The Princess of Thieves

Chapter 14

Drey

"Nice to meet you, Drey."

I stopped midway in shaking his offered hand when he said that. Sasabihin ko pa nga lang ang pangalan ko, pero alam na pala niya. Don't tell me, this fuckin' bitch tell so much about me?

"Oh? You know me? I don't remember the time we got introduced."

Mukha naman siyang natauhan sa sinabi ko. I don't know if he's frustrated or what, that cause him to bite his lips gently.

"Um, T-tatiana mentioned you, minutes ago."

Knew it. She'd been a noisy bitch since god-knows when. .

Tiningnan naman siya ni Tatiana na parang nagtatanong rin ang mga mata, but then she blinked it immediately before she faced me.

"Oh, I never realize that I did. Well, its probably bad things." she shrug her shoulders and face her attention at her date. "Come now, cheri. Let's leave them alone for a moment."

"Sneaky bitch." I utter under my breathe when the two are meters away from where we're standing.

"Come on now, Drey. The main shows is right over here."

Sumunod na lang ako kay Reid nang maglakad siya sa isang pasilyo, at pinagbuksan ako ng pinto para makapasok. It's the room were the auction sale will be held. Marami-rami na rin ang nasa loob kaya pinalista ko na ang pangalan ko para sa mga sasali sa bid. Of course, I put my second prefered name.

Xiamara Moreno

The so-called daughter of the last Moreno man. Kapag kasi dumadalaw ako sa mga piging na ganito, I use that name as my identification. Well, Xiamara is my name--I mean, my real name. It goes as--Xiamara Drey Clemente. Tho, the two names have different purposes and uses, but it still held one person only.

Umupo na kami ni Reid sa mga bakanteng upuan na naroroon. And then minutes later, a man in his suit suddenly went in front of the mini stage and held the mike with his hands.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, may I properly open this room for great bidders of the night. Let's start with this Pablo Picasso's extraordinary art piece. The painting is open for bidders with a higher amount of 1.5 million euro. Anyone?"

"2 million!"

A woman in classical hat suddenly blurted. Nagustuhan siguro niya ang landscape na yun. I like the painting too, but I can't bid for it. Franco said I'll go for the Der kleine Fischer. The only Thédore Rousseau masterpiece that will be presented for tonight.

"2.3!"

The bid goes on and on and on until it landed for the amount of 4.6 million euro. And then the next art presented until my most awaited one.

"This one is the Der kleine Fischer of Thédore Rousseau. I'll start the bidding in the amount of 4 million!"

Great starting amount for a wonderful art piece, actually. Bagay lang ang ganung halaga sa painting na nasa harap ko.

"5 million!" A old man raised his card in the left part of the room. May narinig naman akong singhapan sa loob.

"5.7!" and the gasped went even louder.

"Come on, Drey. Bid for it." Reid suddenly whispered beside me.

"Later. I still have to know where will be this bidding goes." gusto kung malaman kung hanggang saan bebenta ang painting na 'to.

"5.9 million!"

"Wow! 5.9 million euro! Any higher bid?"

"6.5 million!" my attention was caught by the bidder few chairs away from me. A woman in her elegant white dress said while raising her card.

"7 million!" tinapatan naman yun ng matandang lalaki na nakaupo sa may kaliwang bahagi ng silid kanina, kaya lahat ng atensyon nabaling sa kanya. Even the woman who bid six point five earlier.

"7 million for this beyond wonderful painting! Tough amount. Any higher bids?" the whole room was silenced for a bit. Kahit ang babae, wala na ring maisagot. Maybe this is my time to interject. "No? Going once. . . . Going twice. ."

". . . . So---"

"8 million." I said almost a whisper, kasi ayokong magtinginan sa 'kin ang mga tao. I hate attentions. But, I guess my voice went loud in their freakin' ears. Nakatingin na sila sa 'kin ngayon. Even the woman and the old man in the left. All entirely threatened.

"What is that, Ms. Moreno?" the announcer suddenly asked me.

"8 million. I'm bidding for that in eight million euro."

"8 million! Wow! That is a hilarious amount for this art work beside me. Going once. . .

. . . . Going twice

. . . . SOLD!"

I gracefully stood up from my seat and walk proudly as I can out of the room. Nakitingin pa rin sila sa 'kin na parang di parin makapaniwala sa nangyari. As if I actually care. Kung may tataas pa nga sa eight million, kaya kung tumabasan yun hanggang 10. Pera naman ni Franco ang ginagasta niya. See? His willing to spend all that with just a stupid art piece. Nang dahil nga rin sa kanya kaya ako nagkandakulong kulong. The heist behind what happen in Birmingham and Philippines was all Franco's ambitious commands. The asshole is the real larcenist. Not me.

"Ba't ang tagal niyo?" Max greeted us when we got out from the hall.

I just shrug while Reid remained silent.

Inantay na namin na dumating yung painting na ngayon ay nakabalot balot na ng kung anong papel.

"Thank you for bidding, ma'am. Have a nice evening."

Nang maipasok yun ni Reid sa loob ng sasakyan, agad na rin kami nagsipasukan.

"So, how did the party go?" Max suddenly asked.

"I met your mother-in-law earlier." I teasingly asked her.

Nangunot din ang noo niya sa sinabi ko.

"Who?"

"Olivia."

When I mentioned the name at her she immediately scowl at me at the rearview mirror. Nasa back seat kasi siya katabi ng painting. While Reid and I was in the front.

"She's not my mother-in-law. Well, almost."

Olivia's son--Ford Dalton Alcaraz was Max's former boyfriend. Um, ex-fiance pala. They were engaged three years ago, before I got jailed. Then nang makalabas ako, hindi natuloy ang kasal. Later I found out that, they had a little misunderstanding that leads to cancellation of engagement. Olivia was broken 'cause she want Max for her son. Technically, Olivia wants to have a small connection between Moreno empire and her family's name for quite sometime now. Kaya lang, ayun nawasak dahil ayaw na nila Max and Ford sa isa't-isa.

Wala naman talagang balak magpakasal ang dalawa. It was Franco and Olivia's plans to betrothed the both of them. Well, the real plan was, part the two love birds and interject me to the picture as Ford's fiancé. Cause it's obvious that, Olivia prefered more for me than Max kasi akala nga niya, anak ako ni Franco. But I got jailed that time so, I can't participate. Kaya walang magagawa si Olivia kundi ipakasal na lang si Ford kay Max. But the two love birds won't want to take their relationship to that kind of level so, they part ways. The rest was history. Hindi ko na rin nakita si Ford. Last time I heard about him, was he's in Ireland. Managing their business branch their. Ewan ko lang kung nasan na siya ngayon.

"Why don't you get back to him?" I asked him through the mirror.

"I'll try." tipid niyang sagot sa 'kin at nagpakawala ng isang simpleng ngiti.

*

A little teaser for the second Vixen Trilogy.

Your Duchess ;)