Lalabas kami ngayon ng mga bata. I had promised the twins that once the second quarter ended, we’d spend a day at Ocean Park dito sa Cebu. They’d been talking about it for weeks — eager to see all kinds of fish. Cohen couldn’t stop mentioning his favorite, the shark. I even had two little bite marks on my arm from earlier when he decided to play “pating patingan.” Cross, on the other hand, adored pufferfish - iyong daw ang pinakacute sa lahat.
Tatlong buwan na ang lumipas mula nang magsimula ang klase. Maayos naman ang lahat. Masayang masaya ang kambal sa buhay eskwela, mga kalaro't kaibigan. Lubos din ang aking pagkakagalak dahil ang galing ng dalawa sa klase. During the first grading period, Cross ranked first in class, and Cohen followed at second — both tied with the previous top student. Gayunman, hindi ko pa rin pinahihintulutan na sumali sila sa mga patimpalak, mapa-loob man o labas ng paaralan. Masyado pang maaga para maging maluwag sa seguridad ng kambal. Bagay na tinutulan ni Dona Adella.
Ang paglabas namin ngayon ay parang gantimpala ko na rin sa kanila — lalo na’t natapos nila ang dalawang painting na isasama sa Lardizabal Holdings Annual Benefit Auction mamayang gabi. Dadaluhan iyon ng mga kilalang pangalan sa mundo ng negosyo, pulitika, at showbiz. Dalawang obra ang ipapabid — si Cohen ang pangunahing pintor, habang katuwang naman niya si Cross.
The two paintings weren’t part of the company’s top entries, of course, but before sending them to Manila, we had them evaluated by an art expert — just to make sure they were worthy of inclusion in the auction. I wasn’t disappointed. The expert smiled as he told us that Cohen’s work could hold its own among pieces made by more seasoned painters.
Ang taunang Benefit Auction ay orihinal na nakatakda sa huling araw ng Oktubre, ngunit dahil sa naganap na lindol, napagdesisyunan ng board na isagawa ito nang mas maaga. Kalahati ng malilikom na halaga ay ilalaan sa mga lugar na lubos na nasalanta ng sakuna. The original venue, the Grande Hotel Mactan, had sustained minor damage—so Lardizabal Holdings decided to move the event to Manila for safety.
Natigil ang kulitan ng kambal ng makarinig ng busina. Moments later, a sleek black SUV turned into the driveway of the mansion.
From it stepped Arden Noctis Lardizabal.
He was tall—easily over six feet—with the kind of bearing that turned still air heavy. His posture was deliberate, almost sculpted; every gesture carried quiet precision. His features were sharp yet refined, the kind that could belong on the cover of a financial magazine—chiseled jaw, high cheekbones, and eyes that looked like they’d seen more than they ever said. Those eyes were the same shade as Doña Adella’s—cold gray, almost silver under the morning light.
He wore a charcoal suit despite the heat, the jacket perfectly tailored. The kind of fit you couldn’t buy off a rack. The kind you inherited along with a name.
Sinabi ko na sa kanya na kaya kong asikasuhin ang lakad namin ngayon ng mga bata. Siguro pagkatapos nitong kausapin ang mga tauhan namin sa manila tungkol sa malaking event mamaya ay dumiretso na ito dito sa mansion.
Arden was the grandson Doña Adella trusted above all. Her prodigy. Her successor in everything that required calculation, grace, and control. If Adella was the architect of empires, Arden was the hand that executed the design.
Naalala ko pa non, sa unang tapak ko dito sa mansion tatlo silang magkakapatid ang sumulubong sa amin, yet he was the only one who seemed to recognize my significance. To see what role I would play in their lives. To understand why he—and we—had been taken under the wing of the formidable Doña Adella. He had already been extraordinary eleven years ago, at ngayon siya lang ang tao dito sa mansion na hindi ko kayang maintindihan.
Our first real conversation was far from pleasant.
It was the second night of my arrival. Sleep had eluded me, and I had wandered to the balcony, restless and uneasy. Arden appeared silently behind me, hands in his pockets, a shadow in the dim moonlight.
