Midnights with Sin

Million-dollar Lady

Million-dollar Lady

SIN

HINDI ko napigilan ang aking mga kamay nang pangkuin ko ang mga braso niya sa pader. Maaaring nausig ako ng aking kuryosidad kung paanong nakakayanan pa niyang magpalusot at sabihing hindi siya ang babaeng kasama ko kagabi samantalang wala man lamang siyang binago sa itsura niya.

Although she hid her face with the tie-on dust mask, I have spent enough time in the archives to determine slight differences in facial structures. Now that her brow bone area was just practically exposed for me to see, I had no doubts that the woman who just owed me a couple of million dollars is none other than the fidgety girl in my minor class.

The moment I felt the minor hints of discomfort from her wrist muscles, I loosened my grip and as soon as I made sure she does not run away any sooner just like yesterday, I completely released her.

I must admit.

She could be a head turner.

If not only is she scowling at me now, I would have revelled in the sight that only I can see at the moment.

“Master?” she pressed on, shaking her head disbelievingly. “What kind of crazy kink is that?”

“Kink?” I laughed and stepped away from her, picking up the paper bag with my mother’s creation in it. “You must be fawning over yourself too much, Berlin.” I paused and amused myself with how hard she restrained herself talking back. “Please have a seat.”

The room is simply a break room and is nowhere near any decent space but I do not have much luxury as to give her someplace breathable. I have to get things done.

She settled on a brown mottled armchair, her face easing up.

“You left so early last night that the auctioneers had a hard time looking for you.”

Mabilis pa sa sampal ang paglingon niya sa akin.

“Bakit po nila ako hinahanap?”

“They do not allow me to receive the item. Ikaw ang hinahanap nila,” I shrugged. “Kung makukuha ko lang sana iyon nang ako lang, hindi na kita tatawagin pero kailangan mo akong tulungang kunin iyon.”

Hindi ko inasahan ang mabilis na pagtugon niya. Ang akala ko kasi ay mag-iisip pa siya nang matagal.

“Saan ko kukunin ang item niyo, Sir?”

Although I personally do not require, I was surprised with the amount of her neglect.

“I told you that your contract says you should call me—

“Please do not make this so hard for me, Sir. If I did not only want to earn some money, I would not consider trying on this job. I knew I should not have. Look what it gave me,” she grumbled. “I owed you money instead.”

Considering how she acted and sounded clueless about the deeper side of MasterCall, I shrugged it off and led her out of the room, the case of cold cash swinging by my hand. To my surprise yet again, she obediently followed, not even trying to ask about anything.

She trailed behind me until we reached the concierge and I showed them our bidding tab last night.

“She is here to claim the item.”

The concierge phoned someone from the head office and instructed us to wait by the lobby. We sat silently and I was left with nothing to do but to whip my phone out and text Evo.

/She seems clear of the transactions.

Evo must be on his task that he immediately replied to me.

Why did you say so?

/The girl does not even read through the entire contract.

/I think she just got click-baited.

Then it is about time you drop her from your list.

I caught a glimpse of the incoming figure.

“Tumayo ka,” utos ko sa kanya at saka siya pinasunod sa akin upang batiin ang lalaking may dala ng puting kahon. Binuksan niya ito at ipinasiguro sa aming laman nito ang dyamante.

I held his gaze and firmly shook his hand upon having Berlin receive the item and it was my turn to hand in the money. He lifted the lid open to take a peek at the cash and upon checking the edges for a few moments, he looked back and nodded.

We exited the hotel with the stone on the hands of the girl who was practically walking in tension as we neared the parking area. I held the door for her to enter and immediately revved the engine.

Driving through the highway, I noticed that she was fidgeting again.

“Kung may sasabihin ka, sabihin mo na.”

She hesitated for a while until she turned her body towards me and said, “Are you giving me a good rating now, Sir?”

“Sure,” I deadpanned before I smoothly swerved the car to the next corner. “But it does not mean that I am letting you get off the hook. You still need to pay me back.”

“How about I give you something more important in exchange of the money?”

My right brow shot and I gave her a quick incredulous glance.

“What else do you have in mind?”

Slowly, I caught her by my peripheral vision, lifting the box’s lid. The lights hit the gem and it was not so hard to spot it even when I was not directly looking.

Malakas naman ang kumpiyansa kong hindi itatakbo ng babaeng ito ang bato sapagkat hawak ko siya ngayon ngunit hindi ko inasahan ang sinabi niya.

Napapreno ako nang malakas sa gitna ng kalsada at saka pawising tumungo sa kanya.

“What did you just say?”

BERLIN

“It is a fake, Sir.”

I have no idea whether I could still simplify my statement but the confusion that was written in his face was already telling me that it was not possible.

“How do you tell that apart?”

His mouth was gaping and his chin hung low as he started studying the stone with his eyes and hands.

“It looks exactly the same as how I saw it in the pictures; Light blue, clean-cut, 787-carat rough stone.”

I frowned and looked at him in curiosity, “This is no 787 carats, Sir.”

Halatang iritado siya sa narinig kaya naman nang may bumusina sa amin upang tumabi, nagmadali siyang magmaneho hanggang sa makaparke kami sa isang mas maayos na pwesto at saka ako kinumpronta.

“Listen here, Miss. I know you just want to get away from the money you owe me but I warn you, nothing gets you dismissed from that,” he scoffed and placed the gem back into the box. “You better watch your words or I might not remain tolerant with you.”

I silently watched him as he aggressively restarted the vehicle and sooner, I dropped the subject and did not bother to speak until he did.

“Saan kita ibababa?”

“Ibaba niyo na ako, Sir. Malapit na lang ako rito.”

“Then it is all the more that I have to drop you exactly where you live.”

I released a heavy breath.

“I do not trust you, Sir.”

After a few moments, he slowed the car to a stop and motioned for me to leave.

“Thank you, Sir.”

Hindi ko na siya hinintay pang umalis. Dali-dali akong naglakad upang ako ay makauwi.

EKSAKTONG pagkauwi ko ng apartment nang mag-Facetime sa akin si Peejay.

“Hi, Peej. Napatawag ka?”

“Wow, Berlin,” he sarcastically started. “I can hear your lack of guilt from here. You have not called me since nag-alsabalutan ka. Did you know that I was so worried? I could not call you by your phone!”

“Sorry na,” I pouted. “Nawala sa isip ko magparamdam. Nag-asikaso pa ako dito lately.”

“I know, it is okay. Nangungumusta lang. Nasaan ka ngayon?”

“Manila,” I sighed as I already know what he was about to say.

“Are you insane?”

“I have no other choice. Dito ko gustong mag-aral.”

“While living every day fearing that your dad would find you? Manila has a lot of people and your father surely would be here at some point! Nahihibang ka ba?”

“Let me deal with it once we get there, Peej.”

My friend could do nothing but sigh in defeat.

“Ano pa nga ba? Hindi naman kita pwedeng pilitin. Make sure you take care. Send me your place; I will visit you some time.”

“Sige.”

“That means you also are giving me your active phone number, Berlin.”

“I know,” ngisi ko sa kanya at saka na kami nagpaalam sa isa’t isa.

I settled down on my bed and set my alarm for tomorrow’s class when MasterCall notified me.

Great job, White Flame!

You just received 5 stars out of five from your recent task. Stygian Talon is now allowing you to grab tasks from other clients! Here is your code to claim your income.

I clicked the link and I was led to a typical payment processing platform. I selected bank transfer until I saw the amount that my client just gave me.

SIN

I WOKE up and drove to school late on purpose.

The hell if I am even planning to go to school.

I was not even able to make a move to send the stone back to the Circle because I doubted my own judgement now. Besides, now that someone has insisted that the gem was a fake, although it should not bother me, it sure does.

And while apart from worrying about that, I spent the whole night thinking about what Berlin just said, with that force of urgency and without hesitation as she spoke.

I do not trust you, Sir.

I scoffed with the least bit of how much I remember her voice and face that I have ignored Evo who practically chose to be quiet the whole time in the cafeteria.

“I do not know about you, Sin, but I want to go to my classes because unlike you, my second degree is really my purpose.”

“Then go ahead,” I dismissed him but he shook his head.

“I cannot leave you with that sullen face because you might just break someone’s bones here and I cannot risk answering the Circle in behalf of you.”

I do not trust you, Sir.

“Evo?”

“Yeah?”

“You trust me, right?”

My friend suddenly found this advance a little absurd that he took it as a joke.

“Are you going to make me do something crazy? Why are you asking me that?”

I sighed and shook my head.

“Forget I asked.”

I looked back down to my cup of coffee and sipped for a few times when a pair of white Chuck Taylors appeared before me. I looked up while steaming my face with the drink until I met her hazel eyes glowering at me.

“Hi, Berlin,” bati sa kanya ni Evo. “Care to join us?”

“Salamat na lang. Kailangan kong makausap ang kaibigan mo.”

I had a feeling that I know where this is going so I folded my arms over my chest and signalled her to talk. Unfortunately, she did not.

“What is the matter, Miss Saegan?” I asked her, nearly looking like I surprised her arse by calling her last name.

“We have to talk somewhere else.”

Evo’s jaws hung loosely as he watched us walking out of the cafeteria. I whipped my phone out and texted him instead.

/Find out more about Berlin. You and I have something to talk about later.

Sure, Casanova.

Hindi ko na lamang pinansin ang pang-aasar ni Evo dahil mas nangingibabaw ang pagmamanman ko sa babaeng may tapang upang utusan ako.

“Saan mo ba talaga ako dadalhin at parang kailangan kong kabahan?”

“Sa walang makakarinig.”

“Do you even hear what you were saying?”

She stopped upon bringing me to an empty study shed and said, “Please give me your bank account name and number.”

I had to blink for a few times more before I accepted the fact that she really said it.

“What?”

“Hindi ko matatanggap ang ganoong kalaking pera, Sir. Isa pa, hindi na ako umasang babayaran mo ako. Besides, I owe you a large sum. Allow me to have your details so I could start paying you up slowly.”

I held her in my eyes until I assume that I have already given her time to rethink about what she chooses to tell me but she just held me in her gaze as well, seemingly unmoved.

“How are you even going to pay me back?”

“It is nothing you should concern yourself with,” she shrugged. “Hindi ko matatanggap ang ibinayad mo sa akin.”

“Do not make this difficult for the both of us, Miss. I paid you because I was required to pay you and the agency for your services. If you insist on giving me back the money, you as most likely about to receive my revoked rating. I will give you another lone star and that gets you stuck with me.” I hummed and touched my chin for a moment, contemplating. “O baka naman iyon ang gusto mo? Are you playing some hard-to-please card just because you saw that I have a lot of money?”

I saw how her face quickly gushed into a wildfire of blush. She must feel so aggravated by now.

“Speechless, huh? I guess you like me that much,” I laughed and pulled my wallet. I slapped my black card on the table and allowed her to pick it up. “You need this, right? Go on. Pick it up and let us forget that we ever—

Snap.

Hindi ko natapos ang sinasabi ko nang sundan ko siya ng tingin habang naglalakad na papalayo sa akin. Pinulot ko ang card na kanyang kinunan ng litrato at hindi pa man ako nakakapaglakad ay tumunog na ang cellphone ko.

She just transferred what I paid her last night.

“WE HAVE to talk,” Evo said up straight as soon as I got home. He was sitting on the living room couch, making himself comfortable with a couple of ice-cold canned beer as he typed away in front of his laptop.

“I know. I told you that. Did you skip your class?” tanong ko sa kanya at nang maalala kong nagpalit ako ng passcode sa condo, inusig ko siya. “And how did you get in?”

“Wala akong klase ng hapon ngayon kaya nagawa ko kaagad ang pinagagawa mo.”

“What about my other question?”

My friend rolled his eyes on me and made a face.

“It is always fun to watch you try and stop me.”

Nagbukas na lamang din ako ng beer at saka hinintay ang sasabihin niya.

“What did you talk about with Berlin?”

“She paid me back the money I sent her last night.”

“So, you are dropping her from your list, yes?”

I grumbled and sighed. “Most likely.”

“Most likely?”

“I still have something I want to clarify about her,” I explained, “which brings us to what I asked you to do. What did you find out?”

“Well,” he started and shoved the laptop to me. “I have not found anything about her. It must be that she had been using another name before. But I found something that might lead you somewhere.”

“What is it?”

“Some people have been trying to pry around you since the auction. I have seen a few of them just this morning. They seemed to follow you around.”

“I know but what is new?”

“Sa tingin ko, hindi ikaw ang pakay nila, Sin.”

He pulled out a local magazine and jabbed a finger on the front page. My gaze landed on the familiarly pristine figure of the woman in elegant black dress and mask. She stood beside me, as if we were about to take the seat at that moment, in the middle of the event hall attracting all the present lights.

Her brown hair glowed with the flash of colours around her but as soon as I caught the headline, I pursed my lips grimly.

Mysterious million-dollar lady knocks off bidder by nine hundred per cent bid leap over 700-carat jewel

“They are going to go after her, Sin.”

“Don’t worry. I already took care of that this morning.” I assured him and took a swig from my beer can. “They will not pursue her as long as she stays away from me. Besides, there are no reasons that we should see each other again.”