BC # 2: Interim Dalliance (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER 6

BAWAT HAKBANG ay maririnig ang tunog ng kaniyang takong. It screams power and dominance. Her oozing appeal and powerful aura are allover the place, making people stare at her in awe.

"Good evening, Miss Semberova. Mrs. Castello told me that you were coming. Any beverage? Brewed coffee perhaps?" Ava's secretary asked her, waiting for her response

"Yes please. I'll go to her office. And uhm," Parang natutop ang dila niya sa sunod na tanong pero pinilit niya ang sarili "Is Adam Beinlich there?"

"He still is, Miss Semberova." She just stood there waiting for her dismissal which Siri got so she just nodded

Pumasok siya sa elevator kahit na dinadaga ang puso niya. Alam niyang hindi niya dapat ito maramdaman ngunit sino nga ba ang niloloko niya? Inuusig pa rin siya ng konsensya hanggang ngayon.

"Top floor, Miss Semberova." Napatingin siya sa babae bago pilitin ang mga paang nanlalambot na lumabas

She sounded so fearless when she was talking earlier but seeing him again, in a white longsleeves rolled-up into his elbow and messy hair makes her scream for attention.

"Hey, Veronika. Long time no see. How's life?" Agad na salubong nito sa kaniya, bakas ang pang-aasar sa tono nito

"Don't Veronika me!" She made her voice sounded strong "We parted ways in a bad way. Remember, Adam?"

"Still playing the victim card, Veronika? I see." Tinalikuran siya nito bago sundan si Ava na may nakakalokong ngisi

Pumasok sila sa opisina nito na napapalibutan ng asul na pintura na nilagyan ng iba't-ibang likhang sining ng mga batikang pintor.

"Welcome, ex-lovers. How may I help you?" Paunang-salita ni Ava na nakaupo sa gilid ng lamesa "I didn't know that you two talkes about going in here. What a destiny."

"Let's get this over with, shall we? So I can go home?" Naiinis niyang saad at inilapag sa lamesa nito ang proposal para makahiram ng pera "Read that. All the details are in there. I'll get going."

"Wait, Siri. That's not the proper way of asking the owner of the bank to lend you." Ava tsked and shook her head like she was testing her to present her proposal

"He's here." Itinuro niya si Adam na prenteng nakaupo sa pang-isahang sofa "All the details in there are confidential. All the upcoming projects are written in there."

"If there's someone who should have trust issues in here, I'm the one who has the right to, Meine Liebe." Gumihit ang pagkairita sa boses nito na agad niyang napansin

"Suit yourself, Herzog." Umirap siya bago buksan ang folder na naglalaman ng impormasyon patungkol sa dahilan ng paghiram niya ng pera "We all know that providing safety and aesthetic design in order to connect people with the infrastructure is our main goal. It will take a lot of time, effort and even money in doing so."

Tumikhim siya, "We need your company to lend us some funds to make our efficient designs as well asl provide our employees some trainings outside the country. It is a good investment for us to provide a good service in architecture industry. Not to boast but Semberova Builders and Designs, our company, is the highest paid architectural firm."

"You think that being on-top is a permanent seat, Siri?" Pinaikot-ikot ni Ava ang ballpen sa kamay niya na para bang may malalim na iniisip "Do you think that your foundation as a good architectural firm will let you taste the peak of success permanently?"

"Yes. I won't let my company sink, Ava. I worked hard for this. I let myself crawl in dirt before experiencing this kind of luxury." Matalim niyang tinignan ang mata ng kaibigan bago tignan si Adam na nakatulala sa kaniya "And by knowing my hardships, you can tell that I will going to pay what you lend."

"Alright! I was just you know," Kibit-balikat na depensa ni Ava "missing those moments. Being so serious and talk like that."

"Can I leave now?"

"Hindi pa tapos si Duke Adam. Kamahalan, ikaw naman. Anong kailangan mo? The last time I checked, you're a Duke in Germany. Don't make me laugh." Puno ng sarkasmo ang boses ni Ava

"I need to open bank account for the upcoming Medical Mission. I know that your company is also included in there, right?" Prente pa rin itong nakaupo sa sofa habang nakataas pa ang paa sa lamesa "Using my account for royalty shits will make my father mad." He chuckled as her eyes travelled down to his throat

Fuck, so manly.

"You can just talk to one of my staff. Marami naman kaming branch. Bakit hindi ka ron pumunta?" Umirap pa ito bago magsalin ng brandy sa baso

"20 Billion? As far as I know, your company doesn't allow one transaction that involves a lot of money. So I am here, asking as a cousin of your friend." He shrugged as he get the bottle of brandy "May I?"

"Yeah, sure. Anyway, I can do personal transactions. Just send your security with the money, in-cash." Sumimsim ito ng brandy bago siya tignan "Afterall, your Siri's ex-lover. Might as well treat you like one."

"Ava, aalis na ako. Kailangan ko na bumalik sa opisina. May aasikasuhin pa ako." Akmang aalis siya nang higitin ni Ava ang braso niya

"Aasikasuhin mo ba yung bahay nila Sidney? Kamusta na pala 'yon?" Tunog inosente ang litanya ng kaibigan

Oh, fuck. Not again.

"Lao? What are you up to, Veronika? Still begging for his attention?" Puno ng panunumbat na saad ni Adam habang walang emosyong nakatingin sa kaniya

"My bad, guys. I'm sorry. Here, talk about your lives. Mag-kamustahan muna kayo." Ava just smiled and handed her a glass of brandy before leaving the room

"None of your business, Adam. Aalis na ako." Bubuksan na sana niya ang pinto nang malakas itong isinara ni Adam "Wala kang pakialam sa ginagawa ko kaya puwede ba?! Umalis ka!"

"We are not finish talking, Veronika! I am asking you! Are you still into that piece of shit? After you've been through? After using me?" Isang malakas na sampal ang ginawad niya sa pisngi ito nang hindi niya mapigilan ang galit "I can destroy that man, Veronika. After knowing that you were inlove with him while you were with me. I could kill him but I did not because I fucking loved you."

"Minahal mo ako. Alam ko 'yun. Tapos na. Kaya puwede ba? Gusto ko ng bumalik sa trabaho ko?" Nagsisimulang gumaralgal ang boses niya dahil alam niyang tama ito. May karapatan si Adam na sumbatan siya sa lahat ng ginawa niya.

"Fuck, Veronika. Just fuck this." Huling saad ni Adam bago lumabas sa silid

Naiwan siyang nakatulala at nasasaktan dahil alam niyang hindi kailanman mapapalitan ang sakit na naramdaman ni Adam sa ginawa niya. She has no right to question nor demans him not to feel pain.

Am I that heartless?

"Mukang nagkainitan ata kayo ni Duke?" Salubong ni Ava paglabalik nito sa opisina "See what you did? You broke that man into pieces, Siri. Just like how Sidney broke you few years ago."

"It wasn't my intention, Ava."

"See this?" Ava showed her middle finger "This is for you. Continue lying to yourself, motherfucker. We all know that you used Adam for business purposes."

"Na pinagsisihan ko na." Inirapan niya ito baka inumin ang brandy na kanina pa niya hawak "Hindi ko alam, Ava. Dapat ba akong matuwa na ganon ang epekto ko sa kaniya?"

"Tanga, syempre hindi! Nasaktan mo yung tao. Sinabi mo sa harap niya na ginamit mo lang siya. Anong gusto mong matanggap? Thank you?"

"It's been a year, Ava. Pero bakit nakikita ko pa rin na nasasaktan siya? Nakokonsensya ako. Sobra."

"Dapat lang!" Binatukan pa siya nito bago magsalita "Makonsenya ka kasi minahal ka lang naman nung tao. Tsaka bakit kasi hindi ka nalang kay Adam? Bukod sa single at lapitin ng babae, magiging Duchess ka pa."

"Alam mo naman kung bakit ayaw ko, diba?" Huminga siya nang malalim "Ayoko namang dagdagan pa kasalanan ko sa kaniya. Masyado ng malaki atraso ko."

"At sa tingin mo may pake siya? Now that Adam Beinlich is here and you know how their family think, you better watch-out. Walang Beinlich ang nagpapatalo. Tandaan mo 'yan."

Muli siyang napatingin sa pinto na nilabasan nito kanina. Adam won't be in the Philippines for just a medical mission. She's very sure of that...