Mister Villain

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Sir?"

RJ looked up from the desk and saw his assistant, Ten Mendoza or "Mommy Ten", peeking through his office door.

"Yes Mommy Ten?"

"It's past 9 PM, Sir. Hindi pa po kayo nagdi-dinner. What do you want? I will order for delivery."

He looked up the wall clock on his left and realized that it was indeed late. Masyadong na-absorb nang expansion proposal in Cebu ang atensyon niya. "Oo nga ano. Ikaw na ang bahala Mommy Ten. Thank you for reminding me."

"You're welcome Sir. And also, tumawag si Ms. Gabrielle po. Please answer her call daw."

Bumuntung-hininga siya nang malalim at niluwagan ang suot na necktie.

Magsimula kaninang lunch time ay tawag na nang tawag ang kapatid pero hindi niya pinapansin dahil malakas ang pakiramdam niya na tungkol yun sa pagbisita niya sa writer na si Maine Mendoza kaninang umaga.

Hindi malayo na nagsumbong na yun sa kapatid niya.

"Ika-sampung tawag na po niya. Sinabi ko lang na ayaw nyo lang pong pa-istorbo dahil nire-review nyo yung Cebu Expansion proposal" Mommy Ten added.

Mommy Ten knew of his current ordeal.

At hindi din naman magtatago o maglilihim pa si RJ sa assistant bilang kailangan ay alam nito ang lahat nang detalye nang schedule niya.

"I'll call her in a bit siguro. Pakisabi na lang kay Elmer na I need to see him tomorrow about this proposal. Schedule the meeting with him at 9 AM."

"Noted Sir. Anything else po?"

"Include nga pala Alvin na from Finance. Gusto ko na to matapos bukas."

Tumango ang assistant. "And then after you order for me Mommy Ten, you can go home na. Wag mo ako antayin."

"Ok Sir."

It was already the "ber" months kaya nagmamadali siya magtapos nang mga projects.

Mahirap abutan nang December sa Pilipinas dahil normally ay naka-vacation mode ang mga tao – kahit mismo ang mga tao sa kumpanya nila.

Siya nga lang ata ang hindi nagpapahinga e.

His phone rang again and he saw Gab's name flashing.

Palitan na kaya niya ang pangalan nito sa phone niya as "DO NOT ANSWER", he thought wryly.

RJ took a deep breath and answered. "Gab."

"FINALLY!"

There was that tone so like their mother's kapag galit ito.

"Yes?"

"YOU'VE BEEN IGNORING MY CALLS."

"Yes and?" He would not lie to her. There was no use in that.

"WHY DID YOU GO TO MAINE?!?!"

Kayang kaya niyang ma-imagine ang kapatid ngayon. Pulang pula ang mukha sa inis, nakanguso na aabot mula Makati hanggang QC, at tumatapik-tapik sa desk nito kung nakaupo man to ngayon.

Gab had more finesse and grace than him but they both spoke direct to the point. They were raised no other way.

"I returned her purse and told her to not write your story."

"Her purse?!?!"

"She left it at the table last night."

"Maiiwan nya talaga yun sa inis niya sa'yo kahapon" there was that dig again on his behavior last night "Anyway, Kuya please just stop. It is my decision to have her write my story. It doesn't have anything to do with you so don't meddle!"

"You are my sister. I will meddle even if we don't share the same last name anymore."

"YOU ARE INSUFFERABLE!"

He felt his eyes roll. Walang patutunguhan ang usapan na to dahil sigurado siya na habang utak ang pinagagana niya e puro puso lang ang sa kapatid niya. "You haven't even thought of our parents no? How would Dad and Mom feel if they learn that you are asking the very same writer who wrote that book about Enzo to write your story?"

"THEY ALREADY KNOW. And they understand. Ikaw lang naman ang hindi e."

"THEY WHAT?!?!"

"THEY KNOW! Si Mommy pa nga ang nagsabi that the idea would be good."

If their parents agreed to it, it would only be because Gab muscled her way through them.

"They could never say no to you and you know it. But STILL, we are making ourselves too public. We're losing our privacy with this!"

"Pride mo na naman ang pinaiiral mo Kuya."

"Call it whatever you want. Basta ako alam ko na pinoprotektahan kita at ang pamilya natin. Besides, talagang mahirap pagkatiwalaan yang writer na yan. Agad agad nakapagsumbong na sa'yo about my visit."

Gab loudly scoffed from the other line "Si Kuya Ronnie ang nagsabi sa akin because I called him since you left your lunchbox sa bahay! Hindi ko pa nga natatanong kay Maine to dahil busy siya with a book-signing event today. You always expect the worst from people."

Medyo napa-atras si RJ sa sagot nang kapatid pero it still does not change his opinion on Gab having her story made public.

He will do everything in his power to make sure she never releases this new book.

"Well, I still don't trust her. And if ito lang ang itinawag mo sa akin Gab then let's end this call coz I have so much I need to still work on."

"KUYA! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU!" Nadinig niya ang panggigil nito sa kabilang linya bago nito putulin ang usapan nila.

Sigurado siya na kung landline lang ang gamit nito e malamang mababasag ang eardrums niya sa pagbagsak nito nang telepono.

Still, no amount of anger from his sister or even anyone else will dissuade him from his goal to stop the nonsense his sister wants to unleash upon all of them.

It was enough to have his heart ripped open two times already. Once, when Louise walked out on him and chose the man who hurt his sister. Twice, when he had to hear from a distant relative (even) that a story that seemed like his story and his former fiancée was out and selling like hot cakes from bookstands.

He went back to his mac book and opened his file on Maine Mendoza.

He had her investigated months ago when the book came out.

RJ reviewed the file and hovered over the name of the publishing company that released the book.

The name of the owner sounded familiar.

"Ahhhhh" he uttered and finally quirked his mouth in recognition of the name.

There could be a way to do what he wants afterall.