CHAPTER FOUR
1038 Words
"Finally, you're here."
Timothy’s voice rang through the air, making Emerald and Pamela instinctively turn their heads to see the new arrival.
The moment Emerald’s eyes landed on the man, her entire body tensed.
Siya?!
Standing there, exuding an air of dominance and arrogance, was none other than the same man she had punched earlier. The one who had infuriated her beyond words.
Adrian Montenegro.
Nakasuot ito ng itim na polo, bahagyang nakabukas ang unang dalawang butones, giving him that effortlessly attractive yet intimidating aura. His sharp jawline, well-defined features, and piercing dark eyes made him look even more imposing under the dim lights of the bar.
But Emerald wasn’t about to be swayed by his looks.
"Oh, sht,"* she muttered under her breath, hoping he wouldn’t recognize her.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
The moment Adrian’s gaze settled on her, a slow, knowing smirk crept onto his lips.
"Well, well, well," he drawled, stepping closer to their table. "Mukhang gustong-gusto talaga tayong pagtagpuin ng tadhana, Miss… ah, wait, dapat bang tawagin kitang Miss Violent?"
Emerald’s jaw clenched. She was not in the mood for his bullsh*t.
"You two know each other?" Ivan asked, looking between Adrian and Emerald in confusion.
Adrian let out a low chuckle. "Oh, we do. We had a… let’s just say, very physical first encounter."
Pamela’s eyes widened. "Wait, anong ibig mong sabihin?"
Before Emerald could stop him, Adrian raised his hand and pointed to his jaw. "See this? The little bruise forming right here? Galing ‘yan sa kaibigan mo."
Timothy and Harrison both stared in shock before bursting out laughing.
"No way! Ikaw ba talaga may gawa niyan, Miss Emerald?" Harrison asked, thoroughly entertained.
Emerald crossed her arms, raising a brow at Adrian. "Sinabi ko na kasi sa’yo na huwag akong asarin, ‘di ba? Pero ayan, natuto ka naman siguro."
Instead of looking pissed, Adrian seemed even more amused. "Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea how much you’ve piqued my interest."
Emerald rolled her eyes. "Hindi kita interesado."
"We'll see about that," Adrian mused before finally taking a seat beside Ivan, still watching Emerald like she was his new favorite puzzle.
Pamela, still processing everything, whispered, "Bes, anong nangyari? Bakit mo sinapak ‘yan?!"
"Long story," Emerald muttered, grabbing her glass and taking a sip of her drink.
Pamela wasn’t satisfied. "Gawa ka ng short version."
Emerald sighed and leaned closer. "Nagkasagutan kami kanina sa daan. Bastos kasi siya. At ayaw niya akong tantanan kaya ayun, napikon ako."
Pamela stared at her. "Gaga ka talaga! Sa lahat pa ng pwedeng suntukin, isang Montenegro pa!"
Emerald frowned. "Montenegro?"
"Oo! Adrian Montenegro—anak ng isa sa pinakamakapangyarihang pamilya sa bansa. May-ari ng ilang kumpanya, at may dugong mafia!"
Emerald nearly choked on her drink. "Wait, what?!"
Pamela nodded frantically. "Gurl, kung alam mo lang kung sino siya, baka hindi mo na nasuntok ‘yan!"
Emerald blinked, processing the information. So, hindi lang siya isang bastos na lalaki—mafia boss pa pala?
Great. Just great.
Meanwhile, Adrian was still observing her, as if he knew exactly what was going on in her head. "You know, Emerald… I like a woman with fire. Hindi boring."
She scoffed. "Good for you. Pero ‘wag kang umasa na gusto kitang i-entertain."
Adrian smirked. "Are you always this feisty, or ako lang ang may special treatment?"
"Depende kung gaano ka ka-irritating."
The group laughed, enjoying the unexpected banter. Timothy nudged Adrian. "Bro, mukhang nahanap mo na ‘yung katapat mo."
Adrian just grinned. "Let’s see about that."
---
An Hour Later…
To her dismay, Emerald ended up spending the entire evening with Adrian and his friends. Not because she wanted to, but because Pamela was having too much fun to leave.
Habang tumatagal, napansin ni Emerald kung paano makitungo si Adrian sa mga kaibigan niya. Unlike his arrogant and teasing demeanor with her, he was surprisingly chill with his group. There was a certain air of authority around him, but at the same time, he wasn’t the type to boss his friends around.
But that didn’t mean she was letting her guard down.
---
Later That Night
After a few more rounds of drinks and endless banter, Pamela finally decided it was time to go home.
"Bes, alis na tayo?" Pamela asked, slightly tipsy but still functional.
"Oo, gabi na rin," Emerald agreed, checking the time on her phone.
Pamela turned to Marcus Ivan, smiling. "Ivan, aalis na kami ha."
"Sure, ingat kayo," Ivan replied, smiling back.
"Hatid ko na kayo sa parking lot," Adrian suddenly offered.
Emerald turned to him, raising a brow. "No need. Kaya naming umuwi mag-isa."
"I insist," Adrian said smoothly. "Wala namang mawawala, ‘di ba?"
Pamela, ever the traitor, immediately chimed in. "Sige, Adrian, samahan mo na kami! Libre mo na rin parking fee namin."
"Pamela!" Emerald hissed, but her best friend only grinned.
"Ano ka ba? Sayang ang opportunity. May bodyguard na, may libre pang parking," Pamela whispered with a wink.
Adrian smirked. "See? Kahit best friend mo, agrees with me."
Emerald sighed in defeat. "Fine. Pero ‘wag kang umasa na magiging sweet ako sa ‘yo."
"Sweet? Hindi ko naman hinihingi ‘yon—pero kung gusto mo, why not?" Adrian quipped, making the others laugh.
Emerald groaned. This was going to be a long walk to the parking lot.
As they made their way to their cars, Adrian fell into step beside her. "So, Emerald… Tell me, how does a girl like you end up in an arranged marriage?"
She stiffened. "Paano mo nalaman ‘yan?"
"I have my ways," he said, smirking.
Emerald turned to him with narrowed eyes. "Of course, you do. Mafia boss nga pala."
He chuckled. "Smart girl. So, totoo nga?"
She clenched her jaw, refusing to answer.
Adrian leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a murmur. "You don’t seem like the type who lets people control her. Bakit ka pumayag?"
Emerald inhaled deeply. "Who said I had a choice?"
A slow, dangerous smirk spread across Adrian’s lips.
"Now that… I’d love to see."
And for the first time that night, Emerald felt something shift between them—something dangerous, something thrilling.
And she wasn’t sure if she liked it.
- Writer
