DECEPTION

Chapter 1 - Embarrassed

Trivia: Nicholas II is the last Romanov who reigned the Russian Empire. Their family including his wife Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, his four daughter Grand duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia, and his only son Tsarevich Alexei, were the last Imperial Family of Russia. They were brutally murdered on one fateful night during the Russian Civil war ordered by the Bolshevik government.

Date of Assasination: July 17, 1918

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Napapaikot ang mga mata ko habang naririnig ang mga walang katapusang whines and complaints ng mga babaeng pasosyal sa kabilang mesa ng restaurant na kinakainan ko. Spoiled brats! Don't get me wrong, I just hate people who always complains. What do I care anyway? Bahala nga sila. Mind my own business nalang.  I just flip my hair to wash off my irritation with those brat girls. Like duh? Bahala sila sa buhay nila. It's just that madali lang talaga akong mairita sa mga maiingay. Mapatao man ito o bagay. And I hate brats also. Ayaw kong makipagkaibigan sa kanila dahil masyadong demanding. Ayaw ko rin sa mga walang manners, nakakahiya sila kasama.

Oh please, don't judge me. Believe me, may pinaghuhugutan ako. I just don't want to mention it. Maybe in time? I am actually waiting for my mother to arrive to fetch me from this mall. SM Aura ata to? Basta dito ako inihatid ni nanay kanina sakay ng taxi. Nababagot na kasi talaga ako at kailangan kong mamasyal at dahil hindi ko pa naman masyadong alam ang pasikot sikot sa Maynila ay inihahatid ako ni nanay kung saan ako pupunta. My mother is an orphan. So basically, wala talaga siyang kakilala dito maliban sa kaibigan nyang si Tita Belle na nakatira sa Fort Bonifacio.

Tita Belle is an old friend of my mother from my old home. Her husband is a high ranking official so medyo malaki din ang bahay nila para sa kanilang tatlo ng nag iisang anak nilang si Izzy at doon kami nakatira sa ngayon. Si izzy sana ang sasama sa akin ngayon para gumala pero epic fail kasi wala sa plano ang gala ko at matagal ng naka set ang date na ito para sa birthday party ng kaibigan n'ya. She asked me to go with her pero ayaw ko namang magmukhang gatecrasher kasi hindi naman ako invited kahit pa sabihin na nating kasama ako ni Izzy. So it's a big no no.

Nadoble ang iritasyon ko ng marinig ko na naman ang mga maharot na babae sa kabilang mesa na tumitili na parang kinukuryente. I rolled my eyes twice in exasperation! Parang hindi ko na kayang antayin pa yong nanay ko dito at kailangang sa entrance nalang ako ng mall maghihintay. Kaso, saang entrance naman? Ugh! Naririnig ko pa rin ang bulungan ng mga babaeng yon. Parang nakarinig pa nga ako ng something like "gwapo" and "macho" sa bulungan nila. And I even hear them say na "Ang swerte naman ng babaeng nasa likuran ng prinsipe. Naku kung ako lang ang nasa likod nyan malamang nahimatay na ako" at "She doesn't even know girls ano ba!" at marami pa silang pinagkaabalahang ibulong na rinig na rinig ko naman kahit nasa kabilang mesa ako.

I stand up and gathered my things and prepared to leave. But when I was about to turn I saw a figure of a man on his back and I hit him with my chair. I was about to apologize when he faced me and I saw the most beautiful man I have ever seen. I was mesmerized and hypnotized by his pitch black eyes. Napakurap kurap ako ng umangat ang gilid ng kanyang labi. Damn! May mas ikakagwapo pa pala to? Pinapanuod ko ang bawat facial reaction nya at para naman akong ewan na nakatunganga lang sa kanya the whole time. Napansin kong unti unting kumukunot ang noo nya habang pinapag aralan ang mukha ko. "Lady M.A.?" a deep husky voice suddenly spoke that turned me back into the 'now'. "Huh?" was all my reply. Naguguluhan ako. Sa kanya bang boses na yun? Saka ko lang napansin ang grupo ng mga lalaking kasama nya na nagtatawan na. Shit! Nakakahiya! This is so frustrating. Tulo laway ba ako? And wait? Did he just call me Lady M.A.? As in Lady Maria Alexandra? I switch my gaze from his group to him and uttered my apology.

I didn't even bothered to tell him that I wasn't Lady M.A. I was flattered to be mistaken as Lady M.A. but I wasn't her. Do I really look a lot like her? Her beauty is of elegance, power and aristocracy. A member of high society. A noble. And I am nobody and I don't wish to be like her. Simple life is all I want.

I was about to go out from the entrance (who-knows-where) of the mall when someone grabbed my right arm. Ano ba? Hindi pa ba matatapos to? I just want to go out because I was so embarrassed. I never felt so humiliated in my entire life. "Where do you think you're going sweetheart?" a deep playful husky voice whispered in my ear. "Do you think you can get away just like that? After your eyes feasted on my body?"