No Time to Die

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Wound

Aiden never let me disagree with what he wanted. Talagang gusto niya na ukupahin ko ang pagiging head ng Ruiz para makaupo sa meetings ng Orbis Circle. If my mind is not fucked with all the things I just learned, I would be glad to take the seat. Problem is, I have a lot on my mind and handling the Ruiz networks is probably the least of my concern. Ang malas ko lang at hindi na ako roon nakakontra dahil mabilis ang naging proseso ng paglipat sa akin. I swear, sometimes, it's fucking annoying how efficient Aiden is.

"How's your first meeting?" Aiden asked. He basically lives in my room now. Wala na si Lucas sa kwarto niya pero hindi pa rin siya umaalis. His reason is that he's free to do whatever the hell he wants when he's here. I call bullshit on that because now it's me who can't do the things I like.

"Horrible," sagot ko.

He chuckled. "They don't believe you?"

"Hindi. They don't believe I'm a real Ruiz."

Sumalampak ako sa kama at ipinikit ang mga mata. I was called into Helena Hernandez' office today. The mysterious door I saw before turned out to be a room where secured conference calls within the Circle happen. I thought I'd still explain myself to Helena how I became a part of the Circle but when she called me Nerissa Ruiz, I knew I didn't have to.

I was the youngest head present in that meeting. Kahit yata sa buong Orbis Circle, ako ang pinakabata. I should've been intimidated but I was just really annoyed the whole time.

"You abandoned your family and grew up under the tutelage of this person you're claiming to be a threat. How will we believe you?"

"The fact that you've claimed the Ruiz seat right at this moment is up for suspicion. Give the networks back to the Cortell."

"You're a spy. We won't let creatures like you snitch on the most powerful organization in the world."

"You look like a whore from the streets of wherever shit place you came from."

Those are just some of the things they said to me. The last one made me lose it. Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili na murahin ang isa sa heads ng Europa. Helena Hernandez had to kick me out the call because she said I was being disrespectful. Fuck all of them, then.

"Give it time. They'll come around," kalmadong sabi ni Aiden.

Nilingon ko siya at agad nagsisi dahil nagbibihis pala siya. What an asshole. Dito pa talaga!

"I'm pretty sure I was banned for the next meetings after I rained curses on old Mantovani," sambit ko.

"You did what?" gulantang na tanong ni Aiden.

"Well, he called me a whore so naturally, I returned the favor and called him names, too. I didn't sit there to be belittled." Nag-iinit pa rin ang dugo ko sa matandang iyon.

"Fuck. Mantovani doesn't forget. You made quite a mess back there, huh?"

Umirap ako. Pakialam ko sa kanila.

"Look, you just have to convince them that the threat is real. You should've asked for Helena's support back there."

"I don't talk to close-minded people."

They don't believe me simply because I'm nobody to them. Hindi nila ako kilala. My parents never brought me in on whatever business the family has. I'm not exposed to the supposed connections we have. As a result, the heads of Orbis Circle don't know shit about me. Or maybe they do now. Kung papa-imbestigahan nila ako, maaring makumbinsi sila na totoong Ruiz ako.