Lahat ng Kabanata ng THROUGH THE WIND AND THE RAIN (ENGLISH): Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

 Years passed, yet Rome’s grudge against Cayson Montemayor burned as fiercely as ever. Not once did it fade. It clung stubbornly in her heart like an unwanted shadow that followed every step.She tried—really tried—to forget, to move on. But no matter how much she wished, memories kept sneaking back, especially those two encounters with Cayson that turned her world upside down. Those meetings were the reason her family now labeled her as “special,” which, in their language, translated to “dangerous” and “under watch.”From then on, she was treated like a high-profile prisoner rather than a college student. Every single member of her family was on full alert whenever she was around— eyes like hawks fixed on her every move, her every step. Speaking? Better be careful. It was as if any word from her mouth could leak state secrets or spark some sc

Despite already knowing the darkness that clung to their family’s history like smoke on skin, Rome continued to meet with Baron in secret. She couldn’t help it. He was a beautiful disaster she couldn’t turn away from— a storm she knew would wreck her eventually, but still, she stepped into the rain without an umbrella.Just a week after her parents’ voices had rung through the house like fire alarms, their anger scorching through the walls of her conscience, she was at it again— lying, slipping out the back door of truth just to see him.They met at a low-lit restaurant in a nearby town, the kind with tinted windows and the faint hum of cheap jazz bleeding from dusty ceiling speakers. Baron didn’t even bother with a proper greeting. The moment they sat down, his jaw already locked tight, he snapped.

Four Weeks Ago...Rome’s brow arched as he stepped through the compound gate and immediately caught sight of Dudz lounging on the garden set in front of their house. His cousin was leaning back, staring blankly up at the towering star apple tree, legs propped up on the wrought iron table, arms folded behind his head.It struck her as odd. Over the past few weeks, Dudz had practically vanished from their family compound. He used to be a fixture here— always hanging out at the garden set, or randomly dropping by their house to mess around with her and Connie.But here he was… Still alive. Still existing.And here she thought he’d died or joined a cult.Considering they all lived within the same compound

Rome turned her head sharply toward Dudz, who was scanning the room as if he were sightseeing… or looking for someone specific.“Whose party is this?” she asked, her voice carefully restrained from turning into a full-on snarl. Did he seriously drag her here without saying anything?"One of my friends. He’s turning twenty-nine. I think only his close friends got invited—like, inner circle stuff. I mean, we’re friends, sure, but he’s got other circles too. I’m probably in the one that gets invited last-minute, like, ‘Hey bro, you around?’ You know, not VIP, more like... Vaguely Included Person."

Rome returned to their table with a smug little grin on her lips— until she noticed her cousin was nowhere to be found. She froze mid-step, blinking like she’d walked into the wrong movie.“Where the heck is that goofball now?” she muttered under her breath, eyebrows knitting together as she scanned the venue.Her eyes eventually landed on Dudz — right there in the middle of the event center, among the chattering guests. And of course, right next to him was that guy — Cayson Montemayor. Rome practically rolled her entire soul in disgust.She gave an audible tssk before trudging back to the table and plopping h