NIGHT [GXG] (BOOK 2)

Chapter 12

VLAD

"Hey, ikaw yung best friend ni Nyx, right?" Gulat siyang napatingin sa akin, but then her eyes softened hearing the name of my sister.

She was alone in this library, I followed her. Tumakas ako sa main mansion at hiniram yung black Ducati ni Dada.

She's been in my mind the moment I saw her in our debut, I didn't get the chance na makipagkilala sa kanya.

She stared at me for a while before she nodded vigorously, I guess namukhaan na niya ako. "Yes, I am. How was she?"

"She's doing fine," I responded.

"Umupo ka muna," she offered pointing to the seat beside her.

I sat beside her, and that's where I smelled her scent. "It's nice to meet you close up, I'm Zenith Hiraya Pr- Cruz," she introduced.

Tumango ako, "I'm Vlad Ymir Antonov, don't call me 'blood' though" I joked.

Tumawa naman siya, "I already knew your name, but yeah, it's nice meeting you formally." She offered a handshake to which I accepted, her hand is so soft and smooth, it's kinda small compared to mine but it fits perfectly.

"Likewise, Hiraya," I smiled at her warmly, I saw a deep blush creeped into her rosy cheeks.

"By the way, how did you know that I was here?" Takang tanong niya.

"Oh, uhm, I happened to catch a glimpse of you here. I was thinking why you were familiar, and then I realized that you were friends with my twin sister." I shrugged.

It's a lie, but...

"Ah, I see. Kailan makakabalik ng school si Nyx? Pakisabi, miss ko na siya, wala na akong kasama sa school," she pouted.

Damn, she's so adorable.

"Soon, makakabalik din siya," I smiled, offering to ease the mood.

She smiled back at me, shet ang ganda niya!

She's not like those other girls that I've been with, she's a keeper. I've been observing her these days, following her around discreetly and watching her every move. She's so kind to other people, especially to those children. Pumupunta siya sa lugar ng mga homeless na bata around the city, she's giving them bread and water. She's also teaching them the basics, the alphabets, how to count, and the like.

Very wife-material, I want to marry someone like her.

We stayed silent for a moment, "Ymir..."

She called me by my second name, and it sounds so good coming from her. She can be my Historia.

To my dear Historia...

"Yes?"

"Tell me the truth... have you been following me?" She confronted me.

"Ha?"

"Hatdog ka, ang sabi ko, sinusundan mo ba ako?" She asked again.

"No! Why would I?" I denied.

She snorted, "Alam kong ikaw ang rider sa big bike na yun, aminin mo na Ymir."

I chuckled, "Paano ako aamin? Wala naman akong aaminin? Look, Hiraya, ngayon lang kita nakita and na-meet in person. So please, don't give me those accusations."

Tumahimik siya, she's observing me. I looked into her eyes directly with my blatant expression. She sighed, "I'm sorry... akala ko ikaw. It's just that, nababahala na ako kung sino yung sunod nang sunod sa akin."

"Hmm... what made you think that it's me?" I asked her.

She shook her head, "Sakto kasing naka black leather jacket ka rin ngayon, so I assumed..."

I looked down at my rider attire, well fuck.

"Don't worry about it, so you're telling me that someone has been following you around lately?" I asked.

Tumango siya, "Yeah, natatakot na nga ako eh."

"In that case, I will help protect you from that creepy stalker of yours. Kaya naman kitang protektahan," I smirked and winked at her.

Pumula ulit yung pisngi niya, "Hindi mo naman kailangang gawin yun,"

"No, Hiraya, best friend ka ng kakambal ko. So I should protect you as well as how I protect my twin sister," I smiled warmly at her.

"Salamat..." she smiled back at me.

Shet, yung puso ko.

***

Our training continued. We also kept on improving our fights, kasi uma-upgrade din yung training namin. Papshy Vanity had invited some professional Assassins and Ronins to be our opponents in duels. Hindi ko alam pero bakit parang malakas pala itong Primo mob at puspusan na lang ang training namin. Well ok nga naman, dating sila ang Apex Predator.

According to Papshy, being an Apex Predator is hard to gain as a title. You have to deal with a lot of big enemies and dominate the Mafia world, lahat ng mobsters ay kinakatakutan talaga ang title holder nun. They also earn respect from lots of Mafia families, politicians, and even celebrities. It takes tears, sweat, and blood to reach the Apex Predator title in Mafia.

Si Ate Vaughn ang susunod na magiging head ng mga Antonov. She said that she'll make me her Underboss if she ever replaced Dada in time, but I don't want to have a position in the mob.

Nasa office ako ngayon ni Dada, I'm waiting for her. She said that may pag-uusapan daw kaming important matters.

I glanced around the office, taking in the familiar details. The framed photographs of our family and our grandparents, the stacks of files, the framed quote about strength and resilience. Baka mamaya may good items din pala si Dada, di niya lang sinasabi, well that's a dark joke.

My eyes caught the globe beside me. My fingers traced the lines of a world map, my gaze lingering on Pennsylvania and Novosibirsk. After graduation, I planned to escape the Philippines, to finally explore the other halves of my heritage. My mother's grandparents, those I'd only ever seen in faded photographs, lived in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. And on the other side of the world, in the vast Siberian plains, lived the descendants of my other mother's family.

Nyx and I were basically 25% American, 25% Russian, and 50% Filipino.

Ay si Ate Vaughn din pala kahit half-sisters and cousins kami. Alam ko, complicated. Kung nabasa niyo yung first book guys, maiintindihin niyo, pero let me pahapyawan lang.

She lived in Pennsylvania with her real mother when she was a child. We knew about Ate Vaughn's past and the way it had shaped her into the woman she was today.

And then there was the story of Dada, Mom, and her twin. A love triangle that had left scars on all of them. Damn, their story was a real-life telenovela, and knowing their history made me understand the complexities of their relationships in a way I never had before. Like, akalain niyo yun, it may be fucked up but love really blooms in unexpected circumstances.

Their love story is so intriguing and thrilling, it was filled with secrets and betrayal. But it was repaid with a long-lasting love.

Even now, they still love each other a lot. Their love story was full of ups and downs, but they always stayed together. They always hold hands and look at each other with so much love. It's really nice to see how much they care for each other. It makes us believe that true love can exist even in difficult situations.

Edi sana all. Tangina naman eh, nag-narrate na nga lang, love story pa ng ibang tao. Pwedeng ako naman.

Hiraya, baka naman...