Chapter 33

Pag-uwi nila sa bahay ay tahimik na inasikaso siya ni Langdon. He cooked food for her and then tucked her into bed for a nap.

Hindi siya pumayag na umalis ito sa tabi niya kaya niyakap siya nito sa buong maghapon.

"This is exactly the reason why I don't want you to love me, Cas. Lahat ng taong nagmamahal sa akin ay namamatay. Napapahamak silang lahat. You could get yourself killed," he spoke when her nerves calmed down.

"Keon will do anything to bring me back to the family. He said I am needed to win the war against the Alcantaras but I don't want to wield a weapon without knowing the reason why. And I haven't even won the war against myself."

She shifted a little to put her chin on his shoulder.

"Wala ba talagang paraan para matigil na ang pag-aaway ng pamilya niyo sa kanila? Hindi ba kayo napapagod na makipagbarilan na lang palagi? Masarap mabuhay na may kapayapaan sa isip, Lang."

"For decades, my clan fought for the land of Monte Vega against the Alcantaras. An Alcantara killed an Asturia over a land dispute and that's where it all started. The whole of the Asturians promised to take revenge. No talk was ever successful. The fight whether in politics, business, and in army just went on and on until everything blows out of proportion and gets bloody," he explained.

"Aren't they lovers? Iyon ang mga kuwento na naririnig ko. A-Alam mo naman siguro na open secret na ang hidwaan niyo ng mga Alcantara."

Nagkibit-balikat ito. "Who knows? That's another version of the story. If that is true, then that makes it more tragic. How could someone killed the one she loves?"

She fell silent for a moment. Maybe her brother is right. Love is not enough to keep someone alive. When the true nature of a human shows up, that's when even the most powerful thing in the world becomes insignificant.

"And you still fell for an Alcantara even after knowing that. Hindi ka ba galit sa kanila? 'Di ba may batas sa inyo na bawal magmahal ng kalaban?"

"I was afraid at first but seeing how she's so hopeful in our relationship, I can't possibly let her down. I'd die for her." He sighed. "Pero nauna siyang magsakripisyo para sa akin."

Malungkot siyang ngumiti nang maalala ang huling beses na nakita niyang buhay ang pinsan. They were just chilling inside her room while she's playing the piano. Cas was proudly watching her while taking some pictures of her.

"Kung sakaling nagkatuluyan kayo, baka naayos na ang sigalot sa dalawang pamilya. Kayo sana ang naging susi."

"At some point, I also thought about that. I believed it so much, that the most impossible thing can happen, that I forgot about the reality. Our families would always see each other as a competitor, the one the other should always defeat and eliminate no matter what. No one would give way. Lahat gagawin nila kahit isakripisyo pa nila ang sariling kadugo," his voice changed on the last sentence making her uneasy.

Nag-angat siya ng ulo rito. "Naniniwala ka ba talaga na kayang gawin iyon ng pamilya mo, Lang? Na magsakripisyo ng sariling kadugo?"

He shook his head. "No, not my family."

Doon siya natigilan. "H-Ha?"

"The Alcantaras. They sacrificed Cas for their own selfish reasons."

Nanatili lang siyang nakatitig dito na para bang walang narinig. Sila ang nagpapatay sa sariling kadugo? How come? Why? That shouldn't be true! Mahal nilang lahat si Casindra. She is the first daughter in the whole clan. In fact, nauna pa nga itong naipanganak kay Femella na siyang susunod na head ng angkan nila.

"Casindra is a child of a mistress of one of the Alcantaras. Dahil doon ay mababa ang pagtingin sa kaniya ng mga ito. She always told me she needs to fit in because her own family looks at her differently."

Nagulantang siya sa nalaman. May naging kabit ang Tito Alfredo niya? She thought he is loyal to his wife? So all this time, Casindra is not Tita Boni's real daughter? Kaya pala parang malayo ang loob nito kay Casindra. And her grandparents never visited Casindra in their house.

Hindi niya iyon pinagtuunan ng pansin. Akala niya ay wala lang iyon. And she didn't know about it. Kung hindi pa kay Langdon na isang Asturia ay wala siyang kaalam-alam sa katotohanan.

Nagsisikip ang puso niya para sa pinsan na naghihirap pala ang kalooban pero may gana pang pasayahin siya palagi. While Lucy is the protective older sister, Casindra is the sweet and the most generous one. Niyayakap siya nito at pinapatulog kapag wala ang kapatid sa bahay. Cas knows she's afraid of darkness that's why she always stays in their house and sleeps in her room.

If Langdon is telling the truth that Cas was killed by one of them, then she will never be able to forgive her family as well.

"She must have suffered so much and she found a safe place in you. Thank you for being there for her, Lang. Narinig ko na napakabait niyang babae. Kilala siya sa buong Monte Vega at Cerro Roca dahil sa mga charity events na pinangungunahan nito. She lived a meaningful life."

"No, she didn't." Naging matigas ang tinig ni Langdon. "Her life would only be meaningful if her killers will be put into justice in my own hands. I might have not felt any anger towards the Alcantaras because of our family's past but they killed my Casindra. That makes them my number one enemy in this world." Langdon's hollowed eyes connected with hers. "It's the only reason why I'm still breathing, Cin. It's the only thing that's been keeping me from shooting myself in the head. I have to kill them too in the same way that they killed my love and me in the process."

Kusang tumulo ang mga luha niya dahil sa nababasang poot na naglalagablab sa mga mata nito. Nasasaktan siya para kay Casindra, kay Langdon, at sa dalawang pamilya.

She knows it will never end good. This vicious cycle of revenge would go on and on until the end of her time.