Aries, His Runaway Mafia Bride

Chapter 3

 Aries' POV

"We're here now, " Don Javier firmly said as he entrance the wide aristocrat hallway of his mansion. I can check that the mansion screams perfection, hindi naman halata na napakayaman nito.

"I thought, we're heading to..." naputol ang salita ko sa sandaling iyon.

"You need to be equipped, Aries. You must learn everything before signing in," saad nito saka tumikhim. Nagpatuloy ito sa paglalakad habang nakaalalay ang baston nito. Nakasunod din sa amin ang apat na bodyguards na parang na-train yata na hindi dapat humiwalay kay Uncle Javier. Para lang itong mga robot na kalkulado ang bawat galaw at hakbang.

I am amazed of their devotion for their job. Kamangha-mangha dahil kahit na masasabi kong masamang tao si ginoong Javier, may mabuti rin naman itong puso. I guess.

Sa sandaling iyon ay nagpaalam siyang aakyat na sa enggrandeng staircase, papunta iyon sa ikalawang palapag, kung saan mas tanaw ang malaking chandelier. 

"Sir Aries, this way..." naring ko na sambit mula sa isang househelper na babae, nakasuot ito nang puti at kulay asul na uniporme na gaya sa mga pelikulang napapanood ko. Her uniform is too revealing, mas masasabi kong hindi siya achay sa lagay na iyon. She's a bit flirty to be one of uncle Javier's housemaids or such.

"This way to your room..." ngiti pa nito na parang may dugong Latin American, naririnig ko sa pananalita niya.

"May I know your name?" tanong ko pa rito.

"I'm Sophia, sir Aries. I will be your personal chambermaid," sagot pa nito.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes, Sir. Let me know what I can do for you, it's my pleasure to give satisfaction while staying here..."

"Does my uncle said that?"

Hindi ito umimik. Instead, mas lumawak ang ngiti nito saka dahan-dahang lumapit sa akin, pumulupot ang katawan niya sa akin na parang anacondang handa akong lamunin ng buo.

"Hey!" awat ko pa rito na parang ayaw paawat.

Naglandas ang kamay niya sa tagiliran ko na parang may itinututok na matalim na bagay. It felt wrong, kaya madali ko itong hinawakan at inipit gamit ang dalawa kong kamay.

"What the hell?"

"Hmm, you're strong." Ngisi pa nito saka mabilis na tumalon at pumulupot sa aking leeg, gamit ang kaniyang hita, she backflipped as she aim another knife in my thigh, but I immediately distant myself as she exhibition herself a defensive move.

I get it, it's a test for me.

"Come on!" nakahanda ang dalawa kong kamay sa sandaling iyon, curling my fist to do a job once she'll enter my distance. Matalino ang uncle Javier ko, gusto niyang malaman kung may kahinaan ako. Para sa trabahong papasukin ko, kailangan kong maging manhid, matigas, at higit sa lahat maging masama.

"I should've known it was you." Narinig kong sambit ni Sophia.Sophia's voice is low and gritty as she steps into the light, revealing her grim expression and the pistol with silencer slung over her shoulder.
"You're testing me, right?"

"I'm just doing my job. I didn't have a choice, Aries. It was always going to end like this."

My eyes narrow. I know she won't back down, but there's a flicker of regret. A part of me respects her. But that part is buried deep, lost beneath layers of years of violence and betrayal, I need to defend myself, and do what's my purpose. Kailangan kong panindigan ang bagong katauhan ko.

"You always had a choice, Sophia. You just didn't care enough to make the right one." Sabi ko rito.

Without warning, I charge forward, moving with lethal precision. She swings a roundhouse kick aimed at my head. I reacts quickly, ducking and grabbing her leg mid-swing. I yanks her down, but she uses the momentum to twist in mid-air and land on her feet, her body low and ready.

"Damn it! You've gotten faster. But that won't save you." I said while on position.

I swings a heavy fist toward her. I dodges, stepping to the side just as my knuckles brush past her cheek. She retaliates with a sharp jab to my ribs, but I absorbs the blow, stepping back and using my weight to throw her off balance. She stumbles, but recovers quickly, ducking under a wild swing aimed at her head.

I know she's flattered on my technique.

"You think you can take me down like this? You're wrong." My eyes flicker with something to amusement, but it's quickly replaced by focus. I grab a metal pipe from the ground, spinning it in my hand like a weapon. Sophia doesn't hesitate—she rushes at me, but this time, I'm ready. I swing the pipe at her head.

"I don't want to hurt you, Sophia. But I will if I have to."
"You already have."Sophia sidesteps just in time, grabbing the pipe from my hands in a swift motion. She spins, using the pipe like a staff to knock him off balance. I stumble, but recovers almost instantly, rolling back into a crouch in that particular area.

"I am not the same. Sorry, I've changed." Habang hinahayaang manghina si Sophia. 
"And you're still the same heartless bastard, just stopped pretending." Saad pa ni Sophia na rason para agad ko siyang pakawalan sa sandaling iyon. Narinig ko pag-ubo niya at ang kaniyang paghabol ng hininga.

"Who are you?" muling tanong ko sa kaniya, pero imbes na sumagot ay muli siyang sumugod.

She steps forward, her body a blur of motion as she attacks with rapid punches. I block them, but there's a raw anger behind her strikes. Her knuckles crack against my ribs, and she's close enough to land a swift knee to my abdomen. I grunt, my breath coming in short bursts, but I retaliates with a brutal elbow to her jaw. The hit sends her back a few paces, but she doesn't falter.

"You still think you're in control here? I know you, Aries. You can't win this fight." Dagdag pa nito habang nakangising nakatingin sa akin. Tanaw kong dumura na siya ng dugo pero ayaw pa rin nitong huminto.

"Maybe not. But I'll make you regret every step you took to get here." Sabi ko rin sa kaniya habang naghahanda sa kaniyang pagdating. I rush forward, my movements sharp and fast, but Sophia is quicker. She ducks, grabs my arm, and uses my momentum against her. With a violent twist, she throws me into a nearby table. It splinters with the impact. I grunt, getting to my feet, but Sophia is already on me. She kicks the chair aside and lands a swift punch to my face. I stumbles back, momentarily dazed, but quickly recovers. My hand reaches for a gun tucked into her uniform. I knew it was there, kanina ko pa siya binabasa, at lahat ng galaw niya'y kinabisa ko na.

Sophia snarls as she looks my direction.

"Don't bother." She rushes forward before I can draw it, disarming me with a sharp twist of her wrist. The gun clatters to the ground, and before I can react, she's on top of me, driving a knee into my chest. I gasps for air, my hands pushing against her, but Sophia pins me down, her knee digging into my ribs.

"Now, tell me that you're not ready for this..." malanding bulong pa nito sa taenga ko.

Sa sandaling iyon ay alam kong hindi ko siya kaya. I tap the marmol flor that time and it is when I realized that Uncle Javier is watching me from the staircase. Kanina pa pala niya ako ino-obserbahan.

I lost.

I need to fully recover, I need to win this!

"Bravo, Sophia. Eso es suficiente ahora." Narinig kong sabi ni Uncle Javier sa babaeng tumalo sa akin saka kinuha ang baril sa sahig. 

"Muchos gracias, señor." Ngiti pa nito saka nagpagpag at inayos ang sarilinmg uniporme.

Dahan-dahang bumaba si Uncle Javier mula sa hagdanan at matalim akong tiningnan.

"That's awful, Aries. Get up. Your father is ashamed for you."