BOOK 1 | ESOTERIC

Chapter 46

| CHAPTER XLVI |

"Chaos Protecting the Calm"

STELLAN

"You are quiet."

Nanatili ang tingin ko sa labas. I was not expecting that she would initiate the conversation herself.

"I am thinking."

"Anong iniisip mo?"

I sighed. I really do not want to talk right now. Kaya heto ako ngayon, hindi siya nilalaanan ng tingin.

"You are mad."

"Who wouldn't be?" Nilingon ko siya. Nakatingin na siya sa akin. "You talked all like that in front of me. I was there and you talked about this—about this ownership! You do not own me? Nor anyone in this world! You were disrespecting me!"

I no longer care if Mr. Antonio is here. Eris brought this to both of us.

"I am owning you to protect—"

"Nonsense! There is no single reason for you to own me. We once talked about—about the fact that no one owns us but ourselves and then this? You hated to be owned by your parents so you must know what it feels like!"

Tinitigan niya ako, her jaw clenched. Ilang segundo pa kaming nagtitigan bago niya ako iwasan ng tingin. Hindi ko na lang din siya pinansin at tumingin sa kabilang gawi. And there, we are silent hanggang sa makarating kami ng mansyon.

Kahit sa paglabas ng kotse at pagpasok ng bahay ay hindi namin pinansin ang isa't isa.

"Kuya!"

Napatigil ako nang marinig ang aking kapatid. To my surprise, nasa may living room siya at nanonood ng tv.

Now of all times...

"Okay lang po ba si, ate Eris?" She must be concerned dahil nagpatuloy lang ito sa paglalakad at walang nilaanan ni isang tingin sa mga tao rito. "Okay ka lang po ba?"

I tapped her head and forced a smile. "Yes, we are good. Eris is just tired. Babalik lang ako sa trabaho ko." Without her response, tinalikuran ko na lang siya at naglakad papalayo.

I could not hide my anger towards Eris for that long. Hindi talaga tama. I know that she hired me and even paid me but that does not mean that she owns me? I know that she is a powerful woman but she cannot just treat me like this?

Is that what she really thinks of me? Just some kind of a toy she wants to own and play? And what did she say the other day? What she feels towards me is possessiveness. That just shows how much she wants to own me!

That is not right! That is disrespectful. They talked as if I wasn't there. Not because I am not part of their world does not mean they can just treat me like that. First Mr. Allaire tried to buy me then I was threatened by lord Eros and now Eris and Hedone are trying to own me? That is madness!

I tried to forget everything that had happened this morning by being a butler. Ngunit hanggang sa matapos ang araw ay talagang hindi siya nawala sa aking puso. Though my anger is not the same, I know I still won't be able to face Eris without feeling this.

I want to understand her but if she disrespects me like this, I will not just turn blind and let her do what she wants to me. Dahil tao rin ako. May pakiramdam ako. And mostly, she does not own me.

It disappoints me how she still talks like that after we had a talk about ownership—iyong tumambay kami sa kaniyang tambayan. Was all of it for nothing? She hates the idea that she was owned by her parents and now she is acting exactly like them! Galit sa sariling multo?