yung reality niya.

Standing in the doorway, Alejandro watched without moving. His expression remained unreadable, his jaw tight as his eyes locked onto the man behind her. The tension inside the kitchen became unbearable, thick enough to choke on. And the man in front of her looked exactly like him. Same presence. Same terrifying calm. But the real Alejandro’s voice came again, sharper this time.

“Step the fuck away from her, Aldous.”

Nanginginig ang mga kamay ni Karolina habang nakatingin sa pagitan nila. Dalawang lalaki. Iisang mukha. Isang bangungot na hindi niya maintindihan.

And then Karolina realized she had never truly known who she was sleeping beside all this time. But who cares if she knows him or not? She got fucked the moment they met in that VIP room, so what was the point?

Alejandro took one slow step forward.

The other didn’t move.

And in the suffocating silence of the kitchen, with her heartbeat turning violent against her ribs, Karolina whispered the only question that mattered.

“Who the hell did I marry?”