Chapter 41 24 hours
Zarya's point of view
My knees felt weak, parang anumang oras ay bibigay na lang ako at babagsak dito. The wind from the ocean was sharp, biting at my skin, but I barely felt it. All I could feel was the heavy, suffocating weight of his eyes on me.
He took a slow step closer, hands in his pockets, that cruel, knowing smile playing on his lips. He looked like a man who had all the time in the world, because he already held the ending in his hands.
"You've always wondered, haven't you, Zarya?" he started, voice smooth and low, like he was sharing a secret only we knew.
Lahat ng tanong ko sa isip ko, lahat ng pagdududa ko sa nakaraan... parang alam niya lahat 'yun.
"Why did Eric Valenti leave his family here? Why abandon his wife, his daughter, everything he built in this country? You probably thought it was for business. For power. For something big and noble."
He laughed softly, shaking his head, as if my innocence was the funniest thing he had ever seen.
"But the truth is far simpler... and far dirtier."
My breath hitched. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang mas masakit. Yung sinasabi niya, o 'yung paraan ng pagkakasabi niya na parang laro lang lahat 'to para sa kanya. I gripped the edge of my coat tighter, my whole body trembling, waiting for the blow.
"Eric Valenti did not leave because he had to. He left because he already had everything he wanted... somewhere else."
My eyes went wide. Anong ibig niyang sabihin? My mind raced, trying to connect pieces I didn't even know existed.
"What... what are you talking about?" I whispered, voice cracking.
Sterling tilted his head, enjoying every second of my confusion. "Oh, come now, Doctor De Luca. You think a man like Eric stays loyal? You think he only had one life to live? One family to build?" He leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper that cut right through me.
"Long before he walked away from here... he already had another woman. Another family. In the States."
My blood ran cold. Parang binuhusan ako ng malamig na tubig mula ulo hanggang paa. This changes everything.
"A mistress. A woman who gave him exactly what he wanted. A son. A boy named Isaac Walter Valenti."
He paused, letting the name hang in the air, heavy and dangerous. Isaac... I've heard that name before. Italy. The events. The man always beside Eric.
"That son? He is everything Eric ever dreamed of.
A male heir. Someone to carry the Valenti name forward, someone to stand beside him, travel with him, learn every secret, every deal, every move.
.. exactly like your father raised you. Isaac went everywhere with him.
Lived in luxury in America, studied in Italy, stood right next to Eric while his wife and Iris were left here.
.. wondering why they were never enough. "
Hindi ko na alam kung saan ako lulugar. Ang bigat?bigat na ng lahat. Why did Eric leave? Not for power. Not for legacy. But because he chose them. He chose his mistress.
"And you know the best part?" Sterling continued, pacing slowly, looking at me like I was his favorite puzzle to break apart.
"Eric and I... we have been friends for a very long time.
Allies, actually. We planned every single move months ago.
Every meeting. Every deal. Every part of this bidding war you think you are fighting so hard to win?
It was never a battle. It was a stage. And we were the ones writing the script. "
My head spun. Planned? All of it? From the very start? Then why did he asked me to be his bidding partner?! alam ba niya na hindi papayag si papa?
"You... you planned everything?" I choked out, tears stinging my eyes, not from sadness, but from pure, overwhelming shock. "All this time... you were working together?"
"Side by side," Sterling confirmed, grinning wickedly. "We knew exactly what we wanted. We knew exactly how to play every person involved. Including you, Zarya. Especially you."
He stopped right in front of me, eyes gleaming with dark excitement.
"And while we were busy arranging the future... Isaac was busy living his own. In Italy, while his father and I were sealing our alliance... he met someone."
My heart hammered against my ribs, so hard it hurt. Bakit parang may kinalaman ito sa akin? Sa pamilya ko?
"A tall girl. Beautiful. Wild. Adventurous. The kind of girl who doesn't care about rules or names or what people say. She went by the name... Yana De Luca."
The world stopped.
Yana.
My sister.
"NO..." I screamed, shaking my head violently, stepping back like I could run away from the truth. Hindi. Hindi pwede... "NO! SHUT UP! Just fucking say it! Stop playing games with me!"
I was breaking. Halos matumba na ako sa sobrang takot at gulo. My hands were shaking uncontrollably, my chest heaving, tears spilling over. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I just needed him to say it, or stop saying it.
Sterling laughed, loud and triumphant, stepping closer until he was inches from my face.
"You've been so worried about your sister, haven't you, Zarya? You've been terrified of what might happen to her, who might hurt her, who might use her..."
"You asked who the father of her baby is? You wondered who could have done this, who could have gotten close enough, who could ruin her life... and yours?"
He leaned back, spreading his arms wide like he was presenting the greatest tragedy the world had ever seen.
Fuck's sake. Ibig niya bang sabihin, the bastard son of Eric Valenti is the father of my sister's baby??
"You figured it out already, didn't you? I see it in your eyes. You are smart, Zarya. Always were. So the father of your sister's baby... is the son of Eric Valenti?"
I swallowed hard, my voice barely a whisper, broken and terrified, putting the pieces together that I never wanted to see.
"Is he the father?..."
"SI! brAVO! Finally!" He clapped his hands slowly, mocking me, celebrating my destruction.
"The only son of Eric. The heir. The man who carries everything Eric ever wanted and the man who got your sister pregnant.
And let's not forget the best part... Isaac is not just anyone. He is Iris's younger brother."
Everything went black. Parang gumuho ang buong mundo ko.
Yana's baby... fathered by Isaac.
Isaac, son of Eric.
Eric, the man who abandoned Iris.
Which means... Yana's child is also Iris's nephew.
Sterling watched me crumble, his expression shifting from amusement to something colder, something sharper.
"You see, Zarya... Eric Valenti is naive. He is not a mastermind like me. He is just a man driven by one thing—revenge."
He started walking again, slow and deliberate, circling me like a shark.
"At first, all he wanted was to get even with Bernard Rusco... and your father, Raymond De Luca. He wanted to take everything they loved, everything they built, everything they held dear. But then... something changed. He found out something that made his anger burn hotter, deeper, darker."
Sterling stopped, facing me directly, his voice dropping to a dangerous, heavy tone.
"His daughter, is madly in love with a De Luca. And what more will he do if he found out that another De Luca, is about to ruin his son's life? Worst...it was the useless part of De Luca."
My blood boiled. Useless? Did he just call me useless? Did he call my sister useless?
I snapped. Every fear, every pain, every sacrifice I made, it all turned into pure, blinding rage. Napuno na ako ng galit, I screamed on top of lungs with all the strength left in me.
"MY SISTER IS NOT USELESS!"
I swung at him, desperate to hit him, to hurt him, to wipe that smug look off his face. Gusto ko siyang saktan, gaya kung paano niya ako sinasaktan ngayon. I want him to feel all the rage inside me.
But Sterling was faster, stronger, calmer. He caught both my wrists in one hand, stopping me cold in mid air, holding me firmly but not roughly, halos hindi ako makawala sa kaniya. I struggled, kicking and twisting, crying out in frustration, but he wouldn't let go.
"Calm down, Zarya. You don't have to do all of this," he said, voice low and steady, completely unbothered by my attack. He held me there, looking straight into my broken eyes. "Just quit the bidding. Princepesa"
I stopped struggling, chest heaving, tears streaming down my face, staring at him with pure hatred and agony. My voice came out shaking, raw and desperate.
"If I quit... is this all going to change? Will my sister be unpregnant by that son of a bitch?"
Silence stretched between us, heavy and painful. Sterling didn't flinch. He didn't lie. He just looked at me with cold, cruel honesty.
"No."
My heart shattered even more. Wala na. Wala nang babalik sa dati. Hindi naman talaga posible na maaayos ko 'to, hindi na ito normal na problema lang.
"But..." he added slowly, every word hitting me like a bullet. "You quit... and your sister would be alive. And so is her baby."
The threat hung in the air, clear and deadly.
I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I just stood there, frozen, broken, the weight of his words crushing every bit of fight I had left.
Kung ipaglalaban ko pa 'to, everyone would be in risk. Kapag sumuko ako, everything I built would shatter into pieces. Putangina, hindi ko na alam.
Sterling released my wrists, stepping back as if I wasn't even worth holding onto anymore. Tinalikuran niya ako at lumakad palayo saakin.
"I will give you 24 hours," he said, without looking back, his voice carried by the wind. "Give me your papers. Meet me here. Bring nothing but the papers... and yourself."
He paused, and the last words he spoke sent chills down my spine, sealing my fate.
"You know what will happen if you dare to even not follow my rules."
I stood there long after Sterling vanished into the dark, parang nakapako talaga ang mga paa ko sa malamig na buhangin. The wind howled around me, carrying the sound of the crashing waves, but I heard nothing. Saw nothing. Felt nothing except yung sobrang bigat ng lahat ng nalaman ko.
After everything I found out, hindi ko na alam ano ang uunahin ko. Parang lahat ng problema gumugulo sa isip ko, halos mabaliw ako kakaisip.
My hands trembled so hard I had to clutch my coat tight against my chest, trying so hard na hindi ako bumigay at mapaluhod na lang doon. Paano nangyari 'to? Lahat naman ginawa ko? paglayo ko, sakripisyo ko, para lang dito? Para lang malaman na wasak na pala ang lahat simula pa lang?
Sterling's words kept playing in my head, masakit at nakakagalit.
And the threat that hung over me, parang kadena sa leeg ko. "You quit, and your sister would be alive, and so is her baby."
I turned slowly, my legs feeling like lead, at dahan?dahan akong naglakad palayo sa lugar na yun. Palayo sa lahat ng akala ko ay ipinaglalaban ko.
Wala akong ibang magagawa sa loob ng 24 oras kundi magdusa at mag-isip?isip.
Every step was agony. Bawat mukha na nakikita ko, bawat ingay na naririnig ko, parang lahat nagpapaalala kung ano na ang nawala sa akin... at kung ano pa ang malapit nang mawala.
Hindi ako umuwi. Hindi ko kaya makaharap kahit sino. Gusto ko sanang sumigaw. Gusto kong sabihin kay Iris ang lahat. Pero paano?
I went to my car, and drove off. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupunta, gusto ko lang lumayo. Tears slowly streaming down while I am driving, halos mag blur na ang daan dahil sa mga luha ko.
But then I stopped the car when I found a quiet, dark corner near the gardens, walang tao, at umupo ako sa malamig na bato. I buried my face in my hands, nanginginig ang balikat ko, pinipigilan ko lang talaga na sumabog ako ng iyak doon mismo.
Hindi pa ngayon. Hindi pa pwede. Marami pa akong kailangang ayusin. Pero sa loob?loob ko... alam ko na ang sagot. I will never win in this game.
Kung susuko ako, marami ang mawawala. This is an important thing para kay papa, ilang taon niyang hinintay yung lugar na yun para sa kompanya. He invested hundreds of millions, and trust saakin. I can't let him lose, lalo na kung sa kamay pa ng Valenti at Sterling.
Kung lalaban ako... baka matalo ko sila Sterling. Baka mapanatili ko ang lahat, baka kaya ko pang ayusin. But the people I love would be in serious danger, at nakilala ko na si Sterling. Hindi lang siya basta puro salita, he is indeed a threat.
But... ano ba talaga ang ipinaglaban ko?
The wind blew harder, sobrang lamig, at niyakap ko ang sarili ko, nanginginig.
"24 hours," I whispered, voice cracking, tumulo na ang mga luha ko kahit anong pigil ko. "24 oras na lang... para magdesisyon kung matatalo ako... o mawawalan ako ng lahat."
I took a slow breath, trying to steady myself.
Sitting here alone wasn't helping. If I stayed any longer, I'd just keep walking in circles inside my own head, and baka doon pa ako tuluyang mawala sa sarili ko.
This road I was on right now felt so empty, so directionless, I couldn't afford to lose myself even more than I already had.
It was getting really late, way past midnight. There was nothing more I could figure out here, no answers waiting for me in the dark. Mabuti nang umuwi na lang.
I pulled it out and laid it flat on the desk.
I ran my fingers over the smooth cover, feeling how heavy it was.
not just in weight, but in what it represented.
Ilang buwan kaming nagtrabaho para mabuo ito.
Ilang sakripisyo, ilang gabi ng puyat, brainstorming, at adjustments para ma perfect ito.
lahat para lang sa laman ng folder na ito.
I flipped it open just a little, glancing at the first page. My father's signature, my own signature, official stamps, numbers and figures that looked impressive on paper but felt hollow right now. Isang folder na naglalaman ng lahat. But this is what sterling wants.
I closed it again, sliding it to the far corner of the desk, away from me. Looking at it only made the choice harder. Mamaya ko na iisipin 'to. Ngayon... kailangan ko muna huminga.
I just sat there, forcing myself to be strong. Pinipilit kong pigilan ang luha at sakit.
Pero nabaling ang atensyon ko sa isang drawer. With a deep, heavy sigh, I reached for the locked drawer on the far left. I turned the key, and when it clicked open, I pulled it wide.
There was a medium sized box inside, I gently pulled it out.
Inside, there was no cash, no weapons, no business contracts, just piles upon piles of envelopes, folders, and small boxes.
There were receipts, official documents, stacks of papers, and photographs.
But most of all? Letters. Hundreds of them, neatly tied with ribbons or arranged by date, all kept hidden away, never sent, never shown to anyone.
Ang dami pala... hindi ko namalayan na umabot na ng ganito karami.
Some were thick, some were thin. Some were written on fancy stationery, others on whatever paper I could grab during long nights in Italy.
Mixed in between were photos—pictures of Iris I managed to get, some taken from afar, some old snapshots I kept for years.
There she was, smiling, looking fierce, looking calm, looking exactly like the woman I fell in love with all those years ago.
I ran my fingers over the top of the stack, feeling the smooth and rough edges, parang kapag hinahawakan ko sila, parang mas malapit ako sa kanya kahit malayo talaga. Ilang taon ko na itong tinatago. Ilang gabi ko na lang binabasa kapag sobrang bigat na ng pakiramdam ko.
I started going through them one by one, letting my eyes drift over my handwriting. it became more steady, more formal through the years, but never lost the feeling behind every word.
Then my fingers brushed against a small, cream colored envelope, sealed with a simple wax stamp. Kinuha ko ito at binuksan, my heart tightened when I saw the date.
Not just any date. It was February 14 — Valentine's Day, the day everyone celebrates love, but more importantly, Iris's birthday.
It feels so meaningful, right? The day she was born, and also the day that reminds me of everything I feel for her... which makes it even more painful, because it's always the day I wanted to be with her the most, yet I was always the farthest away.
My throat tightened as I carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the folded sheets. I smoothed them out on the desk, my fingers tracing the words I wrote so long ago, when the loneliness felt like it could swallow me whole.
By the time I finished reading, my vision was already blurry.
I gripped the edges of the paper so tight my knuckles turned white, and a choked sob escaped before I could stop it.
Ito 'yung nararamdaman ko noon... pero ngayon, mas masakit pa.
Parang ang laki ng pangako ko, pero pakiramdam ko wala na akong lakas para tuparin 'yun.
Tears poured down my cheeks, hot and endless, soaking into my palms. My shoulders shook violently, and I bit my lip hard to keep from screaming, but the sound still came out, raw and broken, echoing off the walls.
Ang bigat-bigat na ng dibdib ko. Parang sasabog na sa sobrang sakit, sa panghihinayang, sa takot.
I reached out and grabbed more letters, pulling them out one after another, flipping through them.
But I hesitate to read them, lahat ng 'yun pare pareho lang din naman.
written in the middle of the night, full of longing, full of apologies, full of love that had nowhere to go.
Some were written when I was tired, some when I was angry, some when I felt completely alone.
Lahat ng ito... para lang sa kanya. Lahat ng ito. .. kwento ng paghihintay ko.
I picked up one of the photos, a little blurry but clear enough to see Iris standing near her school gate. wind blowing her hair, a small smile on her face. I pressed it against my chest, right over my heart, parang sa ganitong paraan lang ay mahahawakan ko siya kahit sa isip ko lang.
Paano ko ba sasabihin sa kanya ang lahat? Paano ko ipapaliwanag na bawat hakbang, bawat desisyon ko, kahit ang paglayo ko... laging may kinalaman sa kanya? At ngayon... lahat ng sakripisyo ko, parang nauuwi lang sa wala.
My knees gave way, and I slid down until I was sitting on the floor, leaning against the leg of the desk, surrounded by piles of letters and pictures. I hugged my knees tight to my chest, crying harder than I had in years, every sob tearing through me.
Ang dami kong sinulat. Ang dami kong ipinangako. Pero ngayon... parang wala na akong pag-asa na matupad kahit isa sa mga 'yun.
I looked up at the stack of letters, at the birthday note still lying open on the desk, and whispered, my voice hoarse and broken.
I still love you, Iris. More than anything. Pero hindi ko na alam kung paano ko ito maipapakita... o kung karapat-dapat pa ba akong sabihin ito nang harapan.
The room stayed quiet, only filled with the sound of my weeping. And in that moment, surrounded by all the proof of the love I had hidden away, I felt more lost, more empty, and more broken than ever before.
Iris...the only person I want to spend a lifetime with.
???? ????'???? ?????????? ???? ????, I will???????? my ?????? ???????? ???? you.
.. ?????? ???? ???? ?????????? ???????? ??????????, ???????? ?????????? ???????? ???? ?????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????????? ???? ????????.
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