Comrades in Action: Chase Vonn Book 6

Chapter Eleven

She went out of the room to look for her kuya Cayden. He said he'd be gone for two hours at mahigit dalawang oras na itong hindi bumabalik.

Pagliko niya sa isang pasilyo, napatigil siya ng makarinig ng dalawang boses na nagtatalo. Napakunot noo siya ng mahimigang sa kuya Cayden niya ang isang boses doon. Liningon niya ang paligid. The hallway is empty. Tila walang masyadong tao ang nagagawi dito.

Ibinalik niya ang pansin sa dalawang nagtatalo. She silently peered at them. Mas lumalim ang pagkakakunot noo niya ng makita ang lalaking bigla na lang kwinelyuhan ang kapatid niya. He looked so angry at her brother at hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit!

"Binabalaan kita Lopez, stay away from what's mine!" Marring wika ng lalaki.

What is this man talking about?

Mas ikinagulat niya ng nanatiling kalmado lang ang kuya niya habang nakaharap sa lalaki.

"It's not my fault the board is choosing me over you, Martin."

"What did you fucking say?"

Tinanggal ng kuya niya ang pagkakahawak ng lalaki sa kwelyo nito. He succeeded and with so much finese, inayos nito ang pagkakagusot ng kwelyo.

"If you have a problem with the decision, go to the boards of directors. Sila ang kausapin mo."

Mariing naglapat ang mga labi ng lalaki at sa nanlilisik na mga mata ay tinitigan ng masama ang kapatid niya.

"Half of this company is mine, Lopez!" Sigaw nito na ikina-tuya ng kuya niya.

"Forty percent of the company is yours, Martin.  Mrs. Corda sold ten percent of her shares to me. That makes me the major stock holder of this company. Now I understand how great friends our fathers were. They built this company together. When your father passed away, napunta sa iyo ang shares niya. Wala kang narinig sa akin dahil alam kong nararapat sa iyo iyon. But to say to my face that what is mine is yours? Don't you think you're being too greedy on this one?"

Awang ang bibig na napasandal siya sa pader matapos marinig ang puno't dulo ng away ng dalawa. Kaya pala pamilyar ang mukha ng lalaking kaharap ng kuya niya. She remembers him now. Martin Cordova. The only son of her late ninong Edwin Cordova. Naalala niya noong bata pa siya, madalas pumunta sa bahay nila sa Ilocos ang ninong Edwin niya. And everytime he visits, lagi nitong kasama ang anak nitong si Martin. She remember she's just five years old at that time kaya hindi niya talaga ito ka-close noon pa man. Ang kuya Cayden niya ang madalas nitong kausap dahil ito ang kaedad nito. Pero kahit na ganoon, hindi niya kailangang makausap ito ng madalas para malaman kung gaano ito kahambog noon pa man. He likes to always compete against her brother. She remembers him a jerk and a stuck up prick. Now that she saw him again, mukhang wala pa din itong pinagbago.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps coming her way. Bahagya siyang nagkubli sa madilim na parte ng pasilyo ng dumaan si Martin. She stayed on her spot when her brother walked her way. Nagulat pa siya ng bigla itong tumigil sa pinagtataguan niya.

"Come out, Ayen."

Isang buntong hininga ang pinakawalan niya bago lumabas mula sa pinagtataguan. Hands on his hips, hinarap siya ng kapatid.

"Didn't anyone told you that evesdropping is bad?"

She bit her lip. "Hindi ko naman sinasadyang makinig eh. I was looking for you and then I heard you two arguing so loud."

Her brother sighed. "Forget what you heard." Anito bago naglakad paalis. Mabilis niya itong sinundan.

"I can't do that. Not when I know something's wrong."