Prologue

Elliot

One of the bodyguards opens the massive mahogany front door for me. "Where are they?" I ask him seriously.

"Nasa right wing sila Attorney, kanina ka pa nila hinihintay," sagot niya.

"What is this urgent matter they're telling me over the phone? Is this about the shipment?"

"It's about the Seaway," He directly stated. I pat him on his shoulder before making my way to the hallway of the right wing of the mansion where the main library office is situated.

I knock twice before opening the door. A well-groomed hoary man was standing in front of his bookshelf, holding his favourite book collection while my brother's reading some newspaper. They all turn to me with a "what took you so long" look.

"What is this?" I ask wondering. I walk to the sectional couch, plop down and pour a Macallan Michael Dillon into a rock glass. I take a small sip, lean back, and speak. "Will Elandra join us tonight?"

"No. She already flew back to Paris yesterday." Eidan responds to me.

He deeply sighs as he has something on his mind. I was looking at him intently with furrowed brows when Emmette started to talk.

"Elliot, did you know someone had tried to access all our company data?"

"Yeah, I heard that one from Keros. He said that the copied data is all about shipments into various countries. Luxe was still tracking them, but it appeared they had hired the best hacker they could find."

"I swear, he will pay for putting everyone in a mess. My transaction in Russia was held because of that fucking limbo," said Eidan in a threatening tone.

I scoffed. "Caitiff played well, and I believe those rats are unaware of whom they are besmirching, us," I said confidently.

Father walks to the settee and slowly perches on the arm of the single couch, still holding the book. “Hmm, gentlemen, you miss putting a piece of the puzzle on the table." Cocking his head, signalling us to follow him.

Emmette and I were exchanging thoughts while standing on both sides of dad's office table, discussing the copied data from our company system. Dad was sitting on his grey swivel chair while Eidan was leaning on the wall beside the window. He opens the drawer, pulls out a folder and draws it on the table. Dad embeds the bank records under the name Vernon Binici. To our surprise, our company made several transactions with Vernon.

"Where did you get this?" Emmette, holding the folder and slowly quivering his head.

"Our new Finance Head forwarded it to me."

"New? Where is Lucas Peralta?" I ask.

"The pig fled away without even saying goodbye. Immigration informs me that Lucas has boarded a flight to India. That is bloody suspicious," dad answered.

"I think it was Lucas, the man inside our company helping Federico before, and their big boss is Binici." With burning eyes, my lips form in one line in fury. "I will fucking kill him if he shows his face here!" I turned to Eidan. "And where is Ezekiel? I thought you called him before I got here."

"I did-"

Ezekiel cut him off. "Here. Sorry, I’m late."

Lahat kami ay napalingon sa pintuan kung saan pumasok si Ezekiel. Hindi namin namalayan ang pagdating niya dahil sa seryosong pinag-uusapan. Nakangiti itong lumapit at naupo sa single chair na nasa harapan ng lamesa.

"Where were you?" Eidan asks him with a suspicious tone.

Ezekiel looks at Eidan. "I'm the company's Vice President, what would you expect? That after your call, I will be here in a dash?" He chuckled.

Nakita kong naningkit ang mga mata ni Eidan dahil sa sinagot ni Ezekiel. Ngayon ko lang napansin, Eidan has a short temper too, isa nga siyang Hart.

"Tama na ‘yan," Saway ng aming ama. "Pinapunta ko kayo rito dahil sa problema sa kumpanya. Hindi para magsagutan at mag-away-away sa harapan ko. Gusto kong solusyunan ninyo ang milyun-milyong pera na nawawala sa kumpanya." Tiningnan niya kami isa-isa. "Now, start thinking, gentlemen." Sumandal ito at pinagsalikop ang mga kamay.

"Vernon Binici? A Turkish national, I guess," I said.

"EJ, you're one of the Black-Market officials, right?"

"So? What can the Black Market do about Binici?"

"You can use your connection from the underground to find Binici. Base rito sa profile niya ay ilang beses na rin tumawid ng France ang taong ito. Kaya nasisiguro kong may nagiging transaksyon na rin siya sa Black Market," paniniguradong saad ni Emmette.

"In that case, I still need to inform Oryn about this. He is the one who operates the organization, and that org is under his dispensation."

"I beg to disagree," Ezekiel interjects.

"Pucha! Hindi ka nakakatulong," ani Jake. "Gusto mo bang mahuli si Binici o hindi?!"

"Will you please, listen first? Ano bang pinagpuputok ng butsi mo, Mon-?!"

"Hart. Eidan Jake Hart, asshole!"

"Jake!" Sigaw ko para pigilan siya.

Tumayo ang aming ama at malakas na sumuntok sa lamesa. "Isa. Isa pang paalala, lahat kayo gagapang palabas nang kuwartong ito!"

Silence obnubilate us. Yes, we are all associated with the different stalwart underground organizations, but our father is still the most omnipotent among us. In our family, his words are our rules. Emmette crosses his arms across his chest while Eidan walks over to the couch and sits. I clutch my waist and bow my head.

Nilingon ko si Eidan at umiling. "Mag-uusap tayo mamaya." Banta ko sa kan’ya. Tiningnan n’ya lang ako ng masama.

Ezekiel maintains his poise before speaking. "Kung papasok si Oryn sa isyu ng kumpanya at matunugan ni Binici, sa tingin ninyo hindi ikakapahamak ni Elandra ang naiisip ninyo?"

Nagkatinginan lang kami ni Emmette. Alam kong para kay Emette, may punto ang sinabi ni Ezekiel. Pero para sa akin ay insulto ang sinabi ng gagong iyon. Parang sinabi niya na hindi namin kaya si Binici. Masyado siyang nagmamagaling. Fucking asshole!

"I do not want my only living sister to get involved. Let us not ruin her sequestered life away from our dirty world."

"Gago ka pala! Dirty world your ass. Baka nakakalimutan mo kung sino ang taong pakakasalan ni Elandra?!" singhal ko kay Ezekiel.

Sasagot pa sana ito ng biglang tumunog ang cellphone ng s****p naming kapatid. Kinuha niya iyon sa bulsa at tumingin sa aming ama. "I need to take this first. Excuse me." Naglakad ito palabas ng kuwarto.

Tumayo si Eidan at lumapit. "I don't fucking trust his idea; we need a connection from the Black Market, and you're the only one who can do that," he said, pointing at me.

"Do you think I didn't know that?!" I darted him with a minacious look and shook my head. "You do not need to worry about it. I will talk to Oryn once I confirm that this is substantial."

My cell phone buzzes off too. It was on the table, so I peeped at the screen and saw my girlfriend's name. I quickly grab it and sigh to ease the tension in me before answering. "Babe?"

Her voice sounds like it came from a long run. She sounds like she is catching her breath and gathering the words she wants to say to me.  "Babe, dad is awake. He was looking for you, and he said it was him! It was-"

Lots of red dot light from the outside drew my attention before I realized what it was. "Take cover." It was almost a whisper.

"What?" Emmette asks, perplexed.

"Snipers. Hide!"

Eksaktong pagbukas ni Ezekiel ng pintuan, ay ang pagtagos naman ng mga bala sa bubog ng bintana mula sa mga snipers na nakapalibot sa right-wing ng mansyon. Kaagad kaming dumapa para maiwasan ang mga balang iyon.

"Zek! Armory!" Sigaw ko.

Gumapang ito muli palabas sa nakabukas pa rin na pintuan. Kailangan ni Ezekiel makakuha ng iba pang armas mula sa armory na magagamit namin sa labanan. Naririnig namin sa labas ang palitan ng putok ng mga baril mula sa magkabilang grupo. Nang tumigil ang pagpapaulan ng bala sa right-wing ay dali-dali akong gumapang papunta sa gilid ng isang bookshelves malapit sa bintana. Sinenyasan ko rin si Eidan para siya ang pumuwesto sa kabilang bintana. Nilingon ko si Emmette, hawak ang kaniyang baril na nananatiling nakadagan sa may parteng ulo ng aming ama, at pinoprotektahan ito.

Dahan-dahan akong sumilip sa labas ng basag na bintana. May hindi bababa sa sampu ang nakikita kong grupo na palapit sa kinaroroonan namin. "Tangina! Paano kami napasok ng mga kalaban?"

Ikinasa ko ang aking baril at bahagya inilabas ang nguso sa gilid ng bintana para asintahin ang dalawang lalaki na nauuna sa mga kasama na palapit sa amin. Magksunod ko silang binaril at agad na bumulagta dahilan para dumapa ang mga kasamahan ng mga ito. Pero hindi ko inaasahan ang sunod na nangyari. Isang malakas na pagsabog mula sa itaas ng mansyon ang nagpatinag sa amin para mawalan kami ng pokus. Sa lakas ng impact ay tuluyang nabasag ang mga natitirang bubog sa mga bintana at nagkapira-piraso na tumama sa amin. May maliliit ding debris ang nanlalaglag mula sa itaas. Sa paglingon ko muli sa labas ay mga nagtatakbuhan na palapit sa amin ang mga kalalakihang kanina lamang ay mga nakadapa.

Hindi na ako nagsayang pa ng oras. Bahagya akong sumilip, mabuti na lamang at mausok pa ang paligid at mas kita ko sila dahil mas maliwanag sa labas kaysa sa puwesto namin. May tatlo pa akong tinamaan, pero tangina! Naramdaman ko na lang na may tumama sa dibdib ko at sa kaliwang bahagi ng tiyan.

I toppled down on the floor and heard Eidan call my name. Everything went fuzzy, my hearing became feeble, and my body felt numb. Emmette tugs me closer to them, and when I slowly turn to look at our father, it’s not him I was facing.

A ten-year-old girl was wearing a yellow lace dress below the knee, and white doll shoes and socks with ruffles embracing her soft legs. White bows on the sides of her head that clipped her hair backwards. I opened my mouth and whispered her name.

Eona.