Notorious

Chapter 1

The dance floor was filled with crazy people, dancing sensually, their bodies pressed together. Some people had cocktails; others were drinking wine. I stood on the side, holding a glass of whiskey. This is the spot where I like to hang out when I'm in the city; I feel like I'm surrounded by people who share my interests. I sip my wine, enjoying the sensation of it going down my throat and warming my chest. I felt a little tipsy as the alcohol went to my head, making my face flush. A moment later, I saw a girl—a tall brunette, standing alone and looking as if she were uncertain about whether to approach the other dancers. She had a beautiful figure and wore an elegant green dress that ended at mid-thigh, exposing her toned legs. Her hair was in tight curls, and her skin looked tan under the dim light of the club. I put down my glass and walked over to her, ready to mingle with new people.

“Why don’t you dance?”

I looked at the girl. She’s gorgeous and sexy. I almost imagine myself f*****g her already.

She looked at me and smiled.

“I’m new here. Would you like to dance?” she asked, flirting obviously. I know she wants me; I can feel it.

“I don’t dance. But maybe we can do something more fun than dancing. Somewhere out here,”

She chuckles. She knew what I mean.

I bit my lips and looked at her very seductively. “You think you can handle me?” I asked.

Without hesitation, the girl inched closer to me, touched my lips with her finger, and kissed me. It was seductive and enticing me already. I caressed her face and guided our kiss together. "Let's get out here. I know a place." I said between our kisses.

I pulled her into the parking lot, and without hesitation, she followed me.

A moment later, we are already in my car. I drove my car as fast as I can. We kissed again as soon as we parked the car. Her hands are wandering around my body and touch my chest down to my hard c**k. I know she wants to suck it already, but I stopped her. I want to seduce her more, so she’ll be good when we're inside my condo. I lifted my mouth from hers and grabbed her hand, pulling her from the car. “Let’s go,” I told her. I could tell she was ready to follow me anywhere at that point. As soon as we burst through the glass doors of the building, we sprinted up the steps. “This way,” I called over my shoulder, leading her to the elevators. We raced inside and I pressed the button for our floor. The elevator dinged as we reached our floor and I pulled her arm again, guiding her out with me into my room.

I kissed her torridly. She responded to my kiss. I hurriedly remove her dress, revealing her sexy and fair complexion body. She cupped my face so I can look at her and kiss me again from lips until she kissed me on my neck. I gasped. f**k! She’s good!

She unbuttoned my polo, revealing my muscular chest, which she clearly admired. I take off my jeans and am now wearing only boxer shorts. But she could see the length of my erect p***s, which was waiting to devour her. She made a soft moan when I pressed it against her. Damn! I kissed her while my hands traveled around her body, squeezing her breast and caressing with her pinky n*****s, leaning her body against the wall. My fingers slid down her panty and inside her p***y. She's already wet. Now that I've taken off my boxer, we're both naked. I rubbed my c**k across her wet p***y, making her moan even louder.

“You want it? Huh?” I whispered.

“Yes, a-ah! Ipasok mo baby” she pleaded.

I c****d my head and smirked. She used to be this sweet, innocent girl in the club, and now she begs me to f**k her.

I turned to face her and took both of her legs in my arms. I shoved her against the wall with my body. My erect c**k is now aimed at her welcoming p***y.

“Say, please daddy!” I said.

“Yes. Please, daddy! f**k me!”

I smiled and pushed my hard c**k into her, causing her to scream more. To me, this was what it was like when I go to the club—a place where we all can let loose and put our differences aside to just have fun. No string attached, just fun.

By late morning on Sunday, the effects of the alcohol had worn off, though my head was still drowsy. I shoved the blanket aside and stood up so I could take a bath. I looked around: This was my condo, where I lived alone. I had bought it three years earlier, and I often use it as an excuse to avoid spending time with my grandparents—I had moved here to study, but of course, it was just an excuse for me to do anything I wanted. I liked having the freedom to mingle with anyone and investigate anything without my grandparents' interference.

By the way, my parents' companies were handled by my uncle. I was not happy about this decision at first, but once I thought about it, I realized that I should trust his decision because he knows more about business than me. There's no point in being unhappy about it if I don't know anything about business. It's best that someone with experience takes over in the meantime. In any case, I will be here as an architect finishing my studies. Yes, you heard right! There is no way that I would become an architect when I was a child because I thought it would bore me. But my parents influenced me about arts, so it became natural for me. And one more thing, I want to handle my parent's company and expand it because they gave me this legacy. The last legacy they gave me, so I need to take care of them.

But…. Eight years have passed, and I still can’t let go of the memory of my family’s disappearance. I believe Max is powerful enough to set up that hit. But I can’t figure out how he erased the footage from the security cameras that time and laid the groundwork for my parents' murders. No one came forward with any information regarding the crime. I guess he is indeed powerful. I wonder if they are a business enemy of my father. Even still, I don’t give up hope that I’ll find out who killed my family.

Facing the mirror, I adjusted my necktie and fixed my ash-brown hair. I was wearing my sunglasses. I was nervous because I would be going to work in a few minutes. It had been months since I started working as an intern at Usher furniture company — my dad’s company, but no one knew that. Not my uncle Angelo (Dad’s eldest brother), who handles our company, or my aunt Veronica and cousin Andrew and Yesha, who took me into their home when I moved to Manila. My uncle was cold and business-minded, but he cared about me like a father would. My aunt was sweet and loving and easily got my attention with how she cared for me like a mother would. Uncle Angelo had forbidden me from doing anything that might put me in danger. Well, he was warned by my grandparents about my intent to look for those murderers. He was so overprotective of me since Dad died when I was little. Maybe it was his way of dealing with his grief, but it drove me crazy, so I moved into a condo and live on my own.

I looked at my company ID card and punched it into the scanner by the door. I had my own office space. Well, I was treated special even though my uncle didn’t know I was working here. Our secretary knew about me being here, but swore not to tell my uncle. The company gave me whatever I needed. I thought it would be a good idea to learn about the business here since I can learn new skills and gain experience. Becoming CEO of a company like this one was what my dad did before, starting out at the bottom and moving up. That’s why he knows everything about this business. If I can do that, then I’ll know everything there is to know about the company, too. And they’ll be proud of me, even though they won’t be able to see me anymore when I succeed.

I looked down at my new job as an office assistant with optimism. I enjoyed learning new things and gaining experience that would help me take over the company—but I had to do a lot of research to understand the ins and outs of my job. I made sure to check the computer database every morning to make sure everyone’s tasks or projects were on time, but one day, while I was taking a break, someone came by and sat on the couch in my office.

“I love your office”

“Yah! Now get out,” I said.

“Dude..Grabe huh! Porket may trabaho ka rito, kinacancel out mo na friendship natin.”

“Too much drama Kit. Don’t be a p***y! Pag kayo nakita ni Uncle dito malilintikan talaga ako”

“We’re not stupid, just like what you think. Do you think magpapahuli kami? And besides, your secretary helped us kanina” Said by Nathan..

This is Nathan Torres, one of my brothers. I’m not biologically related to him, but we treat each other like brothers. We grew up together and became close. He is 1 year older than me, he’s 20 years old; I’m 19 years old now, but he can be considered younger because he is immature. The other one is Kit Sandoval. He is my same age, at 19 years old, but I consider him older because he has a good head on his shoulders. He comes from a rich family and was groomed to work in business affairs with his family. He may seem childish and immature sometimes, but he’s really tech-savvy

.

We all grew up in Cagayan. I’m lucky to have my friends by my side. They knew my intention of avenging my parents and they never said anything. In fact, they are helping me.

“Fine. “

“Hey bro. My brother is also looking for any clues about the… you know….I gave him your contact number,” Said Nathan.

“Si Cristoff?” I asked.

“Yah! Any problem?”

I shook my head. “No,” I said to Nathan. Cristoff is his eldest brother. He's from Cagayan. I'm rarely in contact with him as a child since he seldom leaves the house. He's an introverted guy who loves reading about laws, and he's aloof towards everyone. This is why we're not close to each other. At the age of 15, he started learning laws. That's what Nathan said to me. He said he wants to be his family lawyer someday and protect his parents because his dad was allegedly accused of stealing a company’s money. They fought for what they believed in; however, the court still believed him to be guilty. Businessmen didn't support him, either. Why are there so many enemies in business?

Cristoff is 26 now, and a licensed lawyer in the Philippines. He fulfilled his promise to his father, who was incarcerated for 10 years, to secure his release. Cristoff is one of the best lawyers I know: he has a strong sense of righteousness, is fearless, and supports the poorest. I never knew he had such a passion for his work. It's odd that I've never had a chance to talk with him; it's not because he's aloof but because he's as strict as my uncle. He can be blunt and true to himself; he says what he means without apology. Nathan doesn't like his brother, perhaps because they don't agree with each other very often. I wonder how they get along, but then, I guess you'd have to have your family members with you at all times if you want to make sure they understand you. I am really impressed with the person he has become since then—he's a lot like my uncle about being fearless and true to himself.

“For now, let get loose and have fun. Let’s go to the club.”

I smiled. Kit and Nathan reminded me of myself, I thought. They loved to flirt with women at bars, and they weren’t interested in anything more than a one-night stand. I assume they enjoy s*x as much as I do.

Nathan and Kit grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out of my chair. Even though I was upset at being forced to leave work early, I never complained, knowing that it was already past my workday hours. I drove the car to our usual hangout, where we spend most of our time on the weekends. Checking my watch, I saw that it was 7:00 pm, so time to go wild. We barged into the club and the strong smell of alcohol hung in the air. A fountain of alcohol sat in the center of an area lit with disco lights. The light was dim and there was a certain area with disco lights where people danced. We went straight to our favorite spot and ordered drinks for all three of us. Soon after, Nathan left our table carrying two glasses of wine. He began walking toward a brunette woman who looked like she might be his height. As I watched, he handed her a glass of wine before taking a seat beside her on an empty couch nearby, leaving me alone at our table with an untouched drink. Kit followed soon after I grumbled to myself as I sipped my drink alone at our table in defeat as they flirted with girls on the dance floor. I looked around. They never attracted me at some point . . . maybe I’m just tired.

The girls accepted their approach because the boys were attractive. I wouldn't wonder at all since they are both attractive and rich— We grew up where women chase after us, not for our family’s wealth, but rather for our appearance. You probably think I'm too proud of our own appearance, and that makes me a self-absorbed twit who thinks he's better than everyone else. But no, look at them, getting what they want so easily as if they're just stalking prey on an island. Nathan and Kit are just perfect, as others say, nice bodies built and manly physiques; brown eyes, high-bridged noses; they just look like models. They are better than artists, I would say. Besides that, they are intelligent and rich. Who would not dare to be with them?

But first, as someone who knows them, let me reassure you that Nathan and Kit are not perfect, they both have their flaws. For example, Nathan can be stubborn at times and Kit can be quite dramatic. Beyond the obvious physical appeal, Nathan and Kit are both intelligent and creative, but they are also determined to succeed. They are not interested in dating just anybody, just like me, but once they find someone special, I think they will pursue her until she is theirs. I would say my friends/brothers are like artists, except that other people would probably describe them as having a more athletic build than an artistic one. If you don't believe me that my brothers are smart and driven men with a good sense of humor, then maybe you should get to know them better.

I stop looking at them. It almost seems like they're trying to entertain all the girls in the club. I just want to relax, away from the world for a while. That's why I stopped entertaining girls for a second. Not that I particularly dislike women – but I feel so exhausted after a long day of work that all my energy gets drained out of me. I sip on my beer and glanced at the entrance. Then I saw this girl... I see a girl who is tall and thin, wearing a yellow dress and also a cardigan that covers her skin. I smiled. She reminds me of those plain girls who have no clue about makeup, but she’s pretty in her own way. It looks like she’s here alone, or maybe she came with friends who left already. She looks like she doesn't belong in this place, as if she has never even seen it before. Then I notice her smile—it’s big and bright. I wonder what she’s doing here? As I watch her, I realize she’s looking right at me.. I almost fall off my chair in surprise. It startled me because it was like she knew what I was thinking, and then a smile formed on her face.

She slowly walks toward me and makes her way through the crowd. She’s looking right at me. I get up to meet her and I realized I should not entertain right now, so I sit back down again. When she finally arrives, she sits right next to me. She looked at me as if she was a deer observing a wolf for the first time. She knows who I am, but I don’t know her—I think. I didn’t know what to say because nobody ever took me by surprise. After sitting down, she takes a drink from my glass of beer and asks, “You’re Justine, right?” she said. I noticed the light tone of her voice and the way she curved her lips while saying my name. She seemed to be kindhearted.

“Yes, I’m Justine,” I replied, still grinning.

“It’s nice to finally meet you in person!”

As I heard her call my name, I realized that she must know me from somewhere.

“Who are you? How do you know my name?”

She gazes at me with an expressionless face. Maybe it’s the beer talking, but I find her blank stare intimidating.

I don’t know what to think about her, but my mind is blank. My mind is blank because part of me wants to believe that she has been looking for me for a long time, that she has finally found me here.

“Oh. Stop thinking too much. I’m sure di mo ako kilala and this might be our first meeting,”

I struggled not to look directly at her as she looked me up and down, inspecting me. “Um… okay,” I mumbled in a faltering tone. She stared at me expectantly. Was she waiting for me to make the first move?

Then she looked directly at me, examining my body as if searching for something in particular. I stood up and prepared to leave but she put her hand on my leg and pulled me back onto the couch beside her. I didn't understand why she would do that to someone she had only just met. I frowned and was about to say something cold when she spoke first: “Alright. I was just checking on you to see if it’s really you as described by your grandparents. You see, pinadala nila ako rito para bantayan ka”

“You what?" I said in surprise.

“I know you heard me clearly, don't make me repeat, dude. It sucks!”

“Kilala mo grandparents ko? I don’t know you. Sino ka ba?” I have never seen her before.

“I’m Arabella Luisita Consolacion, but everyone calls me Belle.” She stuck out her hand to me in greeting, and I watched her out of the corner of my eye. I heard the name but didn’t turn around to acknowledge her. “Sungit,” she added. I stared over at the dance floor and saw Nathan and Kit near the doorway, whispering to each other and looking back at me. This is embarrassing—they were making fun of me because they knew I was talking to this weirdo girl. I called out to Nathan and Kit, telling them that we should leave now.

“You’re not convinced that your grandparents knew me, aren’t you?”

“I’m not interested,” I said and stood up to leave.

I watched her take out her phone and call someone. “Hello, ma’am," she said in a soft voice. "Yes, I found Justine... would you like to talk to him?” She put another person on speaker. I heard a familiar voice on the phone and my eyes widened at the realization that it was my Lola. My lips curled into a frown before I grabbed the phone from her hand and immediately ended the call before my Lola could speak and hear the music. She probably heard loud music from here and should never know what I’m doing in Manila! The girl laughed at me, which annoyed me even more! “Told you,” she said. I was about to say something when she reached into her purse and pulled out a pen and some paper, then wrote something down. She held it up for me to see, then tapped it on the table. She grabbed her phone back and turned away, disappearing into the crowd before I could even begin to read what she’d written down for me.

Nathan and Kit laughed at me when I told them about my encounter with the girl, who had written her phone number on a piece of paper and given it to me. I crumbled the paper up in annoyance; is she so shameless as to flirt with someone she’d just met?

But did she really flirt with me? She called me dude.

While I had been thinking about this, I found that a girl was on her way to look after me. Why did my grandmother want this girl to look after me? Max is up to something again, I thought—but why did she send me a girl? She can't possibly be any help to me.

I wonder if she's pulling one of her tricks again. She’s probably sent this girl here to spy on me or something.