HABANG nasa dance floor nagsasayaw sa malamyos na tugtugin sina Liam at Dexa. Hindi pinalampas ng lalaki ang pagpapahangin sa kilalang socialite. “I’m your follower on all your social media accounts. I can say I’m quite informed about your life.” Liam winked at her. “Are you?” Lumawak ang ngiti sa labi ni Dexa. She admired this young man for his talents. Maganda ang boses nito at napakagaling sumayaw. Kilala rin itong palikero dahil sa dami ng babaeng naghahabol dito. She could not blame them, he was quite gorgeous. Nag-uumapaw ang karisma nito na siyang sinasamantala para mang-akit. “Shall I obey Mrs. Wright’s suggestion?” Pinaikot siya nito at nang muli siyang makaharap ay hinapit nito ang bawang niya dahilan para magdikit ang kanilang mga katawan. “Suggestion?” Dexa’s forehead creased. She was at ease dancing with him. It was like their bodies were made for each other to dance. Proud si Dexa sa sarili dahil isa sa hilig niya ang pagsasayaw kaya ilang dance lessons din ang pinagd

KINABUKASAN hindi maiwasan ni Eshvi ang mapangiti nang makita si Devance na kapapasok lang sa loob ng kanyang condo unit. Devance simply nodded and quickly stepped back when she approached him because she tried to greet him with a kiss. “What are you doing?” agad na nagsalubong ang makapal nitong kilay. “Come on, why so distant?” Pinaikot ni Eshvi ang mata. Napansin niya habang tumatagal ay lalong lumalayo ang loob sa kanya ng lalaki. But she was just bidding her time. Hindi siya nababahala na kahit wala siyang nakikitang pagbabago sa ugali nito sa nakalipas na ilang buwan. It seemed that her attempt to get him back would not be easy as she thought. Lalo na at maraming sagabal na hindi niya naman basta maitataboy. Hindi pa rin sila ini-introduce ni Devance sa magulang nito. It would be a plus point if she could talk with Akhil and Gracia. Pero may tamang oras para roon. Kapag naisakatuparan na niya ang lahat ng binabalak. She just didn’t do much effort to win him over. Ayaw niya

EVERYONE was settled when Liam dropped by in the afternoon. Kasama ng mag-asawa ang mga anak pati mga nanny ng dalawa. Their bodyguards were there as well. Mas mabuti na ang nag-iingat. Samantalang si Dexa ay nanatiling blangko ang ekspresyon ng mukha. Sa sasakyan ni Liam ito sumakay dahil na rin sa udyok ni Devance. They traveled for over two hours, and they reached Laguna. Agad na tumambad sa kanila ang isang three-story house. The location was near Mount Makiling. “We’re here. Everything is prepared at the campsite, and it’s located at the ridge of the nearby mountain. We’ll have a mini hike in a while,” ani Liam nang makababa na silang lahat mula sa sasakyan. Inasikaso naman sila kaagad ng lalaki. She ordered the house helpers to manage their things. Sandali lang silang nagpahinga matapos ay nagsimula na silang umakyat. The elevation was steep. Sa mga kasama nilang hindi athletic ay dinig na dinig ang paghingal ng mga ito. But everyone continued to climb up until they reach

NAGULANTANG si Eshvi sa nabasang article online. Nakahilata siya sa kama. She was scrolling her tablet reading a piece of entertainment news. Naroon ang malaking larawan nina Liam at Dexa. It shocked her more to recognize the place they were in—a public place without their bodyguards! “Damn!” Hindi niya maiwasan ang mapamura. She never thought this would happen. Unang tingin pa lang niya sa picture ay kitang-kita na nagkakamabutihan ang dalawa. Kaya pala wala nang paramdam sa kanya si Liam. And it was a relief for her since he finally chose to set her free. Wala nang magiging sagabal sa mga plano niya. Pero hindi niya maintindihan ang sarili dahil biglang bumigat ang kanyang pakiramdam. She used to see Liam like a crazy puppy begging for her attention. Pero sa dinamirami ng babaeng pwede nitong ipalit sa kanya, bakit si Dexa? “Shit! Shit!” Eshvi cursed repeatedly. Kilala niya si Dexa, paano kung magustuhan nito si Liam? Ni minsan hindi niya inakala na mai-involve silang dalawa sa

DEVANCE hardly shook his head as Eshvi’s voice kept on reverberating in his mind. He tried to distract himself by reading a business article. But he could not properly concentrate. Devna is Caleb’s child… “No!” he murmured. Kanina pa sila nakabalik sa bahay sa kanilang townhouse. They had a family dinner with their parents earlier at one luxury hotel in the city. Liam was also there. The man was acting like he was already part of their family, and he admired his guts. Ngayon pa lang nakikita na niyang gusto ito ng magulang para kay Dexa. And she prayed for her sister’s happiness as well. “Kanchha, are you all right?” nag-aalalang tanong ni Triana. Napansin nito marahil na balisa siya. They were inside their room sitting on the bed. “Of course, I’m okay, sweetheart. It’s just that Eshvi is inviting us for a family picnic in Benguet. Just us and the kids, a post-birthday celebration of Devna and Eashta. I told her I need to consult you first.” Nagbuga siya ng hangin. He didn’t want