The Antiquity of Us (La Fortuna Series #2)

Kabanata 30

Kabanata 30

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"You are under arrest for killing your father, Iowa Satyana Linarez," he said, his voice one with the cold.

Tila tinarakan ng punyal ang puso ko nang marinig 'yon mula sa kaniya. Noong malaman kong pinaghahanap ako tungkol sa pagkamatay ni Dad, nagtago ako rito sa Pandan sa pag-iisip na baka totoo nga iyon. I didn't know what actually happened that night so it was possible that I killed him... until I had read a news article saying that he died because of a gunshot and not because of a stab wound.

Kaya nagkalakas-loob akong lumabas at maghanap ng trabaho dahil alam kong malinis ang mga kamay ko. I didn't kill my Dad. My true memories of what happened during Ionna's accident also came back to me fragments by fragments along the chasm between that night to this day. I didn't kill Ionna. I knew now that Kiro gaslighted and brainwashed me into thinking that I was a murderer when in fact, I was innocent.

Wala akong pinatay at kailanma'y hindi ko iyon magagawa.

But hearing the wounding words coming out from Atlas Ysaguirre's mouth while staring at the accusation and disdain in his eyes, I couldn't help but feel like I was without a doubt, a criminal, a fugitive, and a murderer. Mula sa pamimilog ng mga mata ko'y napalitan 'yon ng blangkong ekspresyon.

What did I even expect? How could I forget that Atlas is a cruel man? He might have been sweet and kind to me for a decent amount of time, but it wouldn't change the truth that above all, he's merciless, brutal, and vicious. Wala siyang sinasamba... kahit sinuman o kahit ako.

"W-where's your arrest warrant?" I croaked.

He raised a crooked smile. "You are wanted for four years. I am arresting you under reasonable grounds. Hindi na kailangan ng arrest warrant kung sigurado na ang awtoridad na isa kang kriminal."

Alam kong wala akong mahahanap na pamilyaridad sa mga mata niya ngunit sinubukan ko pa ring sisirin ang mga 'yon. What was I even looking for? Is it really familiarity? Or maybe something else? I scoffed inwardly at that. Anong hahanapin mo, Iowa? Pangungulila at pagmamahal?

Instead of noticing his irises though, my eyes darted at his hair. It wasn't the perfect time to check him out but for the love of God, he had changed so much I just had to look for signs that he was the same man that I knew four years ago. Pero tila ba wala na ang Atlas na nakilala ko. Even his hair which always was in a clean-cut, now was long enough for him to style it in a low man bun. It sank in to me. 

He's in a fucking man bun!

I blinked twice. "You can't arrest me."

"Really? Why?"

"Because I didn't kill my father," I said in a firm tone.

He shot up a brow. "I'm sorry, but there goes the saying."

"What saying?"

"Sa presinto ka na magpaliwanag."

Before I knew it, I was already sitting on the shotgun seat of his black Maserati and was en route to La Fortuna. Ilang irap at masamang tingin na ang naigawad ko sa kaniya ngunit tila ba 'di siya tinatablan no'n. Also, we'd be traveling for four hours straight! Anong gagawin ko sa loob ng apat na oras maliban sa pagngingitngit sa galit at sa pagdamdam ng pang-aaresto niya sa 'kin?!

Tahimik kami sa lumipas na isang oras. I fixated my eyes on the pastures that we were passing by. Nauumay na ang mga mata ko dahil puro mga berdeng taniman at kakahuyan lamang ang natatanaw ko simula pa kanina. By eleven o'clock, the sun finally decided to shine upon us, erasing the fact that it had rained in the first place. Galit at nasasaktan pa rin ako ngunit dahil sa inip ay nagawa ko siyang lingunin.