Ruthless [Heartthrob Billionaires Series #1]

Chapter Two

ELEVATOR GUY

JADE

Nang dumating ang alas kuwatro ng hapon, sinimulan ko nang ligpitin ang mga gamit ko at iniayos ang mga files na tapos ko nang basahin. Mabuti na lang talaga at kaunti ang trabaho ko ngayon.

But since malapit nang i- publish ang March issue, surely mas busy na kami next week. Kaya naman dapat maayos ko na ang kung anumang problema namin ni Quen. Dahil kung hindi, siguradong papalpak ako. And if that happens, hay ayoko nang isipin pa.

Bitbit ang shoulder bag ko, lumabas na ako ng office ko. Nakita kong ang iba ay nagliligpit na rin ng mga gamit nila at mukhang paalis na. Yung iba naman ay mukhang mago- OT today.

Lumapit ako sa cubicle ni Alice. "I'll be leaving early today, Alice. Mauna na ko ha?" I told her. Ngumiti naman siya at tumango. Nagpaalam siya at ganoon din naman ang ginawa ng iba pa naming mga kasamahan.

I walked towards the elevator and waited for one of the four lifts to arrive. Our office was located in the 41st floor of the building. The lift on my right side opened and after checking that it was going down, I walked towards it saw that only one person was inside. He was a very tall man wearing a black corporate suit. I stepped inside without hesitation. Our eyes met but I quickly averted my gaze.

Quick look and agad kong napansin ang kanyang mga mata. It was a very unique color after all, not entirely rare pero hindi naman karaniwan. His irises were lighter shade of brown. Most Filipino eyes are dark or chocolate brown. His were closer to honey.

Also... he looks familiar. I think I've seen him somewhere before. I can't quite put my finger on it but I was sure I've seen the guy before. Not in person though, I'll surely remember him if I did. He was really tall and had unique eye color after all.

Okay. Stop dwelling on that now, Jade. There are more important things to think about. You still have to think about what you will say to your boyfriend. You also have to prepare because you might meet his parents there. You should get something for them. You can't just barge in and wage war with their son.

I'll just bring his mom's favorite cake.

Sigh...

If I have a choice, I won't go there at all. Yes, we've been together long enough and his parents are okay with me but there's still this part of me that is quite uncomfortable with them. They're freaking rich, a billionaire family at that. While I am just a white collar worker with a family that belongs to the middle class, and it's not even the upper middle class.

I'm basically trash next to that family. If I didn't meet Quen in college thru a common friend, I'll probably never get the chance to get to know him...

But there's Jared too.

Anyways, Jared is a completely different case. Magkababata kami at halos sabay nang lumaki.

"Miss, are you coming out or not?" I was suddenly pulled out of my reverie when I heard that deep, baritone voice.

Hindi ko alam pero tila kinilabutan ako pagkarinig sa tinig na iyon. His voice was... so cold and so... devoid of emotions. And so were his eyes as he stared into mine while casually leaned on the elevator door to stop it from closing.

My breath hitched. I couldn't quite understand why I felt weird all of a sudden. I felt... drawn.

It was so weird.

And the way he looked at me, tila parang nakikita niya ang kaloob-looban ko... parang nababasa ang nasa isipan ko.

How could those warm colored eyes look so cold though?

I released a shaky breathe before pulling away from his gaze. Sinasampal ko na ang sarili ko sa aking isipan.

I bit my lower lip and swallowed the lump on my throat. When I lifted my gaze, I made sure that my defenses were back. I gave him a small smile. "I was just about to. Thank you."

I calmly stepped outside the elevator and just gave another smile before walking away. I wanted to sprint in order to get away fast but I calmed myself. I've already made myself look so dumb, I don't to worsen it. I didn't know my hands were already slightly shaking until I started fumbling inside my bag to get my keys. Damn it... What's wrong with you girl. How could you let a mere stranger affect you? And to think you two barely talked!

I immediately got inside my Honda pero hindi ko agad binuhay ang makina. I steadied my breathing first and isinandal ang aking noo sa steering wheel. When I found my breathing pace again, I turned on the engine and as I was about to drive, an obviously brand new and sparkling convertible BMW I8  passed by in front of me. The roof was down that's why I was able to see the driver of the fancy car.

The elevator guy...

Somehow, he looks familiar to me. Nakita ko na yata siya noon sa kung saan. Or maybe it's just my imagination. Gaya na lang nitong iniisip kong sumulyap siya sa akin kanina bago makalampas sa akin.

I really should fix this mess with Quen. Hindi na maganda ang nangyayari saken. Nababaliw na yata ako.

RIVER

I smiled inwardly. Looks like I'll be attending the family dinner after all. Something exciting will surely happen today and I can't wait for it.

"Cancel the business trip to Japan tonight." I said as soon as I heard my secretary’s voice on the other line. I ended the call immediately. I don't have to explain why the last minute cancellation. I'm the boss and everyone follows my every word. No one should dare to defy my will. In my company, my word is the law. That's just it. 

I am the one and only River Villafuerte. What I want, I always get. What gets in my way, I make sure to dispose of. No matter who or what it is.

I smiled again.

I am smiling a bit too frequently nowadays. It's damn crazy. Hell, I couldn't wait anymore. I can't wait to see everyone's reaction later.

Cold, ruthless... Call me whatever you like. I don't give a damn as long as I get what I want.

JADE

Before going to the Villafuerte Mansion, I decided na umuwi muna at mag- ayos ng sarili. I have to be presentable bago pumunta sa kanila, baka naroon ang mga kapatid at parents niya. Nakakahiya naman kung haharap ako sa kanila ng mukhang haggard.

I wore a rose colored long sleeved mini dress with a classic round collarline and backless design with self-tie detail. It has an A-line silhouette which perfectly showed the curves of my body. It looked decent and slightly sexy at the same time. I paired it with a nude block heels and my favorite Anne Klein handbag. When I finished doing my simple make up, I left my condo and drove to their mansion in Forbes.

Mayaman sina Quen. Sobrang yaman. They are billionaires for christ's sake. Matagal ko nang alam yun, bago pa man kami maging magkaibigan. Sa sobrang yaman ng pamilya niya na iyon pa ang naging dahilan kung bakit ayaw ko siyang sagutin noon.

My family is not rich. Were only from the middle class at full scholar ako kaya nakapag- aral ako sa UP. Ngayon lang talaga napabuti ang buhay namin. Maganda at maayos na ang trabaho namin ng older brother ko kaya nakapagtayo na kami ng business para pagkaabalahan ng parents namin.

Ang condo ko naman, matagal kong pinag- ipunan bago ko nabili and itong kotse ko, nabili ko through the loan our company gave me. Lahat ng meron ako ngayon, bunga nang pagod at sipag yon.

Ayoko talagang manligaw si Quen saken noon. I always thought we we're better off as friends. Oo, may feelings na ako para sa kanyan noon pero mas nananaig ang takot ko sa pamilya niya. Ayokong isipin nila na pera lang ang habol ko sa kanya. I was afraid that his family would see me as a gold digging b***h. I've seen a lot of that scenario from television shows and it made me stereotype the rich. Very wrong, I know. But I couldn't help it.

Quen was very determined to win me though. Umabot pa ng halos two years ang panliligaw niya saken. Nakita ko kung gaano siya ka- sincere kaya in the end, sinagot ko rin siya. And hindi ko pinagsisihan ever na sinagot ko siya cause he is honestly the best boyfriend ever!

I've had quite a few relationships before him but I can say he's the best out of all of them.

He is just so thoughtful and sweet and attentive to me that my heart melts every time he would whisper his I love yous and kisses me. Not only that, he respects me, my decisions and my virtues too. Imagine waiting for five years to make love to the person you love. And never did he try to get the heat off with other woman. He was so loyal to me.

His family accepted me wholeheartedly too. His family proved the stereotype wrong. The Villafuertes, despite how effing rich they are, are really good people. They are not arrogant and judgmental people, and for that, I am really thankful.

After an hour of driving I finally arrived at the subdivision. The security was so tight that they even had to call the house to let them know I was visiting. I wonder who gave them the go signal though. So there's a chance that Quen knows now that I am coming? I wanted it to be a surprise though.

I pulled to a stop in front of the huge black gate of the Villafuerte Mansion. A guard immediately came to my side of the window to inquire about my identity.

"Yes, maam? Ano pong kailangan nila?" the guard asked me.  

"I'm Jade Dela Riva. I am Enrique's girlfriend." Nakangiti kong tugon sa kanya. I saw his forehead knotted in confusion. Parang di siya kumbinsido sa sinabi ko. Is it that unbelievable? Di naman ako panget ah?

"Wait for a while maam. I'll just call someone from inside to check." He says. I didn't have a choice but to say yes. It's not like I have choice. The guard left me to go back to his station and used his radio to call someone. A little while later, he came back with an apologetic smile. "Okay na po maam. Sige po, pasok na kayo."

"Thank You." I said with a smile. He pressed some kind of remote and the tall gates automatically opened. I drove again and pulled to a complete stop in front of the mansion. I parked my car beside the Prado.

I checked myself in the mirror before getting out of the car. My makeup didn't look to much. My lipstick was a lighter shade of mauve so it gave an MLBB look. I combed my hair using my fingers to make sure it didn't look streaky. I also smoothed out my dress to get rid of the folds.

Okay... you're here now. Wala nang atrason to. Kaya mo yan girl. Walang dapat ipag-alala dahil yong jowa mo ang dapat mag-alala.

I heaved a sigh and  finally got out of the car with the box of cake in one hand. I walked toward the door of their mansion and as I was about to push it open, my phone started ringing inside my bag. Surprised by the sudden ringing, I slightly panicked while I tried to get my phone out of my bag.

Hawak ko ang cellphone ko pero namatay naman ang tawag at kasabay niyon ay ang pagbukas ng pinto.

And for the second time today,  I found myself looking into the pair of cold, mysterious honey colored eyes.

But I could see a glint to it... mischief and trouble.

And it was then that it dawned on me.

This guy in front of me now is elevator guy and he is also... River. Quen's brother.

Nakagat ko ang aking labi. So that's why he looked so familiar...

I've seen him a few times from some media articles pero hindi ko naman masyadong pinagtutuonan ng pansin kaya hindi ko masyadong na- fully grasp ang kanyang itsura. Also the pictures didn't do him justice at all. He looked so much better in real life than in pictures.

Napatitig pa ako sa kanya dahil sa p**o- obserba. There's no doubting the uncanny resemblance between him and Quen. Though there are some differences, mahahalata mo kaagad na magkapatid sila. They looked almost similar only this guy possesses slightly rougher features. Quen was softer looking, the angelic and nice guy type. His eyes were warmer to despite the darker shade of iris. Ironic.

"You must be Jade. I received the call from the village security and heard you were coming. You're here to see my brother, right?" I suddenly felt uneasy by just merely watching him speak. I could sense that the smile he was showing wasn't a good one. It's like some kind of foreboding and it made me nervous instantly.

"You're River..." I said. It wasn't a question. I'm sure it's him.

Although I already sense the foreboding feeling, for some reason the guy doesn't scare me. He looks very intimidating and his cold aura would have been terrifying for other people, but for me it wasn't like that. I know though that I should avoid him and get away from him. River clearly spells nothing but trouble, and trouble isn't something I can handle now.

I forced myself to show a smile and offered my hand for a handshake. "It's nice to finally meet you, River. And yes, I am Jade, Quen's girlfriend."

His brow rose slightly as if amused but I chose to ignore it. He accepted my hand and shook it. I jumped a little when I felt a slight tingling on my palm. What the hell...

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jade." He said. Bahagya niyang pinisil ang aking kamay dahilan para kunot noo akong mapabaling sa kanya. Agad rin naman niya iyong pinakawalan. "Come in. They're at the dining."

I cleared my throat and nodded. He stepped to the side to gesture for me to go inside so I did. Naglakad na ako patungo sa direksyon ng dining room. Nakapunta naman na ako rito noon kaya alam ko na kung nasaan yon. 

But when I got to the entrance of the dining, my steps halted. My forehead slowly knotted as I took in the situation in front of my eyes.

What is going on here?