Seducing the Casanova (Seducing Series #3)

Prologue - Part 1

PROLOGUE

All I ever wanted was to go on with my life and control it on my own will, not relying someone to do it, not letting anyone to run how it was supposed to be for me.

Gusto kong ako na ang nagpapatakbo ng buhay ko. Gawin ang lahat ng mga bagay na ninanais kong gawin nang hindi iniisip kung anong magiging bunga.

O kung may maaapektuhan man.

Pero ganito ba talaga dapat ang mangyari sa buhay ng bawat tao? Let someone control your life just because there are people who were the reason why you're alive and breathing the air of this world?

I've waisted eighteen years of my life being a puppet. Doing everything that they ordered me to do, and they never heard anything from me since that's what I believe in before, that everything I have right now was because of them.

That it is just my duty to return those favors. But turns out, I never had a debt since the day that I was born. I never asked or wished to be alive. Hindi ko naman ginusto na mabuhay ako.

Ano? Para lang magkaroon ng sunod-sunuran ang mga magulang ko? I would never desire to end up like that, and waste my live following them like a puppet.

Kung ganito lang rin pala ang magiging kabayaran dahil sa buhay na ibinigay nila sa akin ay sana hindi nalang ako ipinanganak.

They once controlled my life decisions and now, I won't let them do that to me ever again. I will not let them decide how I should suppose to live the rest of my life.

And that includes marriage.

"No! I will not marry him!" sigaw ko sa dalawang taong nasa harapan ko, ang mga magulang ko. I was hardly breathing because of the mixed emotions I was currently feeling.

Hatred, frustration, confusion. Magkakahalo-halo kong nararamdaman ang mga emosyong 'yan ngayon. Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang gagawin ko.

"Vera, anak... You have to. You have to marry him for the sake of our business," mapungay ang mga matang sabi ni Dad. I felt tears streamed down my eyes after hearing those words again.

For business. They want me to marry someone I never loved and never even met just for the sake of their goddamn business.

Wala nang importante sa kanila kun'di ang kanilang yaman at ang mga ari-arian nila. Wala na silang ibang inisip bukod sa mga materyal na bagay na umiikot lamang sa pera. They never even cared if I was doing okay or not! Kahit kailan ay hindi ko sila narinig na magsabi o magtanong manlang sa 'kin kung ayos ba ako o masaya ba ako.

All they could care of was the things that benefits them! But what about mine? What about me?

"You're forcing me to marry someone I never knew just to save your business? Are you that selfish? Sarili n'yo lang ba talaga ang iniisip niyo?"

I felt a stinging pain on my cheek when Mom slapped me. Unti-unti kong ibinalik ang tingin ko sa kaniya at nakita ko ang galit sa mga mata niya habang nasa ere pa rin ang kamay niya na isinampal niya sa akin.

"How dare you! How dare you say those words!" Dad joined her when he noticed that her breathing started to become uneven, "Calm down Daniela, please. Your heart."

Dad looked at me with pleading eyes. Alam kong gusto niya na tigilan ko na ang kakakontra sa kanila. He's trying to manipulate me again emotionally! Gagamitin niya nanaman sa akin ang kalagayan ni Mommy para makuha nila ang gusto nila.

"K-kung sarili lang namin ang iniisip namin ay sana'y hindi mo nakuha ang mga bagay na natatamasa mo ngayon! You are so ungrateful!" she screamed.

My lips trembled as I let my tears to continue falling. Napahawak siya sa dibdib niya dahilan para bahagya akong magalala. I don't want to let them control my life again but that doesn't include her health to worsen.

Lalapit na sana ako para daluhan siya nang iangat niya ang kamay n'ya para pigilan ako.

"T-tell me..." nahihirapang sabi n'ya. She tried to breathe properly before continuing, "How can you say that we're selfish, huh? Paano mo nagagawang sabihin ang mga salitang 'yan sa amin Vera?" inalis niya ang pagkakahawak ni Dad sa kaniya at hinarap ako ng diretso.

I clenched my fists. Tinitigan ko ang mga mata niya at wala akong makitang ibang emosyon 'don na makapagpapagaan ng nararamdaman ko.

All I could see is disappointment and anger.

"Tell me, Vera Cassemeir! Tell me!" she shouted, again.

Pinigilan ko ang sarili ko pero paulit-ulit niyang isinigaw ang mga salitang 'yon hanggang sa hindi ko na kinaya.

"You ruined my life!" Huminga ako ng malalim, "You controlled me since the very beginning, since the very first day that I learned how to read and write. Every decisions I, myself, was suppose to make, you're always there to do it for me without even asking if it's okay for me or not!"

Tuloy-tuloy lang sa pagtulo ang mga luha ko at parang walang balak tumigil 'yon. I couldn't even recognize my own voice because of the difficulty in speaking in between of my sobs.

Gusto kong pigilan na ang sarili ko na makapagsalita pa ng kung ano pero hindi ko na magawa. This is now or never.

"You decided on everything! About where I should study, what course I should take, what profession I should follow. And now you're trying to decide on who I was suppose to spend the rest of my goddamn life with?! f**k your bullshit!" dinampot ko ang purse ko maging ang cellphone ko at dali-daling tumakbo palabas.

"Vera! Come back here!" I heard mom said but I didn't bother to look back.

Ilang beses ko pa silang narinig na tinawag ako pero tinuloy ko lang ang pagtakbo palayo sa lugar na 'yon.

I got inside my car and recklessly turned on the engine. Pinaandar ko 'yon papunta sa pinakamalapit na bar na alam ko.

A bouncer greeted me when I got inside. I even bumped into someone I'm familiar with yet I didn't bother myself greeting them.

Dumiretso ako sa may bartender at nagsimulang mag order.

"One martini, please." he glanced at my face before going on with my order. Habang nagiintay ay hindi ko napigilang hindi ilibot ang mga mata ko sa loob ng bar na 'yon.

There are so many people inside. Some are already dancing in the dancefloor and some are making out in the corner.

I slowly closed my eyes and breathe in and out. This is what I'm talking about. This is where I belong.

This is home.

Hindi ko na napagtanto na nakailang shots na pala ako ng Martini. Before I could even knew it, I was already in the dance floor, mixed with the crowds.

I felt someone dancing behind me which made me smirked. With my bottoms, I started grinding to the person behind me. I was starting to enjoy his company when someone suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"H-hey!"

Hindi ako makawala sa pagkakahawak ng taong 'yon dahil paikot-ikot na ang paningin ko. He dragged me out of the crowd. Nang makaalis kami ay lumuwang ang pagkakahawak niya sa akin dahilan para maiharap ko ang sarili ko sa mukha niya.

I can't see his face properly because of how blurry my eyesight were that time. Inangat ko ang magkabilang kamay ko at dahan-dahang ihinawak sa magkabilang pisngi niya.

With my groggy voice, I asked. "W-who are you?"

I felt the stranger's lips pressed in mine and I just found myself responding to his kisses.

Hinabol ko pa ang labi niya nang saglit n'ya itong ilayo sa akin. He whispered something in my ear which I didn't really understand because of the loud noise from the background.

"Zeus..." he scooped my butt that made me lean my hands to his chest, "remember that name."

And that was the night that made my life like a rollercoaster ride. Because everything that happened, is not something that I've expected it to be.