Good Girls Series 1: TO STEAL (Adrianna Gomez)

Chapter 1

Adrianna

Target locked. 'Yan ang unang pumasok sa isip ko nang makita kong naglalakad si Euno papalapit sa table namin. Siya ang magiging susi sa pagtakas ko mula sa mga kamay ni Merlin.

So if you're wondering why Merlin has the power to control my life, it's simple. She's my stepmother. My dad married her after my mom passed away. Because of that damn last will, she has the power to marry me off to someone who suits her taste. The catch is, if I find someone to marry before I turn thirty, she loses all rights to meddle in my life, and I'll instantly become the head of the board of directors. But if she forces me to marry someone of her choosing, the board automatically rewards her with half of my dad's hard-earned fortune, making her the official queen of his empire. The solution seems simple, right? I just need to beat her to it, marry a guy before I turn thirty, and—tada!—she gets nothing!

But the gist of this situation is that if I ever marry someone na "gusto" ko, he must be competent and fit the standards that the board wants. At ang taong iyon ay malamang na si Euno. Siya ang pinaka-angkop na kandidato na mahanap ko.

Another thing you might be wondering is, 'Bakit ngayon ko lang to inaasikaso eh malapit na akong mag-trenta?'

Dahil unang-una sa lahat, ayoko talagang magpakasal. I don't like the idea of marriage, falling in love, or investing emotions in someone. Para sa akin, parang napakalaking trabaho para sa isang taong laging abala sa tunay na mundo. Ang pagkakaroon ng karelasyon ay parang fallback na lang para sa akin kung sakaling hindi mag-work out ang lahat sa buhay ko. Pero surprise! I'm doing great in the corporate world—my company won't function without me, it contributes to the GDP of our country, and lastly, I love being single. Ayoko ng hassle ng pagkakaroon ng boyfriend; hello, hindi ako marunong maglambing!

"Euno!" I called out to him, putting on my sweetest smile and giving him a cheerful wave.

Based on the way he's looking at me right now, he seems pretty weirded out by my actions. I know, I know, I'm coming off as really strange, but I need to swallow my pride and do this. For what it's worth, he might be my future husband.

"Euno!" Napawi ang pagpapacute ko sa kanya nang nakita kong tinawag rin siya ng barkada niya sa kabilang table. Lumingon siya sa gawi nila at nagsimulang maglakad patungo sa kanila.

Ugh. Tangina. Napahiya ako doon ah, natanggal yung angas ko ng mga ten percent. Hindi pa ba sapat yung pacute ko para pumunta siya dito? O baka gusto niya na ako ang umakyat sa kanya?

Ha! Manigas siya! Kailangan ko siya, pero I won't take desperate measures... for now, I guess.

"Pfftt!" Naririnig ko ang pabulong na hagikhik ni Chloe sa gilid habang nakatingin sa'kin.

"Ano!?" Inis kong sabi habang balik sa upuan at tinabihan siya.

"Alam mo, never in my life did I think I'd see it with my own eyes... Adrianna Gomez, the woman who bites everyone's ass in the corporate world, nagdadalaga sa bar! HAHAHAHA! This is such headline material!" Pangtutukso niya, sabay sapak sa braso ko.

"Tangina mo rin Chloe!" Irap ko sa kanya.

"Girl, advice ko sa'yo—hindi mo makukuha si Euno sa mga ganyan-ganyan lang! Yung style mo pang-elementary. Ay, hindi! Sa lagay mong 'yan, mas mauunahan ka pa ng grade one magka-boyfriend kung pacute-cute lang ang gagawin mo. I can't believe I'm saying this, pero you're still at level one sa dating game mo! Baka naman nakaw ng nakaw ka ng tingin ngayong gabi, tapos si Euno, may kalaplapan na sa kabilang table. Ganung level na, girl!"