LOGINWALANG inaksayang sandali si Hyacinth nang makabalik siya sa Chan Estate. She immediately looked for Paul Chan. Naroon ito sa loob ng study nito.Paul Chan only gave her a furtive glance. “You’re back.”Hyacinth bowed down to the Dragon Head. “I’ve retrieved the ledger, Uncle.”Tumango ang matanda. “Good. Where is it?”Dahan-dahan siyang lumapit at ibinigay rito ang pulang ledger. “Everything is in there.”Ngumiti nang makahulugan si Paul. “Great! I know I can always count on you, Cinth.”Tipid na ngumiti si Hyacinth. “I’m just doing my job.”Binuklat ni Paul ang ledger, ilang beses itong mariing napailing nang makita ang nilalaman niyon.“As expected, the Lao Clan are traitors… so are the other main families.” Paul scoffed and closed the ledger.Lihim na napalunok si Hyacinth. “What’s th
“THE huntress never disappoints.” Itinaas ni Kaori ang hawak na kopita ng alak habang tahimik siyang nakamasid mula sa balkonaheng kinaroroonan. From her vantage point, she could see the chaos surrounding Varo’s house. She called for the police as soon as the Huntress informed her the task was done. And as expected, her spies told her that Hyacinth was telling the truth.‘Of course, I had to verify,’ Kaori smirked. Mukhang tumupad naman ang dating kaibigan sa kanilang naging usapan.Pero agad na natigilan si Kaori nang marinig ang tunog ng ambulansya. Hyacinth told her that she just drugged Varo.Drugged.Wait, what if Hyacinth killed Varo using poison? Did she miscalculate?“Fuck!” Mabilis niyang tinawagan ang isa niyang tauhan na nasa loob ng bahay ni Varo. Lalo siyang kinabahan dahil ilang sandali pa ang lumipas bago ito sumagot.“Yes, Miss Kaori?”“
THE night of reckoning has finally come. Walang anumang bakas ng emosyong makikita sa mukha ni Hyacinth habang inihahanda ang paboritong tsaa ni Varo. Masaya silang nagkukuwentuhan matapos ang hapunan bago siya nagpasyang pumunta sa kusina dahil may biglang tumawag sa asawa.‘I should give you the right dosage,’ Hyacinth thought.Tumingin siya sa kanyang magkabilang balikat bago kinuha sa kanyang bulsa ang isang maliit na vial na naglalaman ng kanyang pamosong lason, ang paborito niyang Morning Dew. It was late at night, and she’d give the tea herself once he woke up in the morning. Alam na alam na niya ang body clock ni Varo, at sigurado siyang sa gagawin niyang huling misyon, marahil ay hindi na ito sisikatan ng araw. “Cinth, are you busy?” sigaw ni Varo mula sa living room. He had just finished talking over the phone.“No, just preparing tea.” Nagmadaling itinabi ni Hyacinth ang mamahaling porselanang lalagyan ng tsaa at bumalik siya sa sala. Naabutan niyang nanunudyo ang ngiti
ISANG malutong na sampal ang dumapo sa pisngi ng isang lalaki. His face was already bleeding. Nakaluhod ito at nakatali ang mga kamay.“You deliberately disobeyed my order!” dumagundong ang boses ng lalaki. Si Jax Lu, ang kanang kamay ni Aramis Lao.“I-I just want to avenge Master Aramis!” nanginginig ang kalamnan na lalaki na pilit na pinaninindigan ang ginawa. He was Zheng, a low-ranking soldier but a high skilled sniper.“You acted on your own to kill the White Tiger Cub! The master is still recovering yet you put him at risk!” Muling sinampal nito ang lalaki. “We are carefully planning his return but you ruin everything!”“I’m sorry, Captain. I won’t do it again. Please spare me,” the poor man begged for his life.“Why should I spare you?”“I missed, I didn’t hit the cub. His wife shielded her body—”Muli ang dalawang malutong na sampal ang dumapo sa pisngi ng lalaki. Jax even cleaned his hand stained with blood using a white handkerchief from his trousers.“Captain Jax, let me ma
AGAD na naging alerto si Hyacinth matapos masiguro na ang pulang ledger na iyon ang hinahanap niya. There was even a small note inside:[I’ve fulfilled our bargain, now it’s your turn. –Shadow Countess]Tinago ni Hyacinth ang ledger. For a moment, confusion filled her mind. She refused to accept that everything would come to an end.‘This is it,’ aniya sa sarili kahit puno ng pag-alinlangan sa kanyang dibdib.Nilibang ni Hyacinth ang sarili sa bahay habang nag-paplano nang maigi kung ano ang kanyang gagawin.Could she really hurt Varo?“It must be done…” she whispered.Gulong-gulo ang isip niya. Kaya naisipan niyang pumunta sa loob ng study ni Varo para kumuha ng libro at magbasa. She had never been this indecisive.Nagbasa-basa si Hyacinth pero walang kahit anong pumapasok sa isip niya.She looked around the study, then her eyes caught the golden box on Varo’s table at a distance. Biglang na-curious si Hyacinth kung anong klaseng family heirloom ng mga Lao.‘Could be jewels,’ she sil
“HYACINTH!” Varo gaped at his wife as soon as he saw his own hand filled with blood. Hindi galing sa kanya kundi sa asawa. He couldn’t believe she’d shield her own body to protect him. Yakap niya ito dahil sinalo niya ang katawan nito bago pa dumausdos sa buhangin.“Shit, shit!” Varo was too stunned upon realizing what just happened.‘These bunch of useless idiots!’ Hyacinth cursed hard deep inside. Saka lang kasi naalerto ang mga kalalakihang kasama nila. Agad na nilabas ng mga ito ang matataas na kalibre ng baril at gumanti ng putok, dahilan para mabilis sa humarurot paalis ang speed boat palayo.Ilan sa mga kalalakihan ay tinamaan ng bala pero hindi naman napuruhan. They protected the couple until the thr
PUMASOK si Hyacinth sa trabaho kinabukasan at agad niyang napansin na tila aburido si Varo nang lumabas ito sa opisina nito. Ni hindi nga siya nito pinansin at deretso itong lumabas.Galit ba ito dahil sa ginawa niyang pagtanggi sa alok nito kagabi? Pero mukhang hindi iyon ang dahilan.“Anong nangy
BUMALIK sa syudad si Hyacinth na parang walang nangyari. Tumuloy siya sa kanyang unit at ilang sandali pa lang nang makauwi siya ay narinig na niya ang doorbell.It was around eight o’clock in the evening, and she informed Varo beforehand about the time of her arrival because Hyacinth had no plan t
NAKATANGGAP ng tawag si Hyacinth mula kay Varo ilang sandali bago sila umalis sa main base papuntang Meng Island. She distanced herself from his men and activated a different location just in case Varo would snoop about her whereabouts.“Yes, Chief?” kaswal na wika ng dalaga sa kabilang linya.“Why
AFTER sealing the deal with his father, they were interrupted by a young woman with a short silver hair wig. She was slender and good-looking. Puno ng kolorete ang mukha nito at ngumunguya ito ng chewing gum.“Baihu…” tawag nito sa kanyang ama.“Kaori, didn’t Abraham inform you I’m talking with my







