Blood Menace

30- Taken

Nanghihinang napasandal si Cole sa dingding at agad niyang naramdaman ang mabining vibration ng magic mula doon.

"Kapatid," Cole chuckled humorless.

Kapatid?

Twelve years niyang inisip na ipinagpalit siya ni Kam kay Kray only to find out they're siblings?

"You made me believe he's your lover. You deliberately chose to hurt me," mahina niyang sabi.

Yes, he was hurt. And angry!

He was freaking furious.

"I'm so sorry, Cole, but I had to. 'Yun lang ang naisip kong paraan para protektahan ka mula sa mga magulang ko. For twelve years, inakala rin nilang si Kray ang dahilan kaya ako pumalpak sa academy."

Napatingin si Cole sa babae. Parehong nakasalampak ang dalawa sa sahig. Maliban sa kulay gintong buhok ng mga ito, wala nang similarities ang mga ito. Hindi talaga halata na magkapatid ang dalawa.

"Wait a minute, hindi nila alam na anak nila itong si Kray Hayes?"

Kray chuckled. "I was twenty years old when they disowned me because I didn't want to marry the woman they chose for me. Hindi pa sila sobrang yaman n'on pero ang pamilya n'ong babae, they were filthy rich."

"Hmm..." 'yun lang ang nasambit ni Cole.

"Kilala nila ako bilang Cameron Caedis. I was also a Cam, you know."

Kam smiled.

"I changed my name, my appearance and disappeared. I came back seventeen years ago as Kray Hayes. As an actor, entrepreneur, philanthropist."

"So?" ani Cole.

Tumawa si Kray na para bang napakasaya nito. "Bumalik ako na mayaman. You see, habang nagtatago ako for seven hundred years, pinalago ko rin ang buhay ko. They immediately liked me. You know why?"

Hindi sumagot si Cole pero gusto n'ya rin namang malaman.

"Ako ang pangalawang pinakamayaman sa continent na 'to. And giving their only daughter my attention means more power for them."

Sinulyapan ni Cole si Kam na nakatitig naman sa kanya.

Why did she look... hopeful?

Nagbawi ng tingin si Cole at muling tumingin kay Kray.

"So, is this your revenge plot? Kaya ka bumalik para maghiganti sa kanila?"

"Kung gusto n'yang maghiganti, dapat ginawa na niya. He's been back for seventeen years pero wala siyang ginawa," agad na react ni Kam.

"So, bakit bumalik ka pa sa buhay nila kung wala ka palang balak na maghiganti?" duda pa rin si Cole.

At bakit nito pinalitan ang pangalan?

"At first, I wanted to take revenge. But then they had Kam. She's an angel. Naghintay ako na lumaki siya bago ako nagpakilala. I waited for the time that she could understand the situation."

"Cole, I never wanted to hurt you," ani Kam at tiningnan lang ito ni Cole.

Bakit hindi ito nagtiwala sa kakayahan nila ng pamilya n'ya? Bakit hindi ito nagtiwala na kaya niyang protektahan ang kanyang sarili?

Ano ba ang kayang gawin ng mga magulang nito?

"Look, we try to live normal lives. Walang alam ang parents namin na ako ito, ang panganay nilang anak. I'm here to support my sister. She entered the music industry after she failed to be a Sentry, her ultimate dream. And she succeeded. Sumikat s'ya at sobrang successful. May nasasabi pa rin silang hindi maganda sa kanya, but at least, they didn't make her stop. It's because she stayed at the top of the music charts. Everything was fine and peaceful..."