Bared and Restrained (EROTIC ROMANCE)

Chapter 23

ILANG ARAW nang hinalughog ni Hefner ang buong bayan ng Poblacion pero hindi niya mahanap si Eve.

Ilang araw na simula nang umalis si Eve sa mansyon ng mga Waverly at simula no’n ay tuluyan nang pinabayaan ni Hefner ang trabaho para hanapin ang dalaga.

She left without a word or a note. And it pissed him off.

Noong iwan niya ito ay parang may pumipigil sa kanya na huwag nang tumuloy sa trabaho. Everytime something bad will happen, lagi siyang nakakaramdam ng gano’n.

He should’ve known better. Dapat ay natuto na siya sa pagkakamali niya.

Pissed, he slapped the steering wheel. Napamura siya ng ilang beses bago tuluyang mag-desisyon na puntahan ang kakambal ni Eve na si Pauline malapit sa sentro ng Poblacion.

He heaved a sigh as he made his way inside the luxurious house. Balita niya ay pamana pa raw ng mga magulang ni Pauline ang naturang bahay sa huli. The Samontes are really wealthy, judging the luxurious design of the mansion. The white paint of the whole house only made the golden-themed furnitures stand out. From chandeliers to utensils, all were gold or silver themed—the elements of glamour, wealth, and sophistication.

Iginiya siya ng mayordoma papunta sa study room at naabutan nilang naglalampungan ang mag-asawa. Pauline is sitting across Senator Grego’s lap while kissing her husband’s jaw. Grego’s shoulder shuddered, suppressing a laugh. Grego’s arms were securely wrapped around Pauline’s waist. Mukhang naghaharutan ang mag-asawa.

“Excuse me, Ma’am Pauline, Ser Grego. Nandito po ang tatay ni Evan.”

The two immediately rose from the chair. Kaagad na namula ang pisngi ni Pauline sa presensya nila Hefner at ng mayordoma.

Hefner’s heart clenched. Just by looking at Pauline, his heart yearns for Eve. Kung titingnan kasi si Pauline ay halos walang pinagkaiba kay Eve. Kung hindi lang sana nakita ni Hefner ang malaking tiyan ni Pauline at ang peklat nito sa noo ay aakalain niyang si Eve ito.

“I am expecting you, Mr. Waverly. My wife wanted to have a word with you.” Grego extended his arm to offer him the visitor’s chair in front of his desk which he gladly accepted. Pauline stood behind Grego’s recliner and held her husband’s shoulder.

“Grego, gusto ko sanang kausapin muna si Hefner ng mag-isa. It is time para malaman niya ang lahat.”

Grego stood from his chair and reached for his wife’s lips. “I’ll wait for you in our room, baby. Just don’t get too emotional lalo na’t kabuwanan mo.”

Pauline caressed her husband’s cheeks with her palm. “I will.” Nginuso ng maybahay ang pintuan sa asawa para senyasan ito na umalis na.

When Grego left the room, she immediately sat on the recliner like a boss.

His jaw clenched. There’s something domineering about this woman that made him feel intimidated. Nakakatakot ang anyo nitong seryoso. Unlike Eve, this woman could look so fragile but tough at the same time.

Pauline cleared her throat. “Ayaw ko sanang pangunahan si Eve sa bagay na ito dahil wala ako sa posisyon. Pero hindi ko naman kayang manood na lang at tingnan siyang nahihirapan at nasasaktan. Ayaw ko na siyang makitang nasasaktan, Hefner. Tama na ang sakit na dinanas niya.”

Hefner leaned his face on the side, asking subtly for more details about Eve. His eyes glued on Pauline to focus on her next confessions.

“Noong iwan siya ng nanay namin sa puder ng tatay ay mas lalong lumala ang pang-aabuso sa kanya at alam mo ’yon.” A tear fell from Pauline’s cheek. “She told me that you helped her get away from our uncle and I thank you for that. P-Pero sana hindi mo na lang siya iniwan.” She started to sob as she covered her face with her palm.

Pakiramdam ni Hefner ay gumuho ang mundo niya sa narinig. He knew it. Alam niyang may mabigat na dahilan si Eve para kamuhian siya nito noong minsang binisita niya ang dalaga sa mental institution.

“She suffered hell after you left, Hefner. Sh-She was raped… and… sh-she was chained for more than a year.” Pauline sobbed between her words. “She was raped by our uncle.”

Hefner’s eyes widened as he gritted his teeth in anger. He clenched his fists, controlling his rage.

“She was raped, Hefner. Our uncle has a fetish. He likes having anal sex and he used Eve for his lewd fantasies.”

It dropped like a bomb in front of him and Pauline’s confessions clouded his mind and heart. Jaw clenching, he tried to suppress a tear from his eyes. Pinatatag niya ang kalooban dahil gusto niyang marinig ang lahat. Lahat ng nangyari. Lahat. No matter how painful it is for him to be slapped by a harsh truth that Eve became miserable because he left.

“Eve confessed everything to Doc Steve, her psychiatrist. Maliban kay Doc Steve ay wala na siyang pinagsabihan no’n maski ako. Kung hindi pa sinabi ni Dr. Lim ang bagay na iyon ay hindi ko pa malalaman. Grego knew about it from an investigation on Eve’s whereabouts pero hindi dinetalye kung anong klaseng panggagahasa ang ginawa kay Eve.”

“Eve managed to free herself from our uncle’s abusive claws. She lie low. Nagtrabaho siya sa isang strip club as a masked dancer. She was paid to dance and strip everything except her mask. That’s the only way she could survive and hide from our uncle at the same time.”

“Eve… Eve was depressed and suicidal before. Her workmates revealed that she tried to kill herself several times”–Pauline carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks.“–Because Eve was the main attraction of the strip club, her boss cannot afford to lose her. Eve has nightmares and often wakes up scared and suicidal kaya natatakot ang boss niya na baka magpatiwakal ulit si Eve. That’s when her boss introduced her to recreational drugs na ibine-benta sa club na ’yon.”

He remained still. Ayaw niyang putulin ang pagsasalita ni Pauline kahit gaano kasakit para sa kanya.

"Luckily, the drugs helped her block the ghosts from her past. She became well. She has no inhibitions or anything. Unfortunately, the drugs has side effects. The drug takes inhibitions, fear, and sanity away. Kaya minsan ay nagawa akong saktan ni Eve. She tried to kill me and stole half of my money for the drugs. Iyon ang dahilan kaya may peklat ako sa noo. " Pauline pointed the scar on her forehead. “The drugs she took has a post effect on one’s brain and it highlights the negative emotions after its glorious effects. Kaya na-adik siya sa drogang iyon. All the money she stole from me was gone. Binayaran niya ang boss niya para sa kalayaan niya and I think it’s for the best. I’m so glad that what happened to me before became her saving grace. Nagpapasalamat ako at nagamit naman niya kahit papaano sa tama ang ginawa niyang kasamaan sa’kin. Eve deserved redemption, Hefner. And she’s trying. Nakikita mo naman, hindi ba?”

Pauline reached for his clenched fists and squeezed it firmly, trying to convince him. “Kaya sana hindi magbago ang tingin mo sa kanya pagkatapos nito. Don’t be guilty about what happened, dahil hindi mo rin ginusto na malayo sa kanya. My busband had you investigated when you introduced yourself as Evan’s father. You’ve made your way through hell, too. And I guess you will understand Eve’s insecurites. May nakaraan siya at pakiramdam niya ay hindi siya karapat-dapat sa kasiyahang maaari niyang makuha sa piling mo. The very reason why she left was because she has fears. Mas gugustuhin pa niyang siya ang mag-isang magdusa kesa humila ng iba sa kinasasadlakan niya. Iyon ang Evangeline na nakilala ko, Hefner. At alam kong higit kanino man ay ikaw ang mas nakakakilala sa kanya at ikaw ang makakapagligtas sa kanya mula sa madilim na mundong kinasasadlakan niya ngayon.”