Chapter 2.2
1943 Words
Chapter 2.2
HINDI mapakali si Clarissa sa kanyang kinauupuan. She is currently at the convention and for all her rotten luck - narito din ang lalaking kinaiinisan niya!
And damn him cause he has been staring at her all throughout the meeting, not even missing a moment.
Naiinis na siya at naiirita. Gusto niyang pagbawalan ang lalaki sa pagtingin niya rito, but what could she do? They are in an auditorium like room and he is seated on the opposite section of the room. May mga mga pagkakataong pang nginingitian pa siya nito na parang nakakaloko.
She glanced at her wristwatch to somehow distract herself from anguish moment. How she wished this meeting to end for her to go and refresh. She can't withstand the presence of this douche. Negative vibes sure had given her too much of the day.
Matapos lang ng ilang minuto, nag conclude na ang meeting. Laking pasalamat ni Clarissa ng sa wakas ay makakaalis na siya sa lugar.
Her dad is busy talking to a lot of his partners and she badly wants to call his attention and to fake an emergency so she could escape this horrid dungeon.
Bahala na sambit niya sa sarili. She will just call her dad's attention and off she go.
She walked on where her dad was but when she was about to call him, her dad saw her first.
"Oh there you are, iha" her dad greeted her.
"Clarissa, I want you to meet our business partners. They will be gracing the grand opening of Sierra Costa de Manila, out mutually built hotel." her dad sounding so proud about the partnership.
Nang siya ay haharap na sa mga kausap ng daddy niya ay saka na lang siya nakaramdam ng parang lamig at pangamba. Her eyes widened as she saw this" business partner".
How she wished that earth reclaim her body now. She couldn't escape, it was made worst! Of all people! How could he be the partner?
"Clarissa, I'd like you to meet Bernard Valderama, CEO and Chairman of Valderama Hotels and Resort" at nag pa tuloy pa ang pag papakilala ng ama niya sa lalaki. If she could only fly and leave the premises.
Their eyes met. It was a nerve wracking moment and she may lose it anytime.
"Oh, it was you again. Akalain mo nga naman." the man replied. He is wearing that sly grin and that rich manly voice...
"Wait. So you two know each other?" natatawang tugon ni Don Ismael sa dalawa.
Hindi na nakasagot si Clarissa dahil agad na sumagot si Bernard.
"Yes, Senior. I have met with her before. I can't believe na siya pala ang anak niyo." medyo may sarkastikong tugon nito.
"Oh well, that's good to hear, iho. It looks like that you two were meant to be afterall." may ngiti sa mga labi si Don Isamael
Gustong magsalita ni Clarissa, bgunit walang siyang mabuong salita.
"Meant to be? Anong meant to be?" ani Clarissa sa sarili.
Everything is coming back to her now. The airport incident, the airplane incident, at lalo na yung kanina sa may elevator. This is the first time she felt somewhat helpless. The migthy heiress of the Corteza's is becoming weak like a helpless baby.
Bakit tila nanghihina ang malakas niyang aura tuwing nahaharap siya sa lalaking ito?
"Clarisa, anak? Wala ka bang sasabihin? Aren't you going to greet your friend, and future fiance?" at sa pagkakataong ay mas lalo siyang nanlamig.
What? Engagement? With him?
She wants to protest, she wants to decline. Her dad really knows how to play his games.
"Fiance? Did I heard it right, Dad?" those where the only words that she uttered. She does not want to broke apart in front of them.
"Yes anak. We have been business partners with Bernard and he is a young bachelor, who isn't tied with anyone else." sambit ng daddy niya.
"And besides, you are single ann at the right age already to settle down. So it's the best time to do it, right?" dagdag pa nito.
Napatingin siya kay Bernard at makikita rin sa mukha nito ang pagkabigla. Pero sumaglit lang yun at napalitan kaagad ng ngiti. Ngiti na parang may binabalak ito sa dalaga.
"What was this man thinking? Can't he protest at all" sambit ni Clarissa sa sarili.
Wari ay nasisiyahan pa ang binata sa kagustuhan ng ama niya.
"It would be my greatest honor, Monsieur. I would love to work with her, and possibly be friends with her." anang binata. His eyes were directly staring at her while he is talking with her dad. It's like sending her warning signals to her. Signs of a possible dangerous encounter.
"It would be great if we will know each other first and will try to work it, and maybe sooner we may cross the same bridge... together." dagdag pa nito at muli niyang tinignan si Clarissa na may ngiti sa mga labi niya.
She is doomed. She wants to protest. And she will, but not right now. She will talk to her dad later.
***
"Pare, if you could see her expression kanina! Hahaha!" natatawa pa ding lintanya ni Bernard. Narito na sita ngayon sa opisina niya at kasama si Yael.
He is friends with Arthur and also to him. Kahit na nagkaroon sila ng alitan ni Arthur ay naging fair na kaibigan si Yael sa kanila.
"Ang saya mo ah, Bernard?! You have been laughing at that matter ever since I arrived." ani Yael at itinungga niya ang isang bote ng beer. Tama nga naman si Yael, he has been laughing at the incident, repeatedly within the last 3 hours now.
"I just can't remove my memory of her face being so dumbfounded. An angelic, full of grit woman suddenly became a wet chick!" at muli siyang tumawa.
"Bilib na talaga ako sa spore effect mo sa mga babae, pare! Kahit gaano ka wild ang mga ito, napapa amo mo!" Yael muttered.
"Pero sana lang, hindi dumating ang panahon na ikaw naman ang tamaan. Na baka kalaunan, ikaw ang madapa sa sarili mong laro" Yael mentioned knowingly.
Hinarap siya ni Bernard at tinapik niya ito. "Nah, women are just tools for satisfaction, Bro. And I will show you that Clarissa woman, she will be mine. She will be just part of my collections!" mapanuksong turan ni Bernard.
"Alam mo naman siguro ang naging storya ni Arthur, as you have been so much involved. He also planted this plan on Aina, but in the end he was trapped himself." may puntong tugon ni Yael sa kaibigan.
Bernard took his beer and gobbled in it. After that he wore that now signature serious looks.
"I was inlove once, Yael... Alam mo yan. But that love was too much that I forgot how to love myself back. And now, this is me. And I will savour every moment this change has given me." saad niya.
Desdidong desidido si Bernard na maangkin niya ang dalaga - na lahat ng babae ay pare pareho lang. He really has changed from a loving easy to tame man into a wild full of breath untamed stallion.
He knew that marrying isn't really his calling yet. He realized that he can be more than just an ordinary man. Lahat ng ito ay dahil sa mga nakaraang taong hinanap niya ang kanyang sarili. He didn't built himself like this to seek avenge, no! He built himself like this to explore what is it like to be a free ranged man of his own.
Maraming taon na naghanap siya ng hustisya sa pagkamatay ng kakambal niya. All those years of perseverance and hardwork paid of when he ammased huge hotel businesses.
Noong una, nais niya lamang gamitin ang pera to avenge the death of her sister, but that soon changed. He learned that life should not stop from her sister's demise.
Matapos non ay muli niyang binuo ang sarili niya to whole new different him. He just wants to reclaim the life he missed when he was still at his 20's.
"Pare, may ipapakiusap sayo." matiman niyang nilapitan si Yael.
Tumango naman si Yael. "Ano yun?"
"Don't let anyone know about this, especially my mom." even if he is acting douche he does not want his mom to know that he is not being serious with women.
"Well I can promise that, but you have to make sure you will not mess up. Dahil kapag nagkaroon ng gusot, lusot ako diyan pare." Yael assured him.
Now that everything is set up. He would make sure that Clarissa Corteza will be in his bed soon. And he will not waiver into any complaints of the woman.
Tinawagan ni Bernard ang kanyang secretary upang maayos na kahat ng plano niya.
"Get us a private flight to Alteresia. I need it tomorrow" utos ni Bernard sa secretary niya.
"Ok po, Sir Bernard."
***
"Dad, ano na naman ba itong pinasok mong deal?" pang kwe-kwestyon ni Clarissa sa ama.
Her dad is having his night tea at his office. Sinandya niyang hindi marinig ng kanyang ina ang kanilang usapan, she does not want her to be stressed out.
"Clarissa, hindi mo pa rin ba ako pag bibigyan hanggang ngayon? Tumatanda na ako, anak. Hindi ko na dapat ginagawa to para sayo, but you always fail me and here I am, always corewcting you!"
Natawa siya. All her life, lahat naman sinunod niya. Not just this. This is completely manipulating her life.
"Correcting me? Mistakes? So lahat ng achievements ko, all of that are mistakes for you?" halos mapaluha na siya sa narinig sa ama.
"I have followed you, ever since I was young. And all those years, you made me feel that I was incapacitated - that I am always a failure that even a slightest shadow of you I can't follow." sumbat niya sa ama. She was too consumed for the day.
Sana lang ay hindi na siya umuwi ng pinas. She knew that she will never be enough for her father's favor. She is everything negative to his father's eyes.
"See how did you end up? Nothing. You did not helped our empire grow! So as your dad I am doing this para sayo!" his dad exclaimed.
"Para sa akin ba talaga? O para sayo? Look, I am not happy ever since I had this s**t of a title - to be your only heiress. I can't live the life I want." patuloy si Clarissa sa pag-iyak. If she only had a sibling older than her, this should not be the case.
"Enough of your excuses, Clarissa. This will be the last, anak. Please make this work out, just for the sake of your mom." paki usap ng ama niya. Heto na naman siya at ginagamit muli ang ina niya as his reasons.
"Please make this work. Our company is the only thing that we have now, and we cannot afford of losing clients due to a loose foothold" dahilan ng ama.
Hindi na siya nakapagsalita pa. She can't abondoned the company that had supported her chosen charities for the longest time. She can't help but think of the welfare of their employees too.
But how? How would she deal with Bernard knowing that she is not comfortable in his presence?
She had not slept even if its 2am already. She keep on thinking what to do.
And idea popped... This is the least thing she can do.
I'll make him hate me more. In that case, there will be enough reasons for him to leave me. Until then, I will make sure that our company's foothold will remain strong.
*to be continued
- Writer
