Lahat ng Kabanata ng Be Careful With My Heart : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

(Pamela)..THE SCHOOL BELL rings the minute it clocks three p.m, like it does every other day.I peep out the door of the teachers’ staff room and watch as the students all pour out of the classrooms, chattering and hollering with each other. This has been my routine for the past four years ever since I got this teaching job and it's a ritual I look forward to each day: going home after a busy day.My thoughts are filled with Erik and I wonder if he's doing OK. My neighbour, an old woman named Margaret, offered to take care of him whenever I went to school and I couldn't have been more grateful to her. But even though I checked in on them every two hours, my spirit still wasn't at rest until I got back to Erik. I quickly pack my things into my handbag, eager to get back home by all means.“So when are you finally quitting this job and moving in with your Prince Charming?” Stella's voice take me out of my thoughts.She's the Geography teacher while I teach English and we've been wo

(Pamela)..THE REST OF THE DRIVE is silent, aside from the soft hum of the engine. This part of NYC is brand new to me and it's so obvious that it's where the rich live. Luxury cars, exotic relaxation spots and expensive buildings line up the street. I take it all in with a deep breath. Even the people walking by the roadside look different. Posh and elegant. Some are walking their poodles that are dressed in dog clothes worth thousands and I can see so many girls stepping in and out of malls with lots of shopping bags.Growing up, I never ever thought I would experience any of this one day. It all seemed like a distant dream, one that would never come true. But here I am. Sitting in a posh car, even though it was next to a man I disliked so much.Or did I?“The city is beautiful, yes?” Massimo’s voice cuts into my thoughts. He glances at me and then his gaze returns back on the road. “You should see it at night.”I already have. It's what I spent most of my evenings doing. Scro

(Pamela)..THE LAST THING I see before I can make sense of what's happening is Massimo’s lips crashing down onto mine. At first, it feels like I'm dreaming. Like this isn't real at all. It has to be a prank, right?But after a few seconds in, the fog in my head clears and I finally realize that this isn’t a figment of my imagination nor is it a prank.Masimo D'Amato is actually kissing me.Right in front of all these people. I hear the rapid clicks of the cameras behind us and the the muffled gasps from onlookers. They're all as shocked as I am.I don't understand it. How and when did we go from arch enemies to this? This wasn't even part of the plan. We were only supposed to hold hands like a couple as we walked into the restaurant and that was it. That was what we agreed on, or at least, what I assumed we agreed on. Massimo never mentioned anything about kissing each other in front of the media.I should have known better. I should have seen it coming. This man always did what

(Pamela)..MY BODY STIFFENS at the mention of Massimo’s brother, Kal. I take in a deep breath and try to relax my already shaky nerves. But I'm barely holding myself together. First, the kiss I never saw coming and now this?“He's here right now,” Katrina continues, as soon as she notices my discomfort. “I can call him over if you want. It'll be a wonderful reunion.”“No need to do that,” Massimo says immediately, like he's scared of something. And he should be because I'm not in the right state of mind to meet his brother yet. After everything he's done to Anna and I, I don't think I can hold myself together if he comes over right away. “Oh, well. . .it's a shame. I'd better head back,” the woman says as she straightens. “It’s been lovely meeting you, Pamela. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”“Don't count on it.” Massimo hisses.It's hard not to notice that they have a lot of tension between them. But none of it is any of my business. I just need to get throug

(Pamela)..LUCKILY FOR ME, the paparazzi are all gone by the time we set out to leave. We get into the limo and the driver speeds off. When I check my phone, it's almost 10 pm. I've never been out this late before, not even when I was in college.My mind skips back to the conversation I just had with Katrina at the ladies’ bathroom. I wonder if I should bring it up or not. Today has been a very hectic day and opening a whole can of worms is not the best way to end it.But my curiosity gets a hold of me.“Is it true?” I ask Massimo.He turns to face me, his brows nearly touching his hairline in confusion. “Is what true?”“That Kal made Anna sign an NDA?”“Who told you that?”“It's not important.”“It's Katrina, isn't it? She just never keeps her mouth shut.” He exhales. “So?”“Yes, he did. He made her sign an NDA, like we all do.”“Why?”“Because our reputation is that important, Pamela. You just don't understand, do you?” Massimo asks, an edge in his voice. “Being a D’Amato is not