Broken Bones and Scar Souvenirs

Chapter 2 (Part 2)

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Sabrina hadn’t fully wrapped her head around the fact that a total stranger fetched her from her home with a chopper. True to his words, Toni escorted her safely to the mansion.

Lumaking mayaman si Sabrina pero kahit siya ay nalula sa rangya ng mga Vescozar. Sure, a luxury mansion worth millions was common for her but to have a family home almost as big as a gymnasium in the middle of sprawling fields of grass was something out of her world.

Hinatid siya ni Toni sa secondary entrance ng mansion na siyang malapit sa hangar. The marble floors, carpeted staircase, and the intricate carvings along the huge archways that lead to different hallways in the house just screamed extravagant right at her face. Five equally gorgeous women greeted her upon her arrival.

Ang totoo ay inasahan ng dalaga na baka ang fiancé niya na mismo ang sumalubong sa kanya pero muli siyang nabigo. Sinubukan niya naman iyong itago nang nilapitan siya ng nakakatandang babae.

She knew all of them, at least by file. Each of them was included in the research document that her secretary pulled up for her a few days prior. The older woman was no other than Marco Vescozar’s first wife, Clarissa Salvador. She was a little over sixty but she didn’t look anywhere near her fifties.

Kahit na may edad na ay litaw na litaw pa rin ang ganda ni Clarissa. May iilang kulubot na rin ito malapit sa mata at sa noo ngunit halata namang alaga naman nito ang balat. Kung tutuusin ay mapagkakamalang kapatid lang ni Clarissa ang apat nababaeng kasama nito. Kung hindi nagkakamali si Sabrina ay ang apat na iyon ay ang mga asawa ng mga anak ni Don Marco.

“You must be, Sabrina. I’m Clarissa Salvador, Marco’s business partner,” pagpapakilala ni Clarissa sa sarili. Akmang makikipagkamay pa sana si Sabrina ng walang kagatol-gatol siyang niyakap ni Clarissa.

“Thank you for escorting her here, Toni,” baling naman nito sa kasama niyang binata. Agad namang nagpaalam si Toni at umalis ngunit bago iyon ay binigyan niya ng huling ngiti ang dalaga.

Hindi na lingid sa kaalaman ni Sabrina na kahit matagal nang hiwalay si Clarissa kay Marco ay nanatili pa rin silang magkaalyado lalo na sa negosyo. After the annulment Clarissa climbed her way to the corporate ladder and became part of the board in her own right. She was even very invested in the Northern Dragons organization that she controls her own chapter.

The organization was a whole ecosystem on its own. It was a group of powerful people behind the shipping and trade industry and it was all lead by the Vescozars. After Marco’s inquisition of the spot as all-father, he urged the Northern Dragons to expand their power and their properties and it ranged from restaurants, resorts, farms, casinos, retail malls, and even consumer electronics. Marco Vescozar made sure that the inner circle was held tightly by his closest allies. When you have that much wealth and influence, well, smuggling billions worth of firearms, drugs, luxury cars, and rare gemstones was just like second nature.

Behind the prestige and wealth, the Northern Dragons also had their very own private army of some sort. All of their men pledge their lives and loyalty for the organization and most if not all are highly trained in combat. Having Clarissa be the leader of the North Luzon chapter spoke so much of her own individual power that soared way past her eternal beauty.

Kasama na rin sa mga files na binigay ni Patrice ay ang tungkol sa mga anak ni Marco Vescozar. All of them stood tall over six feet and had physical features that would easily have them on the covers of magazines.

In that file was practically every detail in their family that was released to the public. Kasal na lahat ng magkakapatid maliban na lang kay Yalmar.

Callum Yohann was married for almost two decades and had three kids Winonna who was his mother’s assistant. Damien Yulric married his wife Amanda almost eight years ago. It was said that the couple had a child but he died as a baby. Ang pangatlo naman sa magkakapatid na si Yves Timothy ay dalawang taon pa lang na kasal sa may bahay nitong si Mitch. Ang pang apat na anak namang ni Marco na si Kenneth Yael ay maagang kinasal kay Diane. The two of them married when Yael was only 23 and Diane was fresh out of college at the age of 22. The couple had a son shortly after the wedding.

Yalmar Philipp was only a year younger than Yael. Her fiancé was only 26 years old but his file was intriguing, to say the least. He was born with osteogenesis imperfecta. His legs were deformed and twisted at birth and he had very brittle bones and irregular muscle development.

Yalmar became one of the subjects for a very ambitious medical breakthrough of his time. Only 1 out of 10 kids with the condition could be qualified to undergo the operation that enabled him to walk and even then, the procedure itself had multiple risks. He was able to walk around with the help of leg braces to support his weight and to prevent his bones from breaking due to too minimal impacts.

The days in the hospital and in therapy made it impossible for the young Vescozar to be in a regular school so he was home-schooled most of his early life. Kahit noon pa man ay nadiskubre na ng pamilya nito ang kakaibang talino ng bunsong Vescozar. His IQ was 137 and was a genius no doubt. At the age of 14, he was qualified for college admission and audited several college units until he was 15. He had his degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of California at 19 and later finished his MBA at Harvard at only 22.

But his resume was not the thing that sets him apart from his brothers. It was no secret that Yalmar was best known for his rage. He was the youngest Earl with the organization and had his very own chapter in his early twenties. Hindi na rin sekreto na halos walang kinatatakutan ang binata at kaya nitong gawin ang kahit ano mang naisin nito.

Kung may kasalanan ka sa kanya, itutumba ka. He was the type of person who acts first then talks later. If you crossed his family, consider yourself erased. Wala na itong pake kung ano man ang dahilan. May pakiramdam naman si Sabrina na ang kalupitan ni Yalmar ang isa sa dahilan kung bakit pumayag si Don Marco na ipagkasundo ang anak nito.

Nang bumitaw sa yakap si Clarissa ay agad namang lumapit ang apat pang babae at isa-isang nagpakilala. Bawat isa ay may kakaibang ganda na tila mukhang artista. Clearly the men in this house had taste.

Medyo nanibago naman ang dalaga sa mainit na pagtanggap sa kanya. Their smiles and almost instant kinship were all foreign to her. If there was one who was less receptive to her presence it would be Amanda or Mandy as she introduced herself.

“It’s very nice to meet all of you,” Sabrina said politely. “I certainly did not expect the welcome but I do appreciate it. I’m here to meet Yalmar.”

Napangiti naman si Clarissa dahil sa pagkadiretsa ng dalaga. She liked her grit that was for sure. “The men are still… preoccupied about business matters. Kaya kami muna ang sumalubong sa ‘yo. Habang hinihintay natin sila, why don’t we show you around.”

Tinanggap naman ni Sab ang alok ng nakakatandang babae. She was sure that they were just there to kill time. Hindi niya naman iyon sinabi pero duda niya ay may kinalaman na naman ang delay na iyon sa init ng ulo ni Yalmar at sa kagustuhan ng mga kapatid nitong magkaroon man lang sila ng magandang first impression.

Malaki ang mansyon na iyon, masyadong malaking kung tutuusin. It had 16 bedrooms, well, 20 including all the rooms that the staff occupied. Nakatira mismo sa mansyon na iyon sina Yulric at Mandy dahil kadalasan ay pamamalakad naman ng hacienda ang pinagkakaabalahan ng lalaki. Yohann and Winonna had their own home in Makati because it was closer to where the two of them worked. Still, four of the bedrooms were reserved for Yohann and his family whenever they stay on holidays and special occasions. Si Yael naman at ang mag-ina nito ay may sariling villa sa loob pa rin ng hacienda habang si Yves at Mitch naman ay nakatira rin sa mansyon ngunit may roon silang penthouse malapit rin sa bahay nina Yohann.

Halos sumakit na rin ang binti ng dalaga dahil halos dalhin na siya ni Clarissa sa lahat ng sulok ng mansyon. The whole house had two kitchens, two dining rooms, a ballroom, a solar, a library that was annexed to the music room. The basement had a home theater, a small bowling alley and pool tables, a home gym, a wine cellar, on the courtyard were an enormous infinity pool and a hot tub.

“There is also a horse stable and a workshop. Mayroon ring isang man-made lake bago mo marating ang orchard. The men mostly go there for some fishing activities and have a barbeque. At the end of the property is also a shooting range. Paborito rin iyon ng magkakapatid,” kwento ni Clarissa.

They circled back to the formal living room. Yohann and Yves were already there waiting for them. Agad naman nilapitan ni Yohann ang asawa at marahang hinapit.

Yves smiled at his wife and kissed her cheeks endearingly. Marahan naman itong pinalo ni Mitch sa dibdib na nahihiya sa paglalambing nito.

Malamlam na ngiti lamang ang binigay ni Sabrina. Naramdaman niya ang lungkot nang makita ang pagmamahal sa mata ng dalawang lalaki. They worshiped their wives and only a fool would try to deny it. It was a pang of pain knowing that her marriage to Yalmar would be nothing like that. Himala na nga yata kung magkakasundo pa silang dalawa.

“Hi, Callum Yohann Vescozar.” He offered his hand out to Sab. “I assume you’ve met my wife, my mother, and my sisters-in-law.” Yohann was a huge man with wide brooding shoulders. Siguro ay nasa 6’5” ito sa tantya ni Sab. His hair was shaved very close to his scalp and he is sporting a fully bearded look that was quite intimidating. But not as intimidating as his full sleeve tattoo on his right arm that peaked through the rolled-up sleeves of his dress shirt. Mestizohin ang kutis nito na namana sa ina at ang abuhing mga mata naman ay katulad na katulad s mga mata ni Don Marco.

“Yes, I did. They are very kind. I’m Sabrina Isline Buenavista.” She shook his hand.

“Pleased to meet you. Tutal magiging parte ka na rin naman ng pamilya, can I just call you Sabrina?”

“Of course.”

“Well, Sabrina, this is my brother Yves. He handles all the legal concerns in VGC.” Baling naman nito sa kapatid. “I’m the Director of International Affairs and Trade. But I guess you know all that already.”

Yves was a little bit shorter than Yohann but he was still far taller than Sab. Yves looked neat and professional. He wasn’t overly tall and buff like his older brother but he was built with a surfer’s body. He had a fair complexion and Sabrina couldn’t see any exposed tattoos like the ones Yohann had. Yves’ hair was wavy and a bit long that fell just below his caramel eyes.

“I really do appreciate the welcome wagon and the meet and greet. I really do,” sabi ni Sabrina at ginala naman ang mga mata sa paligid. “Pero simula kanina ay hindi ko pa nakikita kahit anino man lang magiging asawa ko o kahit man lang ng ama niyo na siyang responsible sa lahat ng ‘to.”

Tumikhim naman si Yohann sa narinig. Naging hudyat na rin ito para kina Clarissa na iwan na lang muna ang tatlo.

“Dad will not be joining us today. May kumpormiso lang siyang inayos. He would’ve love to meet you but sometimes there are still things at work that he could not ignore.” Tumango-tango naman ang dalaga na kunwari ay kumbinsido sa dahilan ni Yohann. “But do not fret. We are here to escort you to our brother.”

Doon na tumaas ang kilay ng dalaga. Sinadya na nga niya ito sa hacienda at ngayon ay siya pa ang pupunta kung saang sulok man ng mansyon nagtatago ang binata. She mentally rolled her eyes upon realizing how entitled her fiancé was.

“I’m sure you did your homework on us. But I will still brief you. My brothers and I all work for the Northern Dragons and the Northern Dragons work for us. My father established businesses in connection with the organization and our family also holds stocks on other companies outside of VGC. Yalmar particularly, was taken with his investments on cyber prosthetics and consumer electronics.” He led her up the staircase and Yves followed right behind them.

“My brother Yulric manages all the agricultural assets of our family this includes some vineyards outside of the country. Dad has developed a taste for wine so he figured he could make his own. Yael is the president of the Vescozar Foundation, he uses his talent for philanthropy and public relations.”

They turned to a silent hallway and at the end of it, Sab could see a room closed off with huge mahogany double doors. She figured it was the devil’s lair or maybe just a random room where Yalmar chose to hide in.

“Yalmar is the executive in the VGC as the current Vice President for Internal Operations and Director of Finance. I heard you also specialize in that field,” patuloy na kwento nito.

“It’s hardly destiny.” She scoffed. Dire-diretso naman ang dalaga sa pinto at akmang bubuksan niya na ito nang hinawakan siya ni Yves sa balikat. Her eyebrows clashed when Yves shook his head in protest.

“Mas mabuti na sigurong kami na muna ang maunang pumasok. Our brother has been a little bit, uhm… prickly today.”

“Prickly, huh. Well, that's one way to put it.”

Agad namang binuksan ni Yohann ang pinto at mabilis na sinara ito kina Yves at Sabrina. Hindi na nga nagawa pa ng dalagang dumungaw. Nakaramdam naman siya ng inis dahil doon.

Who does he think he is? Is he a god that he feels entitled to have things a certain way?

“Uh, Sabrina sandali!”

Hindi na nakatiis pa si Sabrina at agad nabinuksan ang pinto. Susubukan pa sana siyang pigilan ni Yves ngunit nang huli na ang lahat ay hinabol naman siya ng lalaki at mabilis naglakad sa unahan ng dalaga.

She found herself in the middle of a posh home office with dark wood tones and heavy blue drapes. Yalmar was sitting at the edge of a huge desk with his back facing Sabrina arguing in hushed tones with his brother Yael. Yael smirked as he listened to his brother deliberately go on and on about something and did not even notice the intrusion.

Agad namang napukaw ang pansin ng bunsong Vescozar nang tumikhim ang isa sa mga kuya nito. He quickly ran his fingers through his hair that was falling loose down the back of his head. Sabrina saw how his shoulders rise and fell back down as he composed himself.

“Yalmar, meet Sabrina Beunavista, your fiancé,” mabilis na pagpapakilala ni Yohann sa dalaga.

Sab stepped forward, closer to the desk and Yalmar turned around to meet her gaze. She struggled to catch her breath when she caught a glimpse of his silver orbs for the first time. Tiningan naman siya ng binata mula ulo hanggang paa bago napangisi at umiling. Hindi iyon nagustuhan ng dalaga pero hinayaan niya na lamang ito.

He stood up to fill his empty glass with more scotch. It gave Sabrina some time to observe him. He was tall just like his brothers but unlike them, he was dressed more casually with just a dark gray body-fitting sweatshirt that hugged his toned chest. Her eyes went further down to see him wearing a pair of dark denim jeans but that wasn’t the thing that caught her attention. It was the oddly built pair of metal contraptions that braced his legs.

Yalmar’s brothers stayed silent with their eyes drifting back and forth from him and Sabrina. Yalmar held his glass and walked around her as if he was sizing her up too. Nanatililing tahimik ang dalaga at taas noo pa rin kahit na ang totoo ay gusto na niyang dukutin ang mga mapanuyang mata ng binata. It felt like he was the butcher and she was the meat on display. She didn’t like it one bit.

Mas lumapit pa sa kanya ang binata na siya namang dahilan ng pag-atras ni Sabrina. Mainit ang mga tingin nito na tila ba pati buong pagkatao niya ang sinusuri ng binata. Her breath hitched when Yalmar stopped and leaned in closer to her with their faces just a few inches apart. He smirked as he saw the flustered look on her face.

She can see all his features clearly now that they were up close. His face was manly and angular with thick luscious lips and high cheekbones. There was a faint scar on his left cheek but other than that, Sabrina struggled to find any flaw. As his face drew closer, she straightened her back and held her head up to look at him straight in the eyes.

Yalmar smirked at her boldness. Even his fiercest men cowered before him but not her. He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and her big doe eyes followed his touch.

“Maganda naman pala. P’wede na.” Malalim ang boses nito. He had a baritone register in her ears and there was a smoky rasp to his voice. As his hand went further, he tucked her stray hair behind her ears.

Maganda. It was an understatement. Every fool with eyes could see that Sabrina was breathtaking. In the dim light of the room, her raven hair was shiny and lush. Makinis rin ang morena nitong balat. Even Yalmar would agree that it felt like silk to his touch. Her lips were red and full, almost too sinful. And her eyes, oh her dark eyes. That was what Yalmar liked the most. It wasn’t just a spark that he saw in there, it was fire.

His hand traveled past her shoulder and his lips were close to her ear. Ramdam ng dalaga ang init ng katawan, ang malisya sa mga tingin, at ang mga mapaglarong ngiti nito.

She clenched her fists as he invaded her space. She wanted to snap back at him but she tried so hard to hold her tongue.

“We are going to have so much fun together, my fiancé.” Iyon lang at hinapit na ni Yalmar ang beywang ng dalaga. And she lost it right there.

Agad niyang inabot ang cutter sa desk at mabilis pa sa kisap matang tinutok iyon sa lalamunan ng binata. Nanatili namang hindi natinag si Yalmar at hindi pa rin bumibitaw sa dalaga. Ang mga kapatid naman nito ay tila tumugil ang mundo at nakatulala lang sa dalawa.

His smirk turned into a hearty chuckle. He was so amused with his fiancé’s sudden display spunk that it almost woke even the most broken parts of him.

Sabrina held the blade a bit closer to his skin and said, “Hawakan mo ako ulit ng walang pahintulot at ako mismo ang hihiwa sa bayag mo at papakain ‘yon sayo.” Malalim naman na napalunok ang binata sa sinabi niya. “Nagkakaintindihan ba tayo?”

Huminga naman ng malalalim si Yalmar at ngiting asong tinaas ang mga kamay.

Hindi pa nakuntento si Sab at mas diniin pa ang cutter sa balat nito. A little more pressure and she would draw blood.

“Nagkakaintindihan ba tayo?” She wanted to hear him say it only then, will her victory be completed.

Tumango naman si Yalmar at sumang-ayon. He had a scowl on his face but he did say it. “I understand, Miss Buenavista.”

Kinagulat naman iyon ng mga kapatid nito. Nanatili silang tahimik at pabalik-balik lang ang tingin sa dalawa. They watched as their stubborn brother agreed and backed off from his five-foot-four fiance.

Kahit si Sabrina ay hindi inasahan iyon. He was cocky but not dumb enough to push her buttons and he sure was confident enough not to lash out at her. She continued to stare at him under her lashes as she lowered the blade.

Muling may sumilay na ngiti sa mukha ng binata. He was taken by her a little too much actually. But that was something he would never say out loud. At least he wasn’t marrying a weak pushover or a little coward.

“It’s nice meeting all of you but it’s getting late. I need someone to take me home.” She rushed past Yalmar to face his brothers.

“And if you don’t mind, I’ll hold on to this.” Tinaas ng dalaga ang hawak na cutter. Agad naman iyong kinatawa ni Yael pero agad naman itong tumigil ng siniko ito ni Yulric.

“I’ll have the men ready the chopper for you,” tikhim ni Yohann at mabilis na lumabas.

“My earlier statement still stands. We are going to have so much fun!” Yalmar held up his glass to her.

She turned to him over her shoulder with a smirk. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I will see you in a few days, Yalmar.”

With that, she walked out of the home office with long confident strides. Nilagok naman ng binata ang natitira nitong inumin. There was something about the way that his name rolled off her tongue that made his breathing uneven.