Alluring Mask

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 35

VALENTINA IMARA MEADOWS

"What are you doing here, Mrs. Collazo?"

Natigilan ako ng ilang segundo ng marinig ang boses niya. He was still looking out the bay window while smoking. Sa tuwing humihipak sa sigarilyo niya abot na abot 'yon hanggang sa pwesto ko.

"I'm just looking around. Ano sa tingin mo ginagawa ko rito?" I replied sarcastically.

I heard him chuckle softly at what I said. Parang may sariling utak ang mga paa ko, nagsimula akong maglakad patungo kay Helios. Kung susubukan niya man akong patayin ngayon, nagkakamali siya. I could easily pull Saf from my hair and use it as a weapon against him.

"Hmm. I don't really know if you're just looking around here or if you're following me. Who knows, malay natin inutusan ka ng asawa mo na patayin ako kaya ka nandito."

Doon ko na tuluyang nakita ang mukha ng harapin niya ako. "You're here to kill me, aren't you? Maybe... I'm right about that."

His serious, ash-grey eyes made it hard to tell what was running through his mind. But there was something strange about him—it seemed like he was both annoyed and sad; hindi ko alam kung imahinasyon ko lang ba 'yon o sadyang ginugulo lang ako ng isipan ko. Pero alam ko na wala siya sa mood ngayon dahil sa noo niyang nakakunot ngayon habang nakatingin sa akin.

He walked towards me and passed by. I quickly pulled Saf from my hair, and my long hair fell freely. I slipped the ends of my two golden stiletto-style weapons into my fingers and hid them behind my back.

False rumors—but I guess I was wrong. How could I avoid them when the person who spread them is right in front of me? Mariin na lang akong napapikit at kinalma ang sarili.

"I'm not his wife, okay—"

Hindi ko natapos ang sasabihin ko ng lingunin siya. My eyes widened as I saw his right hand moving toward me; may hawak na siya ngayong pocket knife at handa na akong saksakin. I quickly stepped back and grabbed his hand, twisting it until he dropped the knife.

I pulled his hand toward me, bringing his body closer. That's when I found the opportunity to punch his stomach. Mabilis niya rin naman na sangga ang suntok ko gamit ang kamay niya at nahuli paa ko para ikaladkad. I fall onto the cold wooden floor while he continues to pull me across the floor.

"Not so fast, Hexia," he replied, as if he were joking with me.

Hindi ko maiwasang mapasinghap sa bilis ng pangyayari. I tried to kick him with the foot he wasn't holding, but he kept dragging me, moving me around the entire mini-living room on the second floor of Hyperion's library. Pakiramdam ko ngayon ay para niya akong ginagawang mop!

Alam na alam niya talaga kung paano ako mainis. Helios knew exactly how to boil my blood with anger! Ang akala ko ay si Oceanus lang ang makakagawa no'n, pero hindi pala. Ngayon ay nangunguna na si Helios!

"Stop it!" I screamed. "I said fucking stop it, Helios."

I raised myself until we were almost pressed against each other. Madali na lang din 'yon sa akin dahil kayang kaya ko namang buhatin ang sarili ko. I trapped his hand that was gripping my foot, squeezing it between my thighs and pulling it toward me. After that, I shifted my full body weight onto his trapped hand, twisting in midair and bringing him down with me onto the wooden floor.

He was caught off guard by my move and didn't recover immediately. I pressed the small button on Saf, and I heard a faint click coming from the weapon in my hand, signaling that the cover had come off.