The Princess of Thieves

Chapter 8

Drey

". . . . Ginagawa naman ng mga awtoridad ang kanilang makakaya para mahuli agad ang magnanakaw. Ito po si Mary Ann Velusio, nagpapatrol. Balik sayo Ted."

I exhaled harshly and lean tiredly at my seat when the video ended. It was the report of the scene I pulled off last night. Nang sinabi ni Yna sa 'kin ang tungkol sa balita, I eagerly went to my computer and search the said report.

Tang'ina, nakaflash pa talaga ang mukha ko sa screen. Saying something like: Kung may makakita po sa babaeng 'ito, agad kontakin ang malapit na estasyon ng pulis. Maraming Salamat.

Fucking cops. And the shitty cameras. .

Now what, Drey? Anong gagawin mo?

Sure they're looking for me right now. I just don't understand why they easily figure out about the fake art's existence. Usually, umaabot ng isang taon bago yun malaman ng may-ari na peke. We have the best artist on the house to create beyond-wonderful paintings. At patunay na run ang sinabi ko. Well if, Amelia is really good as fuck in recognizing the real from the fake ones, then pwede rin yung mangyari. The second is, inobserbahan siguro iyun ng curator ng museum kaya nalaman na lang bigla na peke pala yung dala ni Amelia. I just don't know whichever of the two.

But it doesn't matter now. Ang dapat kung intindihin ay ang mga posiblidad na maaring mangyari sa nangyari. Should I evacuate or hid somewhere safe? But I highly doubt about that. Pwede rin kasi akong di payagan ni Franco na umalis. Or. . . Face the results? Sigurado naman akong di hahayaan ni Franco na mawasak ang organisasyon na binuo niya at nang pamilya Moreno sa loob ng maraming taon. So, he has no choice but to also protect me.

At kahit gaano pa ka galit sa 'kin si Franco dahil sa nangyari, he would protect me against the goons with all his life. Kasi kapag namatay ako, at namatay rin si Franco, there will be no next to his heir. Wala na kasing ibang anak si Franco pagkatapos ng pagkamatay ng nag-iisa nitong anak na lalaki. The boy was supposed to be running next to his throne. Kaya nga lang namatay. Halos magkaedad rin lang kami ni Zac ng mamatay siya. It was a car accident that causes his death. Until then, the bloodline stops at Franco alone. Hindi ako pwede kasi di naman ako Moreno. But, Franco insisted on it. Ako daw ang isusunod kapag may nangyaring masama sa kanya.

I keep refusing his offer tho. Kahit alam kong deserving ako sa posisyong yun, I know I shouldn't. Marami naman kasing mas karapat-dapt. There was Rick. And there was Reid who is years younger than him. I just don't think, a woman can run the whole family's business all by herself. Hindi kakayanin ng isang babae. At isa pa, I don't intend to stay inside the organization forever. I want to be freed. Kaya lang, yun ang pinakaayaw ni Franco. We all swear to Omérta. It's our code of honor and conduct. Dapat kung pinanganak ka sa loob ng organisasyon, mamamatay ka sa loob lamang. No one leaves the family. That was he always says.

But I always wanted to feel the world outside. To live with a normal life just like I've always wanted. Kaya lang, matatagalan pa siguro bago ko yun magawa. I'm not even sure if I'll survive the scandal (if it is even called like that) I'd made. Philippine cops must have been searching the whole globe for me. Or they go straight here in Rome, that is, if they already found out my identity. It was never that impossi--

"Drey."

I was drag out of my dark thoughts when my room door suddenly swung open. I immediately shifted my gaze to the person who just barged in inside my room without even knocking.

"Franco, si chiama."

[TR: Franco is summoning you.]

I looked at the woman who is confidently leaning on my door jam with her arms crossed on her chest. Standing there with her pink one-shoulder draped dress that showed off her lovely arms and creamy legs. Emma never fails to make a grand entrance on my eyes everytime we have the misfortune of meeting. I sometimes envy her, on how she handle herself like she's walking on a fashion aisle everyday. But I won't shout my compliments on her fuckin' face. Not planning to stroke her inflated ego in this late evening.

"Okay."

I stood up in my seat and was about to leave the room when I heard her talk again in her thick Italian language.

"Vedo, avete un modo diverso se qualcuno piacevole, Drey."

[TR: I see you have a different way of pleasing someone, Drey.]

I stopped midway but don't bothered to look at her. Emma and I are not really in good terms. We barely talk. Akala kasi niya inaagaw ko ang atensyon ni Franco sa kanya. Well, she's somewhat Franco's mistress or something. Ewan ko nga lang kung may pagtangi nga siya kay Franco o wala. The man is twice her age after all. . But I think, Emma doesn't bother about that much. She's probably into the saying: Age doesn't matter. That is, if she's feeling the freakin' L word towards Franco. But I highly doubt that. She's a gold-digging bitch after all. Maybe she's a good fuck that's why, Franco's been keeping her for a year now. I don't care less anyway. .

"Yeah. I practiced it much." that's all I'd say and dashed out a smirk on her before I leave her standing on her annoyed face.

Dumeritso agad ako sa opisina ni Franco. I executed a knock before I step in. Once I took step inside I immediately saw him working papers on his office table.

"Siediti, Drey."

I gulp as I walked towards his hard wooden table and sat at one of the chairs he have in front of his table.

"You wished for my presence, Sir?" I asked not wanting to stay longer inside his suffocating office (if that's the right term, to which your boss usually hang out all day). I suddenly feel I lacked on breathing air, and feel incredibly sweaty when the whole room is actually air conditioned.

"Yes." he said and then held his head up from the papers his working to meet my hazel brown eyes.

Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya. Completely clueless of what we'll talk about.

I watched him as he bring both of his hands to his chin and let it stayed there for a second before he eyed me seriously and open up his mouth again to talk.

"Pag-uusapan natin ang mga katangahan mo, Drey."