Maven and Adrianna were born on opposite sides of a century-old feud-two scions of rival dynasties steeped in pride, power, and revenge. He's fire. She's ice. Their worlds were never meant to merge, yet fate orchestrates their collision with unrelen...
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Chapter 5: Fire and Flat Renovations
But my happiness was short-lived when I saw Kuya Elliot, flopped on mother's black leather sofa, looking more exhausted and older than the last time I saw him.
The moment he saw me by the door, he started firing off rapid, heavily-accented Spanish—always a tell-tale sign that he was beyond livid.
"¿Dónde estuvieron ustedes?" was the only thing I caught. Where were you? he said. How would I even begin to answer that?
Oh, right, Kuya. Lumaklak lang ako tapos went down dirty with someone. Lost my virginity. At hindi pa ako nagto-toothbrush.
No big deal. No big deal at all.
"I have been worried! I didn't even sleep a wink and you weren't even picking up! ¿Dónde has estado toda la noche?"
"Diyan lang."
"Diyan lang?!" He was practically vibrating. "Diyan-fcking-lang? Grabeng 'diyan' yan... toda la noche? Inumaga ka na!"
He started pacing again, which made me agitated. "I even called Dad—worried din siya sa'yo. In fact, yung mga investigator—"
"Oh?" I chimed in with my best faux concern. "Sweet naman. Si Dad?! Worried?"
"Don't pull that on me. Of course he's worried. You walked out of that dinner, Dri, at the height of your emotion. I thought—"
He stopped in front of me.
He caught me off guard. Something my Kuya doesn't often do.
"Que? What's this?" He scanned me with narrowed eyes. I could feel how he was taking it all in—my flushed face, my wrinkled clothes, my arms.
May mga pasa nga doon pero light lang. It was probably all of those... and maybe more.
"Daig mo pa ang...?" His eyes widened as it hit him.
And a feeling came over me—equal parts brazen courage and sheer fear. The image of me and the Stranger tangled together flashed in my mind. I was on top of him, my long dark hair falling over us like a curtain.
I remember looking down, meeting his heated gaze. His eyes—dark, deep, the kind that a woman like me could easily drown in.
I couldn't look away. I didn't want to. His eyes wouldn't let me. That moment had burned into my mind.
And now here I am, in front of my older brother. Never in my life had I thought I'd be having this kind of breakfast—under the scrutiny of my Kuya, post one-night stand.
I chewed the inside of my cheek, trying to buy time.
"I'm fine, Kuya. I can take care of myself. I'm 22, not a child. Tantanan mo na ako ng holier-than-thou mong morale. You forget—we both grew up in the States. You're being unreasonable."
