Behind Their Shadows

Chapter 1

All characters and events that are written here are purely fiction made up by my ever wandering mind. Any resemblance to reality is pure coincidence. Please bear with me if there's some errors in my writing.

Without any further ado. Here's the story.

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"Cheers to the newly engaged!"

And condolence to my broken heart.

Elegant gowns, sparkling shoes, expensive jewels, and a hall that was decorated like straight from a fairy-tale. The epitome of richness and extravagant lifestyle are presented in front of me as always. Flaunting and mocking me of the things I will never have.

I stood behind the shadows as I watch the man I love get engaged with the woman completely different from me.
The Vasiliou and Romualdo's engagement party. The biggest event of the year in the business world.

Funny to think how naive I was thinking and giving myself the tiniest inkling of hope that there would be a possibility of him and me.

What a tragedy.

Well, only in my part.

"Hiding in shadows, Ms. Del Mare? Never thought of you as a backdrop person. You always flaunt yourself in front of everyone. Being swotty and all," said by the same aristocrat, bigoted and manipulative man I know. I almost jump from where I'm standing ng mapuna ko kung gano kalapit si Draco Cadmus Vasiliou sa likod ko.

Damn, the man could be sneaky as a snake sometimes.

Si Draco Cadmus Vasiliou. The twin brother of Daemon Feodor Vasiliou who's currently engaged with Raquel Romualdo, daughter of the owner of one of the biggest real estate companies in the Philippines. But the big deal in the scenario is the fact that one of the sons of the only son of the Vasiliou family is being engaged.

Vasiliou. One of the most riches family not only in the Philippines but also around the globe. They own one of the biggest shipping and airline companies here and abroad, not to mention the shares they own in various empire corporations. Hell, even the president of our country owed her presidency to the Vasiliou family.

Bile rose to my throat as I think about how unreachable Daemon was. Ang layo ng pangarap ko. Kung si Raquel nga ay di daw karapatdapat para kay Daemon, eh pano naman kaya ang isang tulad ko na kung hindi pa dahil sa scholarship ng pamilya vasiliou ay di pa makakatapos ng pag-aaral.

I was almost drawn by my thoughts when I remembered who I was talking with. I schooled my expression bago ko harapin si Draco. You can never let your guard down kapag ang kaharap mo ay isang Draco Cadmus Vasiliou. It's either he'll charm you by his handsome looks to submission or by his cunning, wicked ways. Either way, he always get what he wants. Obey or obey. No other choices.

Well, not really everything he wants.

I fought tooth and nail in the past just to defy his bizarre demands.

"Fancy seeing you here in the shadows, Mr. Vasiliou. Getting tired of the spotlight?" I said in a monotone voice, trying to hide the venom in it. I heard a chuckle behind me before I get face to face with the handsome devil himself as he stood beside me. Gusto kong balutin ng kumot ang katawan ko ng tiningnan nya ako from head to toe. I was wearing a white off-shoulder cotton blouse paired with a black pencil skirt that has reached an inch above my knee, with a pair of black stiletto on my feet. Compared to him wearing his black Armani suit, I look like someone who just got off from work.