I Was The Mafia's Runaway Bride

Run 7: ⚠️⚠️⚠️

ARKISHA MIRABELLA'S POV:

I stormed out of the grand hall, the heavy mahogany doors thudding shut behind me like a final gavel strike. Kahit paulit-ulit nilang tinatawag ang pangalan ko—the desperate, commanding voices of my parents echoing against the high ceilings—hindi ko sila nilingon.

Naramdaman ko ang isang mabigat na bara sa aking dibdib, isang nakasusuklam na halo ng hilaw na pagtataksil at galit ng bulkan na nagbabantang sumabog.

Bawat hakbang ko ay isang pakikibaka laban sa bigat ng mga balitang kalalabas lang nila sa entablado. Ang aking mga takong ay mabilis na tumunog sa makintab na marmol na sahig, isang maindayog, agresibong tunog na tumutugma sa galit, hindi pantay na t***k ng aking puso.

Hindi lang ako naglalakad; Ako ay tumatakas sa isang pinangyarihan ng krimen kung saan ang biktima ay ang aking sariling kinabukasan.

Tuloy-tuloy sa paghakbang ang aking mga paa, my vision blurred by a veil of tears I refused to let fall. I focused only on getting away from that suffocating atmosphere of tradition and legacy.

I was almost at the elevator, my hand reaching out for the cold metal button, ready to escape the venue and vanish into the night, nang biglang may humaklit sa braso ko.

The sudden force was jarring. The fingers clamped around my skin like iron shackles, making me stumble back with a gasp.

“Ano ba!” inis na wika ko, my voice cracking with frustration. I tried to shake off the hand gripping me, my temper flaring at the audacity of whoever dared to stop me.

Ngunit ang seryoso at malamig na mukha ni Euan ang bumungad sa akin. He stood there, looking perfectly composed in his tailored suit, while my world was falling apart.

“Where do you think you are going? Hindi pa tapos ang party,” he said. His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion, a stark contrast to the chaos screaming inside my head. That coldness that utter lack of empathy annoyed me even more.

Tinabig ko nang tuluyan ang kamay ni Euan na nakahawak sa akin. I put all my resentment into that one movement, and luckily, he let go, though he didn't move an inch. I glared at him, my breathing shallow and ragged, my chest heaving under the silk of my gown.

“Saan pa ba ako pupunta? Malamang malayo sa'yo! Plinano mo ito 'no?” pambibintang ko sa kanya. I pointed a trembling finger at his chest, right over his heart if he even had one. “Gusto mong sirain ang buhay ko katulad ng mga taong nakapaligid sa'yo. Euan, hindi ako kasama sa koleksyon mo ng mga babae. I am not a trophy or a business asset. May sarili akong buhay na dapat atupagin!”

He looked at me with those unreadable, obsidian eyes. For a second, I thought I saw a flicker of something regret? Pain? But it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

“What? Wala rin akong ideya sa naging desisyon ng mga magulang natin at tulad mo ay nagulat rin ako,” he replied calmly.

“Wow, play safe ka?” I retorted with a bitter, hollow laugh. The sound echoed unpleasantly in the empty hallway. I couldn't bring myself to believe him. The timing was too perfect; the merger was too seamless. Everything felt too orchestrated to be a mere surprise for him.

“Totoo ang sinasabi ko, Arkisha. Wala akong alam sa kasunduan,” he insisted, his voice dropping an octave, turning into a low rumble that vibrated in the small space between us.

“Ke alam mo man o hindi, inanunsyo na nila! It's out there! It’s on the teleprompters; it’s in the guests' ears!” I screamed in a hushed tone, conscious of the staff nearby. “Sana man lang tumutol ka, 'di ba? You should have said something right then and there! You have more power in that room than I do! Alam mo namang mahal ko si Lawrence eh!”

At the mention of Lawrence’s name, the air seemed to shift. Bahagyang bumagsak ang balikat ni Euan.

He looked momentarily defeated, as if my words were a physical blow to his gut. The silence stretched between us, heavy and uncomfortable.

But then, his expression hardened, the vulnerability replaced by something cold, cynical, and biting.

“Mas mahal mo ang gunggong na iyon kaysa sa hanapbuhay ng sarili mong pamilya?” mapaklang wika niya. The way he looked at me—it was like I was looking at a total stranger. Gone was the childhood friend I thought I knew, the boy I used to play with in the gardens. Now, he was just Euan Fierro, the cold-blooded businessman.

“Sabihin niyo na lahat ng masasakit na salita laban kay Lawrence pero siya pa rin ang pipiliin ko. Every single time. Ayokong magpakasal sa'yo! Not now, not ever!”

Muli kong tinalikuran si Euan, my heart feeling like lead. This time, the elevator doors chimed and opened just in time, a silver sanctuary. I stepped inside, my hands trembling so violently I could barely function.

I looked at him one last time; he was just standing there in the middle of the hallway, watching me with a deadpan stare that haunted me.

I frantically pressed the close button, watching as the metal doors shut him out of my sight, severing the connection.

Napasandal na lang ako sa pader ng elevator and I felt my knees weaken. I felt like I was about to collapse onto the carpeted floor. The adrenaline was fading, and the sheer weight of the announcement was finally sinking in.

Hindi ko alam kung paano ko ipapaliwanag kay Lawrence ang tungkol sa pagpapakasal namin ni Euan.

How do you tell the man you love that your parents just sold you to another man for a percentage of a trading empire?

My mind was racing, sigurado ako na magiging headlines ang mukha naming dalawa sa dami ng media na nakaabang sa anniversary party ng Laxamana Tradings.

Tomorrow, the whole world would think I belong to Euan Fierro. The society pages would be filled with our photos, branding us as the Power Couple of the Year.

Nang bumukas ang pinto sa ground floor, agad akong lumabas. I marched through the hotel lobby, my steps heavy with resentment and a touch of desperation.

I didn't care if people were staring at my disheveled state my hair slightly coming undone, my makeup likely smeared from the humidity of my own anger. I just needed to get out of this gilded cage.

Gustuhin ko mang makipag-celebrate sa success ng mga magulang ko the business they built from the ground up, I just couldn't do it anymore. Not after they sold my future for a business merger.

Ni hindi man lang nila tinanong ang opinyon ko dahil alam nilang hinding-hindi ako papayag na maging pawn sa laro nila.

To them, I wasn't a daughter tonight; I was a signature on a contract.