Chapter 103: Epilogue 5

Zelo’s POV

I’m not really sure when it all started. Hindi ko sigurado kung kailan ako nagkagusto kay Umbrielle. I just knew that she already become my safe place in just a short period of time.

“Artemis… That’s my real name,” she said one night when we are having a drink at her apartment. I don’t know how we ended up drinking. We just got brought things in the grocery and she took a lot of beer. Kaya ngayon, ito kaming dalawa trying to play games while drinking.

“You have a pretty name…” mahinang sambit ko habang nakatitig sa namumungay niyang mga mata.

“I know right.” She even laughed a little before rolling the bottle. Tumapat ulit sa kaniya kaya hindi ko mapigilan ang matawa nang mahina roon. Agad siyang napasimangot.

“One truth again,” I said. Maybe I’m too thirsty on knowing her na tuwing tumatapat ang bote sa kaniya’y I’ll ask her to tell one truth about her.

“Hmm, I’m not good as you think I am,” aniya na iniwas ang tingin sa akin at napatungga sa kaniyang baso.

“People are not always good though,” sambit ko kaya napatingin siya sa akin. Naninigkit na ang mga mata ngayon subalit bandang huli’y napanguso lang din.

Inikot ko na muli ang bote. Both of us our just staring at each other. Pareho na ring lasing kaya namumungay na ang mga mata habang nakatitig sa isa’t isa. Akin tumapat ang bote kaya agad kumurba ang ngisi sa labi niya.

“One truth,” aniya habang naghihintay sa sasabihin ko.

“I like you,” sambit ko habang nakatitig sa kaniyang mata. I didn’t even realize what I said. That’s just the truth that came up in mind at the moment. Bakas ang gulat niya dahil sa aking sinabi subalit mayamaya lang ay napatawa na siya nang mahina roon. Hindi siya nagtanong o ano pa man. Pinaikot niya lang muli ang bote habang nangangalumbabang nakatingin sa akin.

Akin ulit tumapat ang bote kaya kumurbang muli ang ngisi sa kaniyang labi.

“What about doing a dare now? Hmm, like kissing me,” aniya pa kaya unti-unting napaawang ang labi ko.

“What—”

“Kiss me. That’s the dare.” She even shamelessly points at her cheeks. I don’t know if this is an act again but well, I’m stupid to even care. Lumapit lang ako sa kaniyang gawi but didn’t do what she wants. I kiss her lips rather than her cheeks. Nang maghiwalay ang mga labi namin ay napatitig lang ako sa kaniya.

“I like you too,” bulong niya before trying to kiss me again. I can’t even think properly at all. I just let her kiss me.

And I just knew that I was already walking to the trap that I made.

I didn’t know how we ended up telling each other’s trauma and pain while having a knife behind each other’s back ready to stab each other.

Mariin ko lang na kinagat ang aking labi bago ako napatitig sa kaniya.

That night become so long just talking with each other about a lot of things.

I’m not sure if what we really are subalit ang alam ko lang ay hindi ko na siya kayang bitawan pa. I don’t even want her to meet my father. I don’t want what we have to stop. Kung parte pa rin ng plano niya ang lahat, I don’t care anymore. I just wanted to stay by her side for so long but things won’t really agree with me dahil nakilala siya ng magaling kong ama. ‘Yon naman talaga ang plano noon pa but now, I don’t want her to meet him. I don’t want her near him.

I know that she’s trying to get some information about him behind my back at sa tuwing nagkakasalubong ang mga mata naming dalawa. Halos hindi niya ako magawang tignan.

“So instead of studying, you are playing around? Aren’t you ashame on what you are doing, Zelo?” galit na tanong ng magaling kong ama.

“Break up with that girl. There’s nothing good you can get from her. You needed to marry the vice president's daughter for support. I needed to run as a senator and soon, I’ll become the president of this country. Don’t you dare ruin things for me,” galit niyang sambit sa akin kaya hindi ko lang din mapigilan ang mapangisi sa kaniya. He’s dreaming so big. As if that will happen. I’ll make sure that he won’t even get the chance to see even glimpse of his dream.

Hindi ko nga lang akalain na sa pagpigil ko rito ay ang pagkawala naman sa akin ni Artemis. Artemis killed him just like what Tigers want her too. She also get a lot of money from him before running away. She didn’t even say anything to me. Hindi niya rin sinabi sa Tigers ang planong pagpatay rito. She wanted to give his money back to people. Especially those who are victims of his wrongdoings.

I watched everything that my father build grumbled happily. I wish I have Artemis with me. I wish I can happily celebrate it with her. But she was on the run and so hard to track. She was really that good.

“Any news about her now?” tanong ko kay Alfredo.

“Pinaghahanap pa rin po, Sir. But we can’t find her anywhere. We’ll do our best,” sambit pa nito. Pinatay ko lang ang tawag dito. I was already planning to kill that jerk too. He is one of a kind asshole who play with other people too. Napapikit na lang ako bago napahilot sa aking sentido.

Artemis said that she loves me. That she was glad that we got to know each other. I believe it. How can she leave just like that though? I was planning to protect her but damn myself for letting her slip.

“We track her,” I said when I finally track where she is. Agad kong inutusan ang aking mga bodyguard na magtungo kung nasaan siya ngayon. Hindi ako mapakali habang nasa private jet. Thinking that I’ll be able to see her once again makes my heartbeat faster.

But damn, wala pang ilang segundo na nakarating doon, she’s aready gone. Her brother easily detected it. Napahilamos na lang ako sa mukha roon.

“Sir! May iniwang bata harap ng bahay niyo!” Agad akong napatayo sa kinauupuan ko nang makauwi while still trying to track her. I don’t know but I have a feeling that I’ll regret it if I won’t go outside immediately.

Unti-unting nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang mapatingin sa batang lalaking na nasa harapan ko ngayon. He have the other half of the necklace that I gave to Artemis. He looks just like his mom. He looks small and fragile. Para bang dapat ay hawakan ito sa paraang hindi siya masasaktan. I know immediately that he is my son to Artemis.

Agad akong napalinga-linga sa paligid and told my guards to search for her. She won’t just go without seeing our son being safe. She is still probably around here. Ramdam ko ang lakas ng tibok ng puso sa ideyang narito lang siya ngayon.

I tried to find her anywhere ngunit hindi ako nagtagumpay. Kumuyom lang ang aking kamao bago napahilamos sa mukha.

“Mga tonta. What are you even doing? I said search. She’s still alive. Artemis won’t die just like that. Especially that she have someone she needed to protect,” galit kong sambit. Napakamot sa kaniyang ulo si Junio.

“We’ll get another update, Sir,” aniya. Isang malamig na tingin lang ang ibinigay ko.

Hinaplos ko ang buhok ni Hades habang mahimbing na mahimbing ang kaniyang tulog sa aking bisig.

“Don’t worry, Baby… We’ll find your mom…” malambing kong sambit sa anak. But Artemis really know what she’s doing. Ni hindi talaga siya nagpakita pa sa amin.

But maybe I know her too much now. She won’t just easily give up our son. She probably got cornered to the point that she needed someone to protect our son.

Fuck it. If I just knew that she was pregnant, mas lalo ko pa sana siyang pinaghigpitan noon kahit na pa kamuhian niya ako.

I know that she’ll take her son again. Wether she likes it or not, she is still tied up to me. Hindi na mapuputol pa ang ugnayan naming dalawa.

I needed to bring Hades abroad dahil na rin sa pagpuksa ko sa Tigers. I kill a lot. I let a lot of the criminals go to jail. Ang iba lang ay nakatakas but once I’m the one already sitting on that top position, one of my plans is to decrease those shitty assholes who are laundering money. Those people who are using the people’s money for their own pleasure. Those asshats that is stepping on other people’s toes to rise up. I’ll destroy them all.

And if I’m already done with that, kung hindi pa magpapakita si Artemis, kung kakailanganin kong halughugin ang buong mundo para lang makita siya, I’ll do it.

However, I just really know that she’ll really do something to get our son. Hindi nga ako nagkamali dahil ilang beses siyang nagtangkang pumasok sa mansiyon. Dito sa Pilipinas at abroad. And for those times, she was always almost at my hand but because of her damn skill, laging nakakatakas. Napapikit na lang ako nang ibalita nina Junio na nakatakas na ito.

“She’s too much for us to handle, Sir. Ilan ang napatumba njya bago umalis,” anito na napakamot pa sa ulo. Right. Why am I even underestimating that girl? She can even move without anyone knowing.

I’ll just be able to trap her kung siya na mismo ang lalapit. I wasn’t really planning to let Hades come back to the Philippines dahil alam kong delikado rin ang lagay niya rito because I have a lot of enemies.

Subalit it was dangerous for him too staying there at ilang beses niya na rin akong kinausap tungkol sa kagustuhan niyang umuwi sa Pilipinas.

“You said that my Mom’s love me! Why would she let me stay with you if she really did?” ani Hades na napasimangot pa ang mukha. Hindi ko mapigilan ang mapabuntonghininga bago umupo sa tapat ng aking anak. Hinaplos ko lang ang kaniyang buhok.

“Your Mom loves you. It was just complicated. I’m sorry, Son…” sambit ko sa kaniya. Nanatili lang ang nangingilid niyang luha habang mahigpit na hinahawakan ang nag-iisang litrato ng kaniyang ina.

“When I live to the Philippines, is there a chance that she’ll meet me?” he asked me.

“She surely will… She loves you… I’m sure of that,” I said, smiling at him before I wipe his tears. Mariin niya lang na kinagat ang kaniyang labi bago tahimik na nagtanong tungkol sa kaniyang ina. I just told a story about his mom before letting him sleep. That’s always put him at ease. He looks forward on meeting his mom kahit na paminsan-minsan ay nakakaramdam ng tampo dahil hindi man lang daw siya binibisita ng kaniyang ina.

Subalit habang tumatagal ay tila ba nakakalimutan niya na ang pagkaulila sa ina. Those moment when he miss her turn into anger. Tila ba unti-unting nagtanim ng sama ng loob sa kaniyang ina. When I was trying to tell him that it wasn’t like that, he’ll just change the conversation.

If he just knew how many time his mother tried to intrude. I know how much his mom wants to meet him.

At hindi nga ako nagkamali nang makita ang resume na nag-aapply ito bilang bodyguard sa Palais.

I can’t even help but smirk when I meet her in person. She changes a lot about her. And she acts as if I won’t recognize her at all. I don’t know if she’s stupid or what. Or maybe she knew that I will still be dead over heels with her. Maybe she knows that she’s still one of that damn fucking weaknesses.

“Good day, Mr. President.” She’s still suck at acting.