Treacherous Love

Chapter 5

Astraia's POV

Psalm: 27:1

The Lord is my light and 

my salvation- whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my 

life- of whom shall I be afraid?

"Sister Aya, mabuti naman at nakabalik ka na." 

Ngumiti ako ka'y Sister Teresa. 

"Nais ko po sanang mag-usap tayong dalawa. Kaya po ako ay narito, nawa po ay pakinggan ninyo ako." Nakayuko kong pahayag dito.

"Oo naman, Sister Aya. Ang lahat ay pinapakinggan ng diyos." Mahinhin na pahayag nito sa akin.

I smiled.

"Kailangan ko pong umalis, Sister. Kailangan ko nang harapin ang dapat ay matagal ko nang hinarap. Ngunit hindi maiiwasan ang takot sa aking puso, Sister." Mahina kong saad.

It's true.

Fear is eating me. I just declared a war against my own parents, clan. Hindi ito magiging madali, I can lose everything in just a snap. Pain and sacrifices will be present, I know. Ngunit kung magpapatuloy ako sa ganitong buhay, panigurado akong mamatay na ko. 

This kind of life, disgust me.

Para akong pinapatay nang unti-unti.

Hinawakan ni, Sister Teresa ang aking kamay.

"Takot ang unang pumipigil sa mga taong katulad natin. Ngunit nandito ang panginoon, kasama natin sa bawat laban. Wala kang dapat ikatakot, iha. Sapagkat mananalo ka kung tama ang iyong ipinaglalaban, kahit anong laban pa 'yan basta malinis ang hangarin. Hindi ka pababayaan ng ating panginoon." Paliwanag nito sa akin.

Fear not.

Ngumiti ako ng matamis.

"S-sa tingin n'yo ba hinuhusgahan ako ng panginoon?" I asked.

Umiling ito.

"Basta lumapit ka sa kanya, tatanggapin ka n'ya ng buong puso. Nang walang panghuhusga, walang tanong, yayakapin ka n'ya. Hindi ko man alam ang laban mo, iha ngunit umasa ka na ang dasal ang pinakamalakas na armas na pwede mong gamitin."

I sighed.

She's right, I'm not alone.

I will serve him till I die. Siguro nga ay may rason ang bawat pangyayari. May rason nga siguro kung bakit ganitong buhay ay ibinigay niya.

Bago umalis ay pinagmasdan ko muna ang kumbento. The place where I feel home, the place where I know I can be me. This place became my home and I feel like a part of me was here. 

I belong here.

Wala mang kasiguruhan, ngunit babalik ako. Babalik ako at sa pagkakataon na 'yon, sana maipakilala ko na si, Astraia and not Aya. 

I know they will understand.

I know they will.

----

"I don't understand why are you doing this to our family, Astraia!" 

Walang emosyon kong tiningnan ang aking ama. He's looking at me with disappointment in his eyes.

Matapang na sinalubong ko ang mga tingin nito.

"I just want peace, Dad." I said.

Nag-igting ang panga nito.

"You can't do this to our family, Astraia!" He shouted with anger.

I smirked.

"You know I can." I said. 

Pumikit ito ngunit kalaunan ay tumingin sa akin.

"Fine, you want peace? I will give you that, but finished your last mission." He said.

Kumunot ang noo ko.

Mission?

I sighed.

"What mission?" I asked.

He sighed at inabot sa akin ang papel. Binuklat ko ito at muntik na akong mabilaukan nang makita kung sino ang nasa larawan.

"Lucien Ares Roosevelt. He's your last target, kill him for our clan." My dad said.

W-what?

Who is this man?

I clenched my fist. I need to calm, he can read my emotions.

Ngumisi ako.

"This is easy, but you should know that I want a condition." Mapaglaro kong pahayag dito.

"What is that my dear daughter?" He asked.

Tumayo ako.

"I want those kids to be free. Once that I kill this man, palalayain mo ang mga bata." Matapang kong saad dito.

Madilim itong tumingin sa akin.

"Ano ba talaga ang nangyayari sayo, Astraia? G-gusto mo na ba talagang kalabanin ang sarili mong pamilya?" Gigil sa saad nito.

Tumawa ako habang hawak ang papel na naglalaman ng impormasyon ng lalaking 'yon.

"Give me what I want and I will make sure that this guy will die." Mapanganib kong sabi.

Mahigpit nitong hinawakan ang baso ng alak.

"Gawin mo muna ang utos ko sayo, Astraia." Wika nito.

Umiling ako.

"Nah, I want a confirmation." I said.

If he's cunning then I am too. He taught me how to be like this, he taught me how to be a monster. He f*cking taught me how to fight and I will make sure that he will regret it.

Tumawa ito at tinungga ang alak.

"Mana ka nga sa'kin, Astraia. Sige, pumapayag ako. Ulo ng lalaking 'yan kapalit ng kalayaan mo at ng mga bata." Tusong pahayag nito.

I smirked.

Inilabas ko ang cellphone ko at ngumisi.

"Deal, now we have a deal." I said at sinave ang record nang pag-uusap namin.

Nanlaki ang mata nito at nanatiling tahimik. Tumalikod na ko ngunit bago lumabas sa pintuan ay huminto ako.

"And one more thing, father. Mana nga ako sayo but I'm more dangerous, more cunning and more viscious." I said at lumabas na.

Narinig ko pa ang pagwawala nito.

I've always said that don't f*cking messed with me.

Mabilis kong sinipa ang punching bag at inatake ng mga suntok. I punched them hard like I'm punching the face of that motherf*cker. Damn that guy, ano ang kinalaman nito at bakit gusto itong patayin ng aking ama. Hinihingal na nakayakap ako sa punching bag.

I'm f*cking confused.

Nang matauhan ay uminom ako ng tubig at binuklat ang envelope na naglalaman ng mga impormasyon ng lalaki. I looked at his picture. He's wearing a business suit and he looks so freaking hot, like the first time I saw him. He's looking at the camera coldly, tila ba hindi sanay ngumiti. He has a green eyes that will pull any woman he wants.

Lucien Ares Roosevelt.

Ares, the god of war.

Lucien means light.

I sighed.

I shouldn't let my emotions rule over me. He's a mission, Astraia. Ibinaba ko ang litrato nito at binasa ang nasa papel.

Lucien Ares Roosevelt, a business magnate and also a member of a secret mafia and frat. His codename is lion. Lions are symbols of strength and courage. He's also the right hand of wolf, Markus Saint Dela Fuente. He's mysterious and consider as the most dangerous one. He's silent all the time but he's an observer. He kills his opponent by torturing them, he never kill without any torture.

I smirked.

Interesting.

He seems really wild, though. He f*cking ripped my underwear and I really think that he's really wild like a lion.

Humalakhak ako at pinagmasdan ang litrato sa lamesa. 

'Are you ready to meet me again, Mr. Lucien Ares?'

Pinaglaruan ko ang, Colombia River Knife ko at itinusok sa noo nito.

I need your head kapalit ng kalayaan ko.

"New mission?"

Nilingon ko si, Midas na mukhang kagagaling lang din sa pageensayo. Umiling lamang ako at pumunta sa veranda kung saan tanaw na tanaw ang karagatan. Naramdaman ko ang pagsunod nito sa akin.

"Lucien Ares Roosevelt, huh? I have a bad feeling about it." He said while looking at the ocean too.

"I have too," I said.

I feel like that man has something to offer. Delikado itong tao ngunit hindi ito kalaban sa negosyo. Our clan and his are totally not rivals but why? Why my father wants to kill him? Puno ng katanungan ang aking isip and I can't digest it. Bumabagabag pa sa akin ay ang nangyari sa pisteng resort na 'yon.

The night that I wanted to forget.

Everytime that I'm gonna look at that picture, it's giving me chills. Para bang nakatingin ito sa'kin na puno ng galit at pighati. He's like looking at my soul and burning it. Parang may mas malalim pang dahilan. 

Right.

I f*cking forget to ask why I need to eliminate him, but I never ask questions. I just kill and that's it. Ngunit iba ang lalaking ito, there's something on me that wants to know him deeper. I want to know why? I want to know who is he? I want to know a lot of things about him.

Damn, he's like a trailer in a movie that I want to watch. He f*cking got my curiosity. 

I sighed.

"You're not focused. He's making you confused." He said to me.

Ngumisi ako at tinungga ang tubig. Not minding my sweats but I just looked at him.

"He's like a puzzle and you know I love solving one. This feeling is new to me and I can't help but to be excited." I said with honesty.

With, Midas I don't need to sugarcoat and to hide my emotions. He knows me well and he knows every bit of me. He's like a brother to me and I trust him.

He sighed.

"Just finish the mission, Esmeray. Do it fast and go." He said darkly.

I frowned because of what he said.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked.

"You never asked question about a mission. You will just kill and go. No question asked, but this one? What's happening to you, Astraia?" He asked and his voice is like interrogating me.

I looked at him with no emotions.

"What's happening to me? This is my last mission and I want it to be memorable. I want this to be exciting and I want it perfectly planned. I can't afford to lose, nakasalalay dito ang buhay ng mga bata." I explained. "At isa pa, gusto kong pag-aralang mabuti ang lalaking 'yon. Do you think he's easy to kill? He's a freaking mafia man too, he's a frat member."

He smiled.

"Do you know him? Nakilala mo na ba s'ya? Nakasama?" He asked.

F*ck, this is what I hate.

Midas can easily read me and I hate that!

"Magkaibang mundo ang kinabibilangan namin, Midas Kael. How can I met that kind of man?" I answered.

"Then why are you so curious ? Like you've met him before? This is not you, Esmeray. You're definitely acting weird." 

Am I?

Do I really look so interested on him? Maybe, because he's just the man who took my virginity! Ahh, what a freaking coincidence that the man who took my innocence, is the one that I need to kill.

Life is really a b***h, huh?

Umiling ako at tiningnan ito nang madiin.

"The heck is wrong with you, Kael? I told you I want this mission to work. I'm curious because he's a new mission. Before, I need to eliminate some of our rivals but this man? He's not our rival, Kael but why do I need to kill him?" I asked. 

He smiled.

"See? You never explained to anyone, Esmeray. But now you're being defensive." He said at umalis na.

I closed my eyes.

Damn you, Midas Kael.

F*ck, I really need to kill that guy! He's not good at my system. Pinapasok nito ang sistema ko at naiinis ako dahil doon. I can't believe that I'm losing my composure because of that man. 

Niyupi ko ang bote ng tubig at inis na binalibag sa labas.

No matter what happen, finish the mission.

When you're too confused,

go and find the answer.