Luscious Gods 2: Zeus, The Gorgeous Businessman

CHAPTER 1.1

New York City

ZEUS CHECKED out his wristwatch. He was damn late already. Kasalanan ito ng abogado niyang hindi man lang nasabihan na hindi siya nito mapupuntahan on-time due to a family emergency raw. He wasted almost three hours of his busy schedule for nothing. Ngayon pa naman ang meeting niya with the CEO of Torch Publishing, ang pangalawa sa pinakamalaking publishing company sa New York.
Of course Mt. Olympus, his very own publishing company was the number one. He worked hard for it. He was just twenty one when he started his very small business. Parang kailan lang. Katatapos niya lang noon gr-um-aduate at hindi niya pa alam kung ano ba talaga ang gagawin niya sa buhay matapos kumuha ng kursong Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. Alam niya noon na hindi niya pa kakayanin ang makipagsabayan sa mga sikat na manunulat. Hanggang sa naisip niya na lang mag-self publish. At ang pagsi-self publish niyang iyon ang naging ugat ng pagpasok niya sa ganoong negosyo.
Kukuha siya noon ng mga baguhang manunulat mula sa isang online writing platform at saka niya ipa-publish ang mga akda ng mga ito kapalit ang murang halaga.  Sariling sikap niya iyong ili-layout at ipapalimbag sa isang imprentahan kung saan siya binibigyan ng discount. He would negotiate with small-time cafes and shops to sell those books together with his own stories.
Ngayon, mayroon na siyang daan-daang empleyado. Ang mga manunulat na sa buong mundo ang naghahabol na mapansin ng company na ni sa hinagap ay hindi niya nakitang magiging ganoon ka-successful. Mayroon na siyang sariling building. Mayroon nang sariling pagkakakilanlan ang Mt. Olympus. Mayroon na silang iba’t ibang imprint. Ang mga film producers na rin ang lumalapit sa kanila para gawing movie ang ilan sa mga pinakamagagandang nobelang inilimbag sa publishing company niya.
At the age of thirty-two, he was now the President and Chief Executive Officer of the biggest publishing company in the US.
His life was going smoothly, until his dad died over a month ago. He was the only family he had.
Pero iyon lang pala ang akala niya. The night before his father died, the dying old man asked for a favor. Iyon ay ang hanapin niya ang dalawa niyang kapatid sa ama at sabihin sa mga ito ang sikretong hindi nito naisiwalat kailanman. Na nagkasala ito sa ina niya at nagkaanak sa dalawang magkaibang babae na kapwa Pilipina rin gaya ng mommy niya.
His father was a fucking womanizer. Alam niya na iyon. Ang hindi niya lang akalain ay ang nagkaanak pa pala ito sa iba’t ibang babae. And his dad loved Filipinas indeed.
Huminto siya sa pagmamaneho nang mag-red light sa isang intersection. Noon siya nakakuha ng pagkakataong kunin ang isang puting folder na nasa bakanteng passenger’s seat. He opened it and scanned the papers inside.
Napabuntong-hininga siya bago isinarang muli ang hawak at ibinalik kung saan niya iyon kinuha. He massaged his stubbled chin with his index and thumb. Madali lang hanapin ang pinakabata niyang kapatid.
Prince Hades Dela Cruz or Hades Vaughn to his fans was a multi-award winning Hollywood singer who settled down with his wife and daughter in the Philippines.
He was a businessman but who would not know Hades Vaughn? Bukambibig ito ng buong mundo. Maugong ang pangalan nito at pamilyar na siya sa binata dahil ang ama niya ang nagma-manage ng career nito noon. His songs were almost everywhere. Nakalinya niya pa ito noon sa youngest bachelor millionaires ng Forbes magazine.
He hired a private investigator and he found out some important information about his youngest brother. Iyon nga ang laman ng hawak niyang folder.
Hades was like their father, a bit womanizer. Pero ayon sa mga nakalap niya at sinabi na rin mismo ng ama nila, it finally decided to live far from spotlight now. And its wife, Stacey Elquizar was once a high-end escort. Naging kliyente nito ang kapatid niya at sa bandang huli ay nagustuhan nila ang isa’t isa. Now, the two were married again and happily living together with their daughter.
Good for them, mapaklang komento ng isip niya.