VALERIA SERRANO: Forbidden Temptation [L.O.D.O S#2]

Chapter 24

VALERIA SERRANO'S POV

"Wala ka pa rin planong umuwi? you've been here for months, Val..." bungad sa akin ni Maximilian.

Kakapasok ko pa nga lang sa safehouse ay iyon na agad ang welcome niya sa akin. Hindi man lang nagawang ikalma ang bibig at putak kung putak.

Bumuntong-hininga ako at umupo sa bakanteng silya na nasa kanyang harapan.

"And why would I do that?" tanong ko, kalmado ang boses at blangko ang ekspresyon ng mga mata. "We have a lot of matters to handle, Max.. At isa pa, bakit pa ba natin pinag-uusapan ang bagay na 'yan? You really think I care about him?" dugtong ko.

At nang hindi siya sumagot at kumawala ang sarkastikong halakhak sa aking labi. Napailing at muling itinuon ang buong atensyon sa aking ginagawa.

The glow of the laptop screen reflected faintly in my eyes as I scrolled through the articles, my fingers steady, precise. Every word mattered. Every detail had a purpose.

Maximilian was still talking... complaining, lecturing, circling back to the same pointless argument, but his voice faded into background noise.

I didn’t interrupt him. I didn’t acknowledge him either. I just let him talk, until he stopped on his own.

And I simply didn’t care.

“Val,” he said again, louder this time. “Are you even listening to me?”

“I heard you,” walang-ganang tugon ko, at hindi pa din naalis ang tingin sa laptop. “It doesn’t change anything.”

Before he could respond, the door of the safehouse creaked open. And a heavy... footsteps followed.

At mas lalong nagsalubong ang kilay ko sa bigla nitong paghalakhak... alam mo 'yun? Iyong tipo ng halakhak na gustong makakuha ng atensyon? 'yung tipo ng halakhak na hindi nakakatuwang pakinggan.

Sa labis na kyuryusidad ay hindi ko napigilan ang sariling mag-angat ng tingin sa kanya.

Draxler dropped into the chair across from Maximilian, leaning back as if he owned the place, one arm draped lazily over the backrest. He was still laughing to himself, shaking his head like he had just witnessed the most amusing thing in the world.

Maximilian frowned. “Ano bang nangyayari sa 'yo?"

Draxler wiped at the corner of his eye, still grinning. “You remember that NBI agent, right?” he said casually. “The one you’ve been so.. interested in?" patanong niyang usal, pero ang dating niyon sa akin ay para siyang nang-aasar.

Wala akong naging reaksyon doon. Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya at muli niyang ipinagpatuloy ang pagsasalita.

“The guy’s losing his mind,” Draxler chuckled. “I saw him a few nights ago, beating the h*ll out of three giant bouncers like they were nothing. The whole place went silent. People were too shocked to even scream.”

Habang nagku-kwento siya ay may aksyon pa iyon.. kaya tuloy kahit nakikinig lang ako ay nai-imagine ko ang mukha ni Reiji.

Maximilian straightened in his seat.

“Where?” he asked, and now he's curious.

“In a famous bar... downtown,” he replied. “Crowded. Neon lights. Perfect place for a breakdown.” He laughed again, clearly entertained by the memory.

Ilang sandali pa ay tumigil ito sa pag-kwento... pero nandoon pa din sa labi ang ngiti. Animo'y inaalala ang mga nasaksihan niya.

“I watched it with my own eyes," muling sambit niya, pero hindi niya muna iyon dinugtungan. At dahil nakatingin ako sa kanya ay kitang-kita ko kung papaanong unti-unting lumipat sa akin ang kanyang tingin.

Then, the smile on his face widened, sharp and knowing.

“I can tell,” he said lightly, “that he’s really broken because of what you did," dugtong nito, at binigyang din ang bawat salita.

But my expression didn’t change.

My breathing didn’t falter. And my hands... my hands didn’t pause over the keyboard.

I just smirked and gave him a look a boredom.

Draxler stared at me for a second longer, as if expecting something, like anger, guilt or even denial. And when he didn't see any of it, he scoffed. He couldn't.. believe how heartless I am.

“Damn,” he muttered, standing up. “Cold as ever.”

He turned and walked toward the exit, still laughing to himself. “Guess some people really don’t feel anything at all.”

The door shut behind him.

Maximilian looked at me then, searching my face for cracks. For remorse or anything.

So I just let out a deep breath and finally closed the laptop.

“Are you done?” I asked calmly.

He hesitated. “…You don’t care? Not even a little?”

I met his gaze... steady, unreadable.

“No,” I said. “Why should I?” I responded to him. And just like that, the conversation was over.

He didn't say anything and just watched me walking towards the door and left him inside.

At habang naglalakad ako sa mahabang hallway ay biglang sumulpot sa aking harapan si Sovrano. Sumenyas ito na sundan ko siya kaya agad ko namang ginawa.

Tahimik akong nakasunod sa kanya, hanggang sa nakarating na kami sa balkonahe.

"I heard about what happened..." panimula nito, at kahit hindi nito iditalye kung ano ang tinutukoy niya ay alam ko na iyon.

May ideya na ako kaya hindi na ako nagtanong pa at nakinig na lamang sa iba pa niyang sasabihin.

"Sometimes... it's not bad to feel something, Valeria..." he said, and I can sense him smiling even though he's not looking at me. "Alam ko na para sa iyon ay kahinaan ang makaramdam ng emosyon, pero tao ka pa rin.. Velaria. At alam ko na nakakaramdam ka pa din ng emosyon, at sadyang ayaw mo lang tajagang tanggapin kasi iniisip mo na magiging kahinaan mo iyon," dugtong niya.

Napabuntong-hininga ako. Wala naman akong masabi kasi hindi ko naiintindihan ang pinto nito. At kung para saan pa ang pag-uusap naming ito.

"Do you know why I assigned you to make him fall in love with you?" muling aniya, at doon ako nag-angat ng tingin sa kanya.

At laking gulat ko nang bumungad sa akin ang nakangiting labi nito.

"Good mood ata si Sovrano ngayon?" sa isipan ko habang nakatingin sa kanya.

Bihira lang kasi itong ngumiti, at nangyayari lang iyon sa tuwing good mood siya... kaya sa tingin ko ay iyon ang dahilan kung bakit ngiting-ngiti siya ngayon.

"I gave you that assignment because I wanted you to protect our organization, but..." he paused to take a deep breath. ".. I want you to see it yourself, if you're still human, Valeria.." he added.

Those words carries a heavy meaning. And I know that I understands it.. it's just.. I'm too coward to accept it.

"I could say that you're still the cold, and heartless, Valeria. But after the moments you spent with that man.. I saw something, and that's vulnerability, Valeria. You're more vulnerable, than before." Aniya.

Sunod-sunod ang naging paglunok ko. Marahang umiiling, dahil ayaw kong tanggapin ang mga salitang iyon. Ayaw kong tanggapin ng isipan ko at itatak sa utak ko.

"You must be joking, Sovrano." Sambit ko, at pilit na natawa. "How could you say those things? kung ako mismo ay hindi maintindihan at hindi nararamdaman ang mga sinasabi niyo? at bukod doon ay napakalaking imposible niyon, Sovran--"

"It possible if you let yourself, Valeria.." he cut me off, and I become speechless.

What the h*ll is this all about?

"Have you notice?" aniya sa kalmadong tinig. "Since you met him... you can no longer hear the voice inside your mind? the voice who kept telling you to k*ll, and that cause you to increase the hatred inside you heart.."

Hindi ako nakapagsalita... napayuko lamang ako ay mahigpit na ikinuyom ang magkabilang palad.

"Hindi naman kita pinipilit na maramdaman iyon.. dahil alam ko na kailangan mo ng mahaba-habang panahon para mabuksang muli ang puso mo at matuto kang magmaha--"

"I'm sorry.. Sovrano..." pagputol ko sa kanya, dahil hindi ko na iyon kayang pakinggan. "I know I'm being disrespectful to you, but I can't bear listening to any of these nonsense..."

Wala naman siyang reaksyon ang nakatingin lang sa akin.

"If you want mind... I would like to excuse myself," muling usal ko at dahan-dahang tumalikod sa kanya.

At sa inis ko ay binilisan ko ang aking hakbang hanggang sa makalabas na ako ng safehouse.

"T*ngina... anong klaseng trip 'yun?" hindi makapaniwalang sambit ko, at kinuha ang susi sa bulsa para buksan ang pintuan ng kotse.

Imposible...

Kung may mararamdam man akong emosyon... walang iba kundi galit... Matinding galit sa mundo, at matinding galit sa mga taong nagpapahirap sa iba.

Pero pagmamahal?

Isang malaking joke! biro! katatawanan at kung ano-ano pa na puwedeng itawag doon.

I won't get swayed so easily... I've trained not to feel any kinds of emotions. It was Sovrano who trained me, he was the one who teached me to bury the small piece of softness inside me.

He was the one who thought me everything I know.

Kaya hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit sinasabi niya ngayon sa akin ang mga bagay na iyon.

He must be tripping on me.

TO BE CONTINUED...