How the Mighty Fall (The Sinner #1)

SIN 2

Kairos

Cool water dripped from my hair down my face like a soft finger's caress. I do not know why the hell I just compared it to a caress. I never experienced a woman's touch. No mother to even do that to me as a child.

Maybe there was one experience.

I shut my eyes tightly. That little poet. Flowery with her words, always romanticizing life. And she's about to get married. I just know that she will be so pathetic in that marriage. She always looked for the good. I won't be surprised if she starts having delusions about Mancini falling in love with her despite the nature of their marriage. She's too weak for this world.

I could pay a visit on the engagement and express my pity for her in the years going forward. For heaven's sake, yes, she's good at writing poems and prose back at school. But does that stand any chance against cruel men like us? No. Poor little poet.

That's a good plan. It's the least consolation for me after her father dishonored me.

I ball my hands into a fist. And I'm reminded of how pissed I am. Not even a day after I rejected his offer of alliance and he immediately ran to fucking Harrison Mancini. As if I was just easy to throw away.

The waitress blushed as she placed food on the table. She kept biting her lip and glancing my way behind her lashes. I'm no Christian Grey. Lip biting only messes her lips with saliva. Doesn't attract me even a bit.

I'm way worse than the fictional billionaire. Be careful what you wish for, honey.

How do I know? Vashka kept telling me to watch it whenever I'm angry, which is all the time, according to him. Not even five minutes into the movie, I stopped watching. The interview was dumb.

And that's when I decided to never listen to Vashka's advice outside Despiadados business.

"Why am I here, Islas?" diretso kong tanong. "Bakit mo ako pinalipad hanggang Manila?"

"You wouldn't have if you did not want to. H'wag kang magkunwaring hindi ka interesado," ang sagot ng matandang Lennon Islas. He can't step down because he doesn't have an heir. The little poet is his only child.

"You know I'd always be a willing participant in the unknown," I swirled the liquor in the glass. "And my guess, you'd like to formally declare war. I'm flattered you bought me dinner for this."

He arched a brow. I mirrored the action.

"What? I went all the way here at your request. Ako ang pagbabayarin mo? Don't hurt your bank's ego. Kung anuman ang gagastusin mo ngayong gabi, you could earn it back in minutes."

"I'm just surprised na hindi mo pinairal ang pride mo. Akala ko'y magppresenta kang magbayad. You know... to show off your wealth."

Humalakhak ako nang bahagya.

"Marunong naman akong tumanggap ng grasya," ngisi ko.

Ngumisi ito pabalik. Blessing is a foreign word to morally questionable men like us. We're not religious. Why bother giving praises when you know you'll never be in his good graces?

"Anyway, I chose Manila as a sign of temporary ceasefire. Kung inimbitahan kita sa Cebu, you would've thought it was a trap to kill you. So I chose a city that belongs to neither of us. The police here are not in our payroll."