Under The Rose: THE MAFIA'S FORBIDDEN DESIRE ( SPG )

_THE MAN BEHIND THE BLACK MASK

AUGUSTUS POV:

That morning, I woke up feeling heavy. My eyes were still closed when I reached for the person next to me—the woman I had been intimate with.

Ilang beses kong kinapa ang tabi ko, ngunit ganoon na lamang ang pagtataka ko dahil tanging unan ang nahawakan ko.

"Mmmm!" I forced my eyes to open as I stretched.

"Hey, young lady, where are you?" I asked while trying to make out the dim light in the room. I even scratched my eyes and trying to look for the young lady.

Nang wala akong marinig na sumagot ay pinilit kong bumangon mula sa pagkakahiga ko.

"Mmm!" Nag- inat-inat muli ako, sabay gala ko ng aking paningin sa buong kwarto.

"Oh, gising kana pala bro!" I saw Philly sitting cross-legged on the couch.

I took a deep breath before looking around the room again.

"Are you looking for something, bro?" Phillip asked me when he noticed I seemed to be searching for something.

"Ahm, the young lady, where is she?" I asked him immediately.

"Young lady, iyong babaeng nakasama mo ba magdamag?"

"Yeah, where is she?"

"Nakaalis na! At bakit mo siya hinahanap?"

"Damn! Bakit mo siya pinayagan na umalis?" Napangiti si Philly sa akin, tumayo ito mula sa pagkakaupo at lumapit sa higaan ko.

"Tapos na ang serbisyo niya. Bakit, may iba pa bang reason para mag- stay siya? Are you not satisfied with her service?" Puno ng pagtataka na tanong nito sa akin.

"Nuh! Why did you let her go? You- you must...

Hindi ko maituloy-tuloy ang sinasabi ko dahil sa hitsura pa lamang ni Philly na pilyong nakangisi sa akin.

"You should have stopped her, you should have woken me up before you let her leave! Ahh!" I said, annoyed, and then rubbed my face with both palms.

"Hahahah! And why should I do that?" Natatawa at mapang-inis nitong tanong sa akin.

Kilala ako ni Philly, kapag mga ganitong scenario' kapag gumagamit ako ng mga babae upang mailabas ang init ng katawan ko, pinapaalis ko kaagad ang mga ito.

I make them sign an agreement that no one will know what happened because, besides from giving them a large of sum, the agreement also states that I will have them hunted down and killed if they violate it.

"Hindi mo naiintindihan bro! Damn! Sana ginising mo muna ako!"

"Hindi talaga kita maintindihan Augustus, ngayon ka lang nagkaganyan sa dami na ng mga babaeng naikama mo. What is it about that young lady' tinamaan naba ang puso ng isang playboy at malupit na Augustus Villarin?" Mapang-inis na wika nito sa akin.

I don't know how I'm going to explain everything to Philly. That woman is different. Innocent, inexperienced, and I was extremely pleased that I was the first for her. Of all the women I've slept with, that woman stands out.

Natahimik ako at hindi muna sumagot kay Philly, habang inaalala ko kung paano ko inangkin ang kainosentihan ng babaeng iyon.

Bigla akong natawa at habang himas ko ang aking baba nang maalala ko kung paano ito lumuhod at nagdasal sa harapan ko.

"Damn! That woman who knows nothing!" Naiiling-iling at natatawang sambit ko.

"Praise the Lord, alleluia!" Philly jokingly said when he saw me laughing non-stop. I am known as a hot-headed, serious person, heartless, cruel, and I rarely smile.

"Gago ka Philly!" Sabay hampas ko sa kanya sa unan na hawak ko at ganoon na lamang ang tawa niya sa akin.

I am Augustus Villarin, a rich son and the sole heir of the Villarin Empire Group. My family is well-known in society.

Throughout the Philippines, we own only 100 branches of cockfighting arenas. Our family is also known when it comes to businesses: the Villarin Land Corporation and the Villarin Construction's and Builder's.

I am the only grandchild and heir. I have one sibling, my estranged twin: the so-called only Rose of the Villarin Empire Group.

Hanggang ngayon hindi namin alam kung nasaan ang kambal ko; hanggang ngayon walang makapagbigay sa amin ng lead kung buhay paba ito patay na.

Sina Lolo at Lola, hindi parin sila tumitigil at umaasa parin silang matatagpuan pa namin ang nawalay kong kapatid.

She is Primrose Zaria, and she went missing when we were just one year old.

Ayon kina Lola at Lolo, magkakasama kami noon nina Mommy, Daddy, dalawang Yaya at si Primrose na papunta sa airport dahil magbabakasyon daw kami noon papuntang Bali Indonesia.

Nasa Zambales ang ancestral house ng aming pamilya, kaya doon kami galing at nasa biyahe na daw kami papuntang Maynila.

Dahil sa kagagawan ng mga kalaban ng pamilya namin' isang hindi inaasahang pangyayari na naganap.

The vehicle we were riding in—was ambushed. Daddy's men fought back, but unfortunately, they left no one alive. Because of that tragic event, Mommy and Daddy, the two nannies, died, and I miraculously survived.

But my twin, Primrose Zaria, disappeared from the vehicle. The car was starting to burn when the police and rescuers arrived, and I was the only one they found alive.

Iyon ang kwento sa akin nina Lola at Lolo. Malakas ang kutob nila na ang mga Valderama ang may kagagawan ng pananambang na iyon sa amin, ngunit laking pagtataka nila dahil ibang grupo ang lumabas mula sa imbestigasyon.

Ang mga Valderama na kilalang mahigpit na kalaban ng aming pamilya' lalong-lalo na pagdating sa negosyo. May mga cockpit arena din sila—tulad ng pamilya namin ay isa din silang Mafia family.

Sila ang La- familia Valderama. Mga taong halang ang bituka, mga taong ganid at walang sinasanto, lalo na ang nag-iisa nilang tapagmana, walang iba kundi si Gabriel Valderama.

* * * *

"Bro, natahimik kana diyan!" Kumurap-kurap ako ng aking mga mata, nang marinig kong magsalita muli si Philly. Napukaw niya ang atensyon ko mula sa aking malalim na pag-iisip.

"Ahm, are you saying something, bro?" Kunot-noong tanong ko. At dito muling bumalik sa isip ko ang babaeng nakaniig ko.

"That young lady Philly, f**k! Don't you know that you bought fresh flower for me last night?" he stared at me with a frown.

"Owww.. She's a virgin, is that what you mean?"

"Ahuh!"

"Oh, well' mukha nga. Ang saya mo eh, kaya pala ganyan ang hitsura mo! Hahahah! Fresh flower ah," nakatawa nitong saad sa akin.

"Did you get her name? The contract, did she signed? What about her records, her medical records?" sunod-sunod na tanong ko.

"Medical records, here!" Naglakad ito at may kinuhang kapiraso ng papel mula sa isang drawer.

"Ang sabi niya kagabi, Anastasia daw ang pangalan niya. She looks decent bro, mukhang nangailangan lang talaga ang babaeng iyon kaya kumapit sa patalim." Saad pa ni Philly sa akin.

Kinuha ko ang papel at kaagad na binasa iyon, medical records iyon' at isa iyon sa mga rules ko pagdating sa mga babaeng nakakaniiig ko—ang malaman kong wala silang nakakahawang sakit.

"Aurora Villegas Santos?" Kunot-noong naisatinig ko.

"I think you're kidding me, bro. You said Anastasia? That's far from Aurora, but they sound alike." Wika ko pa ng may kasamang pagtawa.

"Ewan ko, tinanong ko kung ano'ng pangalan niya, ang sabi niya sa akin Anastasia daw eh." Sabay kibit-balikat pa nito sa akin.

"Hmm.. Siguro nga, gumamit lang siya ng ibang pangalan. I want this Aurora to be search! Find for that young lady Philly!" Kaagad na utos ko sa kaibigan ko.

Nasa lungsod kami ng Tuguegarao dahil dito isingawa ang final fight ng five stag derby kagabi sa mismong cockpit arena na pag-aari ng pamilya namin.

"Madali lang hanapin ang babaeng iyan bro. Sige, ipapaasikaso ko ito kay Ethan, sa lalong madaling panahon mahahanap natin si Aurora, alyas Anastasia." Napangiti na lamang ako.

There's something about that woman that urges me to find her. Maybe, because of what happened between us—that I was her first. There's something special about her and I want to possess her again. For Augustus, nothing is impossible; for Augustus, he can make something difficult possible.

"No one has ever turned me down, and I will make sure you will be mine again, whether you are Aurora or Anastasia." Napangiti ako kasabay ng paghawak ko sa aking leeg upang kapain ang kwintas na suot ko.

My eyes widened when I couldn't find the necklace; the necklace was gone from my neck—the gold necklace with the half-heart pendant that was my only memento from my parents, because Primrose and I had matching ones, and she was wearing the other half when she disappeared.

"f**k! My necklace, bro, it's missing! That woman must be a thief! Find that woman and bring her to me; she needs to return my necklace, do you understand, Philly?" I said hysterically.

That necklace worth millions of dollars is now gone. Half of it is already gone; will even the only thing connecting me to my twin sister disappear completely?