ENEMY'S PROPERTY | ES:2

Kabanata 18

Hello, weekends! Hope you are all well. Here's an update, hoping to make your day a little bit better. Happy reading, enjoy! ❤️

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ENEMY'S PROPERTY
KABANATA 18
''Heartless''

We drove somewhere, in an elevated area in Santa Monica. Sobrang aga pa kaya hindi ko rin alam kung saan kami pupunta. But when he pulled over beside the road, my lips just literally parted in awe. Mahigpit akong napahawak sa may railings, habang tinatanaw sa ibaba ang malawak na lupain na punong-puno ng mga bulaklak. Puno iyon hanggang papaitaas sa isang maliit na burol sa kabilang bahagi.

''Just wow...'' I couldn't help but praise that land, over and over inside my head.

Sobrang ganda. Just like the hidden falls among the Montecarlos land, that place is also beyond magical. The different kinds of flowers dancing along with the wind, and being highlighted by the morning sun, feels so surreal to look at.

I didn't know that there is a place like this here in Santa Monica! Is it a private or public place? It's quite familiar though... parang nakita ko na.

''Maganda diba?'' tanong ni Hector na nasa tabi ko na. ''Pag-aari iyan ng mga Montecarlo. Pero bukas naman kahit na kanino, kaya dinadayo rin talaga lalo na ng mga turista. Iba ang daanan para makapunta diyan, pero kahit dito naman ay kitang-kita na.''

Nang marinig kung kanino ang lupain na iyon ay medyo napawi ang ngiti ko.

Ah, that's why it's familiar. I remember the garden in Montecarlo's mansion, it's also full of roses. At hindi lang hardin pati ang ibang parte ng kanilang hacienda ay may mga bulaklak.

''Mahilig ka ba sa bulaklak, Anya?'' kuryusong tanong niya.

''Uh, hindi ako sigurado...'' 

He chuckled softly. Uminit ang pisngi ko dahil nahiya sa sagot. Pero kinalaunan ay ngumiti na lamang.

''I know you probably have lots of suitors even before...'' he trailed off. ''they gave you flowers for sure, am I correct?''

Tahimik lamang ako. Hindi ako nakasagot dahil hindi ko alam paano sasabihin.

''Hmm, wala kang tinanggap?''

I smiled sheepishly. ''Uh, wala.''

''If you refused their flowers that means you refused their courtship, too, then?'' aniya, tila ba napagtanto niya iyon.

I nodded a bit. ''Wala pa sa isip ko ang mga iyan.''

''Well, that's okay. You're still studying so it's understandable that you want to finish your studies first.''

Muling sumilay ang mainit na ngiti sa labi niya habang matamang pinagmamasdan ako. I noticed that he's been trying to talk to me, even back in the car, and I would only nod or answer him briefly.

I'm not just entirely in a good mood, pero magaan naman kasama si Hector. Maamo at maaliwas ang kanyang mukha, at palagi rin siyang nakangiti. His eyes have that smiling shape, too. Even his voice is somehow sounded soft, tila ba laging nanlalambing. He doesn't have tan skin but he isn't that pale, too. Mas maputi pa rin ako sa kanya.

He is the complete opposite of Carlos Lorenzo. That man has sun kissed color. He looks very vigorous and has rough movements. His expression too, it's just between angry eyes and furrowed eyebrows or cold and serious gazes. Mahal rin ata ang ngiti at halakhak noon.

Napangisi ako. Akala mo naman kung sinong maharlika! But oh, doesn't he really act like a royalty? He's very demanding and authoritative. But despite those, I also couldn't ignore that Carlos Lorenzo also has warm traits.