Entangled Hearts

Chapter 14

Unraveling the Mystery

Zaira's POV

Ang tahimik ng buong bahay. Ilang araw na simula nang bumalik si Kaelan, at wala pa ring malinaw na sagot sa lahat ng mga katanungan ko. Parang mas lalong naging malayo ang pakiramdam namin sa isa’t isa, kahit na magkatabi lang kami sa bahay.

Alam kong may hindi siya sinasabi. Alam kong may itinatago siyang sekreto—isang bagay na malaki at mapanganib. Pero tuwing magtatanong ako, lagi niyang tinatapatan ng malamig na sagot, o kaya’y tuluyan akong iniiwasan.

Nandito ako ngayon sa sala, nakaupo at nakatingin sa bintana, watching the rain fall softly against the glass. The gray skies outside reflected exactly how I felt inside—confused, lost, and a little broken.

Hindi ko maiwasang isipin si Isabel. Sino siya talaga? At bakit parang may alam siya tungkol sa buhay ni Kaelan na hindi ko alam? Mula nang bumisita siya, hindi ako mapakali. Gusto kong magtanong kay Kaelan, pero alam kong hindi niya ako bibigyan ng kahit anong matinong sagot.

Narinig ko ang mga yabag ni Kaelan pababa ng hagdan. Tumingin ako sa kanya nang dumaan siya sa sala. As usual, he was dressed sharply, like he was always ready for a business meeting, kahit na hindi ko alam kung saan siya pupunta.

“Kaelan, we need to talk,” I said, finally breaking the silence between us.

Nag-stop siya sa harap ng pinto, pero hindi lumingon. “About what?”

I stood up, walking towards him. “You’ve been acting strange. May mga bagay kang hindi sinasabi sa akin. You disappear without a word, and now there’s this woman, Isabel—”

Pagkarinig ng pangalan ni Isabel, napansin kong nanigas ang katawan ni Kaelan. He turned slowly, his face hard. “What about Isabel?”

“I don’t know. Ikaw ang dapat sumagot niyan,” I challenged, crossing my arms. “She showed up here, looking for you. She said something about ‘urgent matters.’ What’s going on, Kaelan?”

Tahimik lang siya, staring at me with that unreadable expression he always had. Ilang sandali kaming nagkatitigan bago siya napabuntong-hininga, as if deciding whether to tell me the truth.

“I’m handling something. Business-related,” he finally said, but I could tell he wasn’t telling me everything.

“Business-related?” I repeated skeptically. “This isn’t just about business, is it? Kung business lang ang usapan, bakit parang palagi kang balisa? At bakit bigla na lang palagi kang nawawala?”

Kaelan's jaw tightened. “Zaira, this isn’t something you need to worry about.”

“That’s exactly what you keep saying, but it’s not helping,” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “I’m your wife, Kaelan, kahit na alam kong hindi mo ako nakikita bilang ganoon. Pero narito ako, kasama mo. You owe me at least some answers.”

Lumapit siya sa akin, ang kanyang presensya palaging nakakabigla at nakaka-intimidate. His voice dropped low, almost a whisper. “Zaira, there are things happening right now that you wouldn’t understand. And the less you know, the better.”

I shook my head, not willing to accept that. “How am I supposed to trust you when you keep me in the dark?”

Kaelan stared at me for a long moment, his face hard and unreadable. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

---

Days passed, and Kaelan was becoming more distant than ever. His constant disappearances and evasive answers were driving me mad. Every time I tried to get close, he pushed me further away. Ngunit hindi ako titigil hanggang hindi ko nalalaman kung ano talaga ang nangyayari.