Back To You [Completed]

Chapter 3

Tanghali ng nagising si Alyssa. Alas nueve na ng umaga at tirik na tirik na ang araw. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted at the light coming from her open window. "B-bakit bukas ang bintana ko?" bulong niya sa sarili.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. You're finally awake!" bati ng baritonong boses na nanggagaling sa likuran niya. She turned around to find him comfortably sitting on her couch drinking a cup of coffee and reading today's newspaper. 

May nakahain ding breakfast sa mesa niya: fruits, sausages, bacon and eggs.

"Hindi ka daw naghapunan kagabi kaya nagpadala na ako dito ng agahan. Kailangan mong kumain bago tayo mag-usap."

Halos tumaas na naman lahat ng dugo niya sa ulo sa nakikita. Para bang pagmamay-ari talaga ng lalaking ito ang buong kwarto niya. "Can you please go out of my room?"

"This is mine as much as it is yours."

"Not because my father gave you this house, you can lay claim on anything!" Umupo na siya sa sobrang inis na nararamdaman ngayon. Dahilan para bumaba ang kumot sa pagkakatakip sa kanya at makita na naman siya ng binata sa nighties niyang iyon.

"Wow, you look more divine in the morning." 

She pulled her blanket up again. "Bastos ka talaga! Manang! Manang!" sigaw niya. 

He was alarmed at her shouting so he stood up and went to her bed to cover her mouth. Nagpupumiglas si Alyssa at pilit pa ring sumisigaw. So he lunged at her and pinned both her arms above her head so he can cover her mouth with his other hand. And that's when he realized that he was on top of her. Their eyes met. And her heart started beating faster. His eyes were the darkest blacks she's ever seen. 'Yon bang parang malulunod ka 'pag tinitigan mo 'to ng matagal.

"Alyssa, hija, anong proble-" Manang Lita was shocked at what she saw. "D'yos ko po! P-pasensya po, Senyor Anton!" At dali-dali itong lumabas at isinara ang pinto.

She was worried now! Ano na lang iniisip ni Manang sa kanya. She squirmed beneath him again.

"Trust me. You don't want to keep on grinding beneath me," he warned.

True enough, she realized what she was doing to him when she felt something hard poking her stomach. Namula bigla ang pisngi niya. Never in her life has she felt that!! Inalis ng binata ang kamay nitong nakatakip sa bibig niya. "Bastos! Umalis ka na nga!"

"Alright, I'll leave. But please eat and..." His eyes darted lower than her neck. "Wear something nice." Kinindatan siya nito. 

Tumayo na ito. "I'll be in the study room. Atty. Alberto will be here any minute now. Ipinatawag ko siya para makapag-usap tayo ng maayos tungkol sa hacienda at sa... iba pang kahilingan ng Papa mo." Iyon lamang at lumabas na ito sa kwarto niya. 

****

Nagplano si Alyssa na mangangabayo sa paligid ng hacienda pagkatapos ng pag-uusap nila nina Atty. Alberto at ng tagapagmana ng Papa niya. Just the name of the guy irritates him. Ayaw niyang nakikita o naririnig ang boses nito. Naiinis talaga siya.

She chose her riding outfit for today: a simple white long-sleeved polo, her black breeches and riding boots. Pagkabihis at pagkakain, nagtungo na siya kaagad sa study room kung saan nadatnan niya ang Tito Alberto niya at si Anton Alissandro.

"Hello, Tito," bati niya. Pagkatapos ay umupo sa silyang katapat nito, sa tabi ni Anton. Ni hindi niya tinapunan ng tingin ang katabing binata. "So shall we begin?"

"Okay, ipagpapatuloy ko ngayon ang pagbabasa sa naiwang Last Will ni Geronimo. Tungkol sa hacienda, ibinibigay niya ang pagmamay-ari nito, ng villa-"

"Yes, yes, I get it. Everything left to Anton Alissandro Olivares," she said in a mocking tone.

He chuckled at her reaction. "You really do amuse me, baby."

Sa pagtawag na naman nitong baby sa kanya, nilingon niya ito ng masama. "Pwede ba? Hindi mo ko baby. Nakakadiri ka."

"Well, shall I continue?" tanong ng abogado, breaking the ice between the both of them.

Tumango sila pareho. Samantalang tatawa-tawa pa rin si Anton. "In terms of earnings, Anton will receive 70% being the owner and sole Olivares heir. You, Alyssa, on the other hand, is entitled 30% of the earnings of Hacienda Olivares."

"Sounds fair enough," sagot ni Anton.

Naningkit ang mata niya sa narinig. "I'm their daughter and they're just giving me 30%. Ibinigay na nga nila ang ownership kay Anton pero bakit-"

"Calm down, hija. May idadagdag pa ako," singit ng abogado. 

"You know what, attorney, I think we should sew her mouth shut for awhile. Mukhang wala siyang balak patapusin ka," suhestyon ni Anton, halatang iniinis lalo siya.

"May nakadagdag na clause sa Last Will ni Geronimo," babala ni Alberto. Tinitigan ng abogado si Anton. Halatang nag-usap na ang dalawa bago pa siya dumating kanina. Mukhang nagkakaintindihan ang dalawang ito. 

"Ano 'yon, Tito?" she asked, all ears now.

"All of the stated stipulations in the Last Will shall take effect... after you are both married."

"What?!" She was hyperventilating sa narinig. So hindi pa niya makukuha ang milyones at ang mga alahas ng ina niya na ipapambili niya sana ng buong hacienda na ito kay Anton?

Tahimik pa rin si Anton. Halatang alam na nito ang tungkol sa clause na iyon kaya hindi na ito nagulat pa.

"Hindi ako magpapakasal sa taong hindi ko kilala!" she declared. "Papa is insane!"

"Let me explain things, Alyssa." Hinubad ni Alberto ang salamin na suot.

Anton grabbed her right hand under the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She didn't expect it but she felt comforted. Tinitigan niya ng masama ang binatang katabi pero hindi niya hinila ang kamay niyang hawak-hawak nito.

"You are the daughter of Geronimo. Ikaw ang tinitingalang Olivares ng mga trabahador sa buong hacienda. You know this hacienda better than anyone. But for you to solidify your claim both internally and externally, you need to be a true Olivares. This entire land knows that only a true Olivares can claim the hacienda. It's not just tradition; it's how things are here."

"But i'm a-adopted." And she felt his reassuring squeeze on her hand again.

"Which is why your father decided to marry you to Anton. Anton, on the other hand, is perfect in growing this business. He is engaged in agricultural businesses and the food industry. A merging of interests will propel Hacienda Olivares to even greater heights. You father has all this planned long  before. Mamatay man siya o hindi, buo na ang desisyon niya noon pa man na ipakasal ka kay Anton. Hindi ka nila pinagkaitan sa hacienda. This will be yours as much as it is your husband's." At itinuro nito si Anton.

So all along, this was his dad's plan. Gumawa pa rin ito ng paraan para maipamana sa kanya ang hacienda kahit na hindi siya totoong Olivares.

"What if I don't want to marry him? What will become of me?" tanong niya.

"Well, the Hacienda, the money and all your family's heirlooms will go to the government and the government will decide on what to do with it. Iyon ang kondisyong iniwan ng Papa mo dito sa Last Will." Isinuot muli nito ang salamin. "Both of you have a lot to gain in this... marriage."

She pulled her hand away from him. And suddenly, she felt suffocated.

"If we don't get married, I have nothing to lose anyway," Anton said, speaking up finally. "Marami pa akong pinagkakaabalahan sa Maynila. I have businesses to run. This hacienda is just an additional asset for me if ever we get married. But you, my dear," he addressed her. "Will lose everything if you don't marry me."

****

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