Nefarious Love

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Gone
   
  
  
Nagtitigan kami. Walang nagsasalita. Samuel is staring at me cautiously. Palipat lipat ang tingin niya sa aking mga mata, ang kaba ay kitang-kita. I remained in a poker face. Lumunok siya at umuwang ang labi. He licked his lower lips before speaking.

"We looked for you on the night you went missing. All we found was your car with all your personal belongings and..." he paused. "Blood stains,"

Memories of that night filled my mind. I long believed that those who chased me that night was Dad's men, but basing on Samuel's words, mukhang iba ang nag utos na sundan ako at barilin. Sino naman?

Mariin kong tinitigan si Samuel. Umigting ang kaniyang panga. He looked uneasy by the way I am looking at him. He kept on glancing at the empty table between us, hindi ako magawang titigan pabalik.

Pero teka nga... bakit ba ako naniniwala sa lalaking ito? Alam na alam kong magaling siya sa larangan na ito... sa pagsisinungaling upang makuha ang loob ng ibang tao. I shouldn't believe his words. This might be part of whatever he is planning to do kaya nilalapitan niya ako. Don't be fooled by this man again, Revi! You've already learned your lesson! Huwag ka na ulit magpapabilog sa kaniya!

"Your Father deployed his men for a search operation upon hearing that you went missing. Pinahanap ka din niya sa San Fernando at sa mga kalapit pang lugar nang ma-trace na doon mo huling ginamit ang card mo."

So Daddy did looked for me. Imbes na uminit ang puso ko dahil sa nalaman, binalot pa ito ng pait. I can imagine Dad furious because his rebel of a daughter is being a hindrance for his plans for the company. Hindi na ako magugulat kung sampal pa ang una niyang gawin kapag nagkita kaming ulit.

If he only knew, I did him a favor for what I did. Dahil sa ginawa ko, hindi na dapat natuloy ang pakikipag merge niya sa ANA. His one and only condition didn't happen, and that is to marry me off to Samuel. Kaya hindi ko rin alam kung anong ginawa ni Samuel para matuloy iyon.

Napuno ng pait ang damdamin. Matalim na tingin ang pinukol ko sa lalaking nasa harapan ko. At pagkatapos ng lahat ng panloloko na ginawa, narito na naman ang walang hiya na ito sa harapan ko.

"May nakapagsabi sa amin na mayroon daw nakakita ng isang duguang babae sa highway malapit lang kung saan nakita ang sasakyan mo. Dinala daw siya dito kaya... pumunta ako dito para makita ang babaeng tinutukoy nila... nagbabakasaling ikaw 'yon," marahan niyang kuwento.

Sumandal ako sa backrest ng kinauupuan at bahagyang tinagilid ang aking ulo. I raised an eyebrow.

"So you're telling me that... I belong in a prestigious family and I am... your girlfriend?"

Lumunok siya. He was nodding when I burst out laughing. Natigilan siya. Ang pagtataka sa kaniyang bahagyang nanlalaking mga mata ay kitang-kita. His lips parted as he watched me laughed.

Umiling ako, natatawa pa rin. "So this is your strategy, huh? To fool me?"

"H-Huh? No, Faith, I'm telling the tru—"

"Shut up!" I spat.

Samuel's jaw clenched. He pursed his lips as if stopping himself to speak even though he wanted to.

"Puwede ba? Kung iniisip mong mauuto mo ako sa ganitong paraan, magkukunwaring kilala mo ako at ano? Girlfriend mo 'ko?" I snorted and laughed a bit. "I'm sorry to tell you but your lame plan won't work on me! You liar!" I couldn't stop myself from raising my voice that boomed inside the restaurant.

"No, Faith, please listen to me,"

Isang iling pa ang ginawa ko bago tuluyang tumayo at talikuran siya. I heard him clicked his tongue then the screeching sound of the chair, telling me that he stood up from his seat too. I didn't turned to look back at him. Dire-diretso lang ang lakad ko patungo sa counter kung nasaan sila Will at Tomas na kapuwa nakatunghay na rin sa amin. Siguro'y dahil sa napalakas kong boses kanina.