“Calm down, Tor. She’s going to be fine.” Ale tapped his shoulder. Kanina pa siya hindi mapakali. Abot kamay na niya si Iris, pero kailangan nilang magplano ng maayos. One wrong move and Iris could be gone forever. Lucian just finished setting up their gadgets. He has been talking to his wife this whole time and making sure all the connections are good to go. Seeing the support he has around him is overwhelming.“Tor, it’s all set up. You can make a call whenever you’re ready." The goal is for the governor to say yes to meet in a neutral ground. Mas madali nilang maililigtas si Iris kung wala ito sa basement. Tumayo s'ya at pumwesto sa harap ng computer. "Are you ready, Tor? I will connect you to his phone. He can't track you," said Georgina. He was using the earpiece at pakinig niya ang sinasabi nito. "Yes, I am." A few seconds later, the governor picked up. "You have something that is mine." "And you have something that is mine as well. What are we going to do about that, Salva
Nagising s'ya nang marinig ang pagbukas ng pinto. Sa amoy pa lang ng pabango nito alam niyang ang gobernador ang dumating. It was one of those Brut fragrance for men. She doesn't particularly like it. Masangsang ang amoy nito para sa kaniya. But some people are stuck in a particular year at siguro noong panahon ni Gov ay ito ang sikat kaya nakasanayan na niya. "You're awake." "What do you want?" Tumayo s'ya pero nanatili sa sulok. Wala s'yang makita na kahit ano'ng pwedeng ihampas dito kung sakaling manakit. She has seen him mad at his men. At noong minsan ay sa isang katulong na nagkamaling matabig ang mainit na kape. Napaso ang gobernador sa kamay. He used that same hand to slap the woman twice. Namaga ang mukha nito at putok ang labi. "I just want to let you know that I am meeting your husband a few minutes from now. He wants to do a trade." Nakasilip siya ng munting pag-asa na makauuwi na siya sa piling ni Salvo. Hindi niya gustong sumama kay Rosanna kahit nakita niyang dugua
The governor won't even get a quarter of his money, but he would received some. It was one of their plans. Ipinakita kaagad nito ang totoong kulay nang hingin niyang ipakita si Iris. Hindi pa rin maiwasan na hindi s'ya mag-alala para sa asawa. He sent some of his men to the resort to retrieve Iris dahil malakas ang kutob niyang hindi ito isasama ng matanda sa Kopiat. Si Lucian ang naglead ng operasyon na 'yon at dito siya. Ale and Estefan went stayed with him at ang kasama ni Lucian ay si Kons. "Where's the rest of it?!" sigaw ng gobernador sa kaniya nang nasa speedboat na ito. "Give me back my money!" "You didn't complete your end of the bargain. Wait for my next call or you won't see the rest of it." Iyon ay kung may ititira pa s'ya sa pera nito. Kapag nabawi niya si Iris ay siya mismo ang dudurog sa matanda sa kulungan na kasasadlakan nito. They parted ways at walang nagbuwis ng buhay ngayon sa isla. Each of them want something and until then, they will try and scam each other. U
Hindi niya magawang alisin ang mga mata kay Iris sa takot na maglaho itong bigla sa harapan niya. Just when he was losing hope of finding his wife, an angel was sent to them. Hindi niya alam kung angkop ang salitang 'yon sa matandang lalaki na nasa baba at kasalukuyang kausap nina Lucian, pero nang sabihin nito na nasa sasakyan si Iris ay kaagad s'yang bumaba at pinuntahan ang asawa. He was told that she had to be sedated dahil walang tigil ito sa pag-iyak. He didn't care if Aldo was lying or not, or if he came to kill him. Somehow, he knew Aldo wouldn't be stupid enough to attack them at Albarracin. Ale and Estefan stayed with Iris in the bedroom. Bumaba s'ya para kausapin si Aldo. Gusto niyang itanong kung paanong napunta rito ang asawa niya at ano ang connection nito sa gobernador. Lucian and the other guys excused themselves, pero tanaw niya ang mga ito. Si Aldo ay isa lang ang kasama sa loob ng bahay. The rest stayed in their vehicles. Marami rin itong tauhan. "Nice place you h
A few days later... Situated at the outskirts of the city, the old abandoned factory stands as a silent testament to its former industrial glory. Once a bustling hub of activity, its vast structure now exudes an eerie sense of desolation and decay. The weathered brick walls, cracked windows, and overgrown vegetation portray a scene frozen in time. Inside, the once-thriving machines remain motionless, covered in layers of dust and rust. The absence of workers and the echoing emptiness contribute to the sense of abandonment that permeates the atmosphere. The factory's dilapidated state creates a haunting backdrop, inviting curiosity and contemplation about its storied past. Sa gitna ay dalawang pirasong 6x6x10 wood post. Mistula itong malaking ekis at nakatali roon ang gobernador. Nakataas ang dalawang kamay at magkahiwalay ang dalawang binti. "Ahh!" hiyaw nito nang buhusan ng napakalamig na tubig. The bucket was full of ice at dahil malamig ang klima sa Tagaytay ay hindi nito maiwas
Bayan ng Sta. CruzKasing dilim ng kalangitan ang nagbabadyang galit sa mga mata ng babae. Sa edad na thirty-two ay maganda pa rin ang hugis ng katawan at palagi itong nakapostura."Napakatigas ng ulo mo!" sigaw ni Rosanna sa binatilyo. Sa kamay niya ay ang sinturon na may bakal sa dulo.Napaigik si Salvatore nang haplitin siya ng madrasta. Ito na ang naging buhay niya sa nakaraang anim na buwan buhat nang mawala ang Papa niya. Malakas ang ulan at madulas ang daan— idagdag pang madilim sa parteng iyon ng tulay sa may Sabang. Nawalan ng control sa manibela at nahulog sa bangin ang sasakyan nito. Dead on arrival ang kaniyang ama.Ulila na siya ngayon. Maagang pumanaw ang kaniyang ina at ang kaniyang ama ay nag-asawa pagkaraan ng isang taon. Limang taong gulang pa lamang siya noong tumungtong sa pamamahay nila si Rosanna. Mabait ito sa kaniya kapag kaharap ang kaniyang ama, pero kapag sila na lamang ay ipinaparamdam nito ang disgusto sa kaniya. Ayaw ni Rosanna na tumatakbo siya dahil bak
New York City, Present timeNew York is a pretty sight during the fall, but Tor is stuck in the hospital. He is one of the new anesthesiologists at the Medical Centre. Life has been good to him ever since he moved to the United States, but the past still haunts him to this day. Kaya siguro hanggang ngayon ay wala pa rin siyang asawa at anak. He is in the dating scene, at kahit 'yon ay parang kinatatamaran na rin niya lately.It was past ten in the evening nang makarating siya sa penthouse. Wala pa siyang kain at tinatamad siyang magluto. Palagi siyang pinapaalalahanan ng kaniyang Uncle Fidel na hindi na siya bumabata at tinatanong nito kung kailan siya lalagay sa tahimik. Iisa lang palagi ang sagot niya noon— kapag ganap na siyang doktor. And he is now. For several months now, actually. Kaya lang ay wala siyang mapili sa mga nakikilalang babae. He boiled an egg and that's what he ate for dinner before taking a shower. Kung ang ibang tao ay madaling makatulog kapag pagod, hindi si Tor
Bayan ng Sta. CruzSanay si Tor na gumagawa ng plano. First, he filed for a sabbatical leave from the hospital. Every step he takes is calculated at hindi siya sumisira sa timeline. He did his research at nalaman niya na hindi isang simpleng tao si Octavio. Mayaman ito noon pa, pero hindi niya akalain na may ibang mga aktibidades ito sa gilid. He is involved in one of the biggest syndicate in the country at bukod sa drugs ay money laundering ang isang business ng mga ito. He wondered if Iris knew about it. One thing is for sure, hindi niya ito pwedeng bawian na siya lamang mag-isa. He needs back up. Something big... and powerful.And he knows the right person who can help him.Bago siya umuwi ng Pilipinas ay tinawagan niya si Ale pero cannot be reached na ang mobile number nito. As much as he wants to visit his house, hindi basta ang pagpunta sa bahay ng mga Gambino. It's secured and guarded because of the business they're into. Nag-email siya kay Ale at sumagot naman ito kinabukasan.