Silence. Iyon lang ang namuo sa pagitan naming dalawa pagkatapos umalis ni ate ilang minuto na ang nakalipas. I hugged myself as I felt the breeze scrape my skin. Ang lamig nat gusto ko ng pumasok sa loob pero hindi ako makagalaw mula sa kinatatayuan ko dahil na rin sa taong nasa harapan ko.
He's only wearing a sleeveless shirt pero parang hindi naman siya nakakaramdam ng lamig. Instead he looks so normal while I'm here freezing to death.
Hindi ako makatingin ng deretso sakanya, another reason is that I'm not ready to talk to him but is forced to because of my freaking bitch sister! I can't belive that she really left me here with this demon!
"Lorraine..." Nanigas ako sa kinauupuan ko noong mag salita siya. Bakit ganito ang epekto niya sakin? It's so unfair!
"Kausapin mo ako," His tone sounded so demanding and controlling na parang hindi siya iyon. "We have a daughter-"
I faced him with a dagger look. "There is nothing else to talk about, Hypnos. I raised 'my' child all alone for the past years, I don't need your help for the upcoming ones." Hindi ko alam kung saan ko nakuha ang lakas para sagutin siya pero go na lang with the flow kahit ramdam ko ang panginging ng katawan dahil sa pinagsamang takot at panlalamig.
His face turned grim like he didn't liked what he heard but still in a calm and controlling manner, he replied.
"She'll ask for me eventually."
Ngumisi ako. "She knows you already, Hypnos. Nakalimutan mo ba ang nangyari kanina?" Referring to the incident that happened earlier when I I came to meet him face to face again after years of hiding. "Hindi ako nagkulang sa pagpapalaki sakanya. I raised her well and you should thank me that I even let her know your existence!"
"You let her know about me but you didn't gave her my surname." Napabuntong hininga na lang ako dahil parang alam ko na kung saan nanaman papunta ang pag-uusap na ito.
Tumayo ako at akmang aalis na doon pero pinigilan niya ako sa pamamagitan ng mahigpit na paghawak sa braso ko.
"Hindi pa tayo tapos mag-usap, Lorraine." I can almost hear his anger pero pinipigilan niya iyon. So different from his past self na kapag ginalit ay sasaktan kaagad ako.
I looked at him disgustingly. I don't know what's the cause of his change but he disgust me!
"This conversation is bullshit!"
"Your language, Lorraine!" Saway niya sa ginawa kong pagmumura na parang big deal iyon when he does it all the time noon.
I tried to get away from his hold but it's just too tight kaya hinayaan ko na muna iyon at hinarap na lang siya.
"Stop calling me by that name. I'm not Lorraine anymore." I said coldly, trying to intimidate him, hoping that'll work but sadly it didn't.
He laughed sarcastically as if I just said some joke.
"Really? Not your name anymore? You just changed your name in papers but your given name is already engraved in your soul, Lorraine. Stop acting as if you're a different person." He said as if he was disgusted by how I changed my name and identity.
Hindi ko naman napigilan ang sarili ko na iangat ang libreng kamay at sasampalin sana ito sa mukha ngunit napigilan niya ako na parang alam niya na iyon nga ang gagawin ko.
He grinned at me evily. "Same old you. Always going for a slap whenever you can't win an argument."
"There is not even a single argument to start with." Matigas kong sagot at pilit na hinatak ulit ang braso mula sakanya. "Bitawan mo ko!"
"I won't until you talk to me."
"We are talking!" I said full of sarcasm.
Bulag ba siya or what? We're talking already for pete's sake!
Umiling siya. "No, not this kind of talk. I want a serious one."
Tiningnan ko siya ng masama. His gray eyes are full of determination na parang hindi na talaga iyon mababali. Gumalaw rin ang panga niya na parang pinipigilan ang sarili. I calmed down when I realized something. He's being patient with me...
Iniwas ko ang tingin sakanya dahil parang malulunod ako sa ginagawa niyang pagtingin. I sighed.
"Fine, let's talk somewhere seriously but not here. It's getting cold."
"Okay. Let's go to my office." He casually said before pulling me with him as he strides towards the rooftop door.
Hinatak niya ako hanggang sa makababa kami sa ikatlong palapag. He opened a dark wooden oak door that revealed a classic office room but with a touch of elegance. I can sense that this room is really a royalty because it's not too extravagant nor boring but it is in the middle, balancing between the two.
"Sit down, please." He said and pointed to the chair in front of his table.
Umupo naman ako doon at siya sa swivel chair niya.
Inilibot ko ang paningin sa loob ng office niya. Meron siyang mini library sa gilid habang ang table niya at upuan ay nakaharap sa isang glass pane. Kitang-kita ang kalupaan na nasasakop ng mansyon. It almost reminded me of Leanne's description about her home, hindi ko nga alam kung nag jo-joke siya noon o seryoso talaga. But now, I can almost tell that what she told me was not a lie.
"Do you like it?" Hypnos asked na ikinabalik ko ng pansin sakanya.
He looks so amused as he waits for my answer. Hindi ko naman iyon pinansin at dineretso na lang siya. I don't want to stay here any longer lalo na at kaming dalawa lang.
"What do you want to talk about?" I asked straightforwardly.
Pumormal naman ang ekspresyon niya sa mukha at nawala ang emosyon doon. "Our daughter of course, Miss Dornon." May halong pang-uuyam at galit sa boses niya noong binanggit niya ang huling salita.
My eyes landed on a picture above his desk. Hindi ko na napansin ang sinabi niya dahil doon napunta ang atensyon ko. Inside the picture is him wearing some kind of royal uniform with medals on it. He looks so powerful sa posture niya pa lang and don't make me talk about his face. He looks so cold and emotionless, parang noong una kong na kita si Kuya Xerxes. Parang mga robot. Magkapatid nga talaga sila.
"That was me at the Palace after a month of passing the position to me." He said na nagpa baling sa atensyon ko sakanya.
Hindi ko na namalayan na sobra na pala akong naka focus sa picture niya na nakalimutan kong nasa iisang kwarto lang pala kaming dalawa.
"The position was supposed to be passed down to my older twin brother but he refused the position so I have to suffer in his place." Kulang sa emosyong eksplinasyon niya.
Napatakip ako sa bibig ko noong ma realize ang sinabi niya. He's not a count anymore. Isa na siyang Duke.
"It was hard but it helped me since you left me here all alone. I was forced for the position but it helped me cope up with everything. Now, I'm powerful. Do you know what that means, Lorraine?"
Kinabahan ako bigla sa tingin na binigay niya sakin. Na parang may binabalak na hindi ko magugustuhan.
"A-ano?" I asked confusingly.
Bigla namang nagsitaasan ang balahibo ko sa balat dahil sa ngising ipinakita niya. Malademonyong ngisi.
"I can take away our daughter from your custody and change her surname with mine if I say only I say it."
I gasped. "What the hell are you saying?!"
"It means that you should listen to me and follow my orders if you don't want our daughter to be away from you."
Tama nga ako. Demonyo siya.
STONE MIKAELSON
BINABASA MO ANG
Deceitful Seduction
BeletrieLorraine Keziah Elizalde always wanted a commitment, not just a short term kind of thing that only last for a day. She grew up being taught by her big sister about everything, keeping yourself sacred until the day has finally come but then her desir...
