Melchiorre and Mira - Dreams of Passion 1 (COMPLETED)

Chapter 29

NABIGLA si Melchiorre nang makita si Casilda sa opisina ni Catherine. Natural, hindi niya inaasahan ang babae doon. Mukhang hindi nabigla ang magkapatid. Tumayo si Catherine, sinabihan si Casilda na umalis na.

"But why would I leave?" tanong ng babae, kahit na kaunting pagsisisi ay hindi makitaan. Nakataas ang mukha nito sa kanya. "I take it the subpoena reached your house?" Tumaas ang isang sulok ng labi nito. "Nakakatawa ka, Melchiorre, nagtitiyaga ka sa isang tulad ng babaeng 'yon. I guess the accident is to blame. You not only lost your leg, but your marbles as well."

"Ate!" saway dito ni Catherine.

Inignora niya iyon. "I'm glad you're here. If you go on filing this case I'm not dropping my case against you as well. Nakiusap lang sa akin ang kapatid mo kaya wala ka pang natatanggap na subpoena. Don't make me change my mind."

"File a case against me when I lost my memory?" Ngiting-ngiti ito, tila siyang-siya sa ideyang iyon. "And all the while you were with that woman! Paano ako makakatiyak na hindi mo pinlano ang lahat? After all, you never really wanted to marry me?"

"Do you really want to play this game, Casilda? Because as of last week I have already located Jeremy Trinidad and he's willing to cooperate with me."

Doon nabura ang ngiti nito, ngunit agad ding nakabawi. "I don't know him that well. In fact, he's also an accomplice."

"That will be hard to prove in court, especially since he has photos of you from so many years ago. Very, very sensitive material, if you ask me." Diniretsa na niya ang babae. Totoo ang sinasabi niya rito. Hindi siya tumigil hanggang hindi niya naipapahanap si Jeremy. Natagpuan ito ng isang international investigator sa Vietnam. He asked someone to talk to the man. Marami palang nadispalkong pera ang lalaki mula sa family owned corporation ng mga ito at nagtatago rin mula sa mga kapamilya. The man hated Casilda, for reasons not made clear to him. Pribado raw na bagay iyon. And now, the man wanted blood too. "He hates your guts, is what he says. Very smart man, that Jeremy, to save copies of evidence. I heard you burned his hard drive. Well, he has another one and he said he can give it to me."

"I am willing to settle, Melchiorre. Kung naloko ka na nang tuluyan ng Mira na 'yon, handa akong makipag-areglo." Tila hindi nahihiya ang babae at tila hindi nito narinig kung ano ang sinabi niya.

"Settle? Running out of funds, Casilda? I'd rather die than give you a single centavo. I'm pressing charges. Make sure this time you hide very well."

Agad itong tumingin sa kapatid, saka walang salitang lumabas sa opisina. Tumingin siya kay Catherine at agad na nagbabala. "If she doesn't drop the case I will sue her. I'm not kidding, Catherine."

Pinagbigyan lang niya ang pabor ng hiningi ng dating nobya sa kanya. Kahit paano, mayroon silang pinagsamahan. Bumuntong-hininga ang babae, naupo.

"Ate was insistent that this can help me."

Nabigla siya. "You? You had something to do with this?"

Tumango ito. "I said yes."

"But why?"

"Because that Mira is not good for you. Alam naman nating pareho kung saan lang siya nadampot ng kapatid ko. Kung may konsensiya si Mira, hindi niya gagawin ang bagay na ito. At tinanggap mo pa siya noong bumalik siya nang ganoon na lang? Why?"

Tinanggap nang ganoon na lang. Kung alam lang nito. Halos mabaliw siya sa mga panahong wala si Mira sa piling niya. Hindi niya iyon inasahan sa inisyal na pagdating ng mga emosyon nang malaman niyang hindi ito si Casilda. Of course he felt betrayed and deceived. Of course he felt like a fool. He was vindictive for a while. But only for a very short while.