Chapter 13

I woke up feeling warm and contented. It was the first decent sleep I got after weeks of having nightmares and not being able to sleep. Savoring a few precious moments of calmness in the morning, I slowly open my eyes only to reveal a pair of lethal orbs staring lazily at me.

Blake moved closer, still half-asleep, to spoon me in his arms. I stared at his clothed chest, dumbfounded. Ilang segundo rin akong tulala habang nilulusob ng panglalaki niyang amoy ang ilong ko. I basked in his scent, wondering why I have never felt this contented before I pulled away and blinked at him. Nakalapat ang dalawang palad ko sa dibdib niya.

"Good morning..." he said in a hoarse, sleepy voice.

"Good morning...?" nag-aalangan kong sagot sa kaniya. I could barely remember what happened last night. All I know is that I have never seen Blake so frustrated. He's always so composed and restraint, so him shouting his feelings at me made me feel like it was all just a dream.

"I'll order food for breakfast." He said with his eyes still closed. Napalunok ako. We've never been this close and never shared the same bed since we broke up.

For a moment, panic surged through me. I looked down at my body underneath the thick, white blankets and almost heave a sigh of relief to find myself still wearing my Vera Wang black slip nightdress. Blake's still wearing the same clothes from last night. I would know if something happened to us, but I just wanted to make sure.

"I think I need some coffee." I said, trying to break free from his steel arms.

"I'll ring the kitchen, then." He replied, not letting go of me.

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. "Well, I need to get up to do my skincare routine! Let go of me already." Suplada kong wika sa kaniya.

"Five more minutes."

"Stop fooling with me, Blake—"

Naputol ang sinasabi ko nang biglang bumukas ang pinto at iniluwa nito ang nakangisi kong pinsan na hindi inaasahan ang madadatnan sa loob ng villa ko.

"Rise and shine, Savia—" she stopped mid-sentence, staring at us with a shocked expression on her face. "Oh my God!"

"What is it?" Dr. Ciervo asked, alarmed. He poked his head through the narrow doorway and stared at us, mirroring the surprise in my cousin's face.

"Mali ata ang villa na napasukan natin, Enzo." Tina awkwardly laughed as my cheeks burned in embarrassment.

"Tina, it's not what you think it is—"

"It is exactly what you're thinking right now, Dr. De la Rua." Blake said smugly, throwing an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him.

"Ano ba!" galit kong asik sa kaniya.

"Uhm... sige. Labas muna kami. I'll leave the two of you to continue doing your... business." Tina said and shut the door in a hurry.

I glared at Blake who's now smiling lazily at me.

"Get off my bed!" suplada kong wika.

Nagkamot ng batok si Blake pero sumunod rin naman. I scoffed and went straight to the bathroom to wash my face. I spent nearly 20 minutes inside, meticulously dabbing cream on my face and applying sunblock in a slow, agonizing process, hoping he'd go away. But when I stepped out, Blake is still standing by the bed, waiting patiently for me. Siningkitan ko siya ng mga mata. Someone knocked at the door so he went to open it.

"In-order niyo po, S-sir Blake.."

"Thanks," he said, accepting the tray of food from the female staff and placing it atop the side table. Nameywang ako at siningkitan siya ng mga mata.

"Why are you still here?"

"Let's eat some breakfast first. Alas syete pasado na. Enzo already settled their transportation back to Manila. Ikaw nalang ang hinihintay."

"Where's Salvador?"

"At the beach, I think."

Inirapan ko siya at lumabas ng villa, hinahanap si Salvador.

"Salvador, Salvador!"

"Ma'am!"

Muntik na akong atakihin sa puso nang biglang pumuslit ang bodyguard ko na basang-basa mula ulo hanggang paa. Nginisihan niya ako.

"Naliligo po ako sa dagat. Aalis na po ba tayo?"

I rolled my eyes. "Where's my cousin and Dr. Ciervo?"

"Kumakain pa po. Nilibre ako ni Sir ng kape kanina, nakakahiya nga eh."

"Go get something to eat and tell them to put it in my tab. We'll leave in an hour." Masungit kong sinabi at bumalik na sa loob.

"Thank you, Ma'am!" pahabol pa niya bago ko isinara ang pinto. I found Blake sitting casually at the rattan chair and in front of him is a small coffee table made of the same material where the tray of food is laid. He gestured towards the table. My stomach growled at the sight of baked beans, eggs benedict, hash brown, English muffin, two cups of black coffee, and a tall glass of orange juice.

"Kumain ka muna, Anna." Blake said calmly.

Hindi na ako nakipagtalo pa at naupo sa harapan niya. My stomach growled again as I reached for the baked beans and put some on my plate. Blake frowned upon seeing that I only afforded myself two spoonful of the beans.

"Yan lang ang kakainin mo? Nabubusog ka ba d'yan?"

I rolled my eyes as I munched the tasty beans, trying not to show how much it pleased me. I'm only a plate away from begging him to introduce me to his chef so I could bribe him and bring him to the mansion. I bet their astounding menu lures their guests into coming back to the resort.

Abala ako sa pag-kain at sinamaan ng tingin si Blake nang dagdagan ba niya ng beans ang plato ko at sinamahan pa ng muffin. For the past years, I rarely eat three times a day or would content myself with a fruit cup so I can maintain my prima ballerina figure. I am very much contented watching my pet Barin eat his food with much gusto. But now that I am back in the Philippines, everyone's saying that I need to eat more and that I am too skinny.

Ramdam ko ang bigat ng titig ni Blake sa akin. He's just feeding me! He haven't touched any of his food yet and he's just sipping his black coffee. He lazily gave me an once-over and decided to spent the last few minutes staring at my face.

Still munching, I frowned at him. "What?"

"Wala, cute mo."

Inirapan ko siya. "If you think you can keep me in this resort because you serve the best food..." I swallowed. "You're wrong."

"I'm not trying to keep you anywhere, Anna. You're free to go wherever you want."

"Exactly. Baka makalimutan na ako ni Barin sa tagal naming hindi nagkita."

"Don't be ridiculous. You've only been away for a day."

I giggled and continued eating. Blake decided to have some garlic bread and pasta as his breakfast as he joined me a little while later. After we were done eating, I started packing my things while he left to his room for a shower.

Habang inaayos ko ang higaan ay nakarinig ako ng mahinang katok. I looked up and saw my cousin standing by the doorway.

"Valentina." Binitawan ko ang hawak na unan at sinalubong siya ng yakap.

"Sumabay sa amin kanina si Salvador sa agahan." sinulyapan niya ang rattan bag kong naka-ayos na. "Babalik na kami sa Manila, Savia."

"I know. I can't thank you enough for your help, Tina."

"Don't be silly. It's nothing, really. This short vacation really helped me."

I stared at her, willing to continue. My cousin sighed and looked down.

"I think I've been angry at Enzo's father for too long that I allowed hatred to consume my heart. But seeing you so strong and compassionate in handling things after everything that woman has done to you, it made me realize a lot of things. Sometimes, we forgive other people not because they deserve it but we do. We deserve a happy, forgiving life that is free from the burdens of the past. We do it for ourselves and not at the mercy of other people's conscience."

I smiled at her, tears brimming my eyes.

"I couldn't be more proud of you, Savannah. When your integrity was tested, you chose life. You chose to spare her life and move on and be happy. Five years of suffering is enough. You've got to be happy for yourself..." she glanced at the open door where we could see Blake and Enzo talking to each other. "And for Blake."

I nodded and wiped the unshed tears from my eyes before pulling her into a hug.

"I promise I'll look into your father's case with my lawyer and see what we can do. You may or may not be ready to forgive Enzo's father, Tina, but we still can do something about it. I will never let it be a lost case. You deserve to free your mind from that burden, too."

She nodded weakly and smiled at me. Naputol lang ang pag-uusap namin nang makitang papunta na rito ang dalawang lalaki.

"Are you ladies done packing? The SUV just arrived, Tina. We should get going." Dr. Ciervo said politely.

"Okay!" Valentina chirped and picked up her own bag. "I'm sorry I can't go back to see Barin again, but you'll visit me in the hospital, right?"

"Last time I checked, black pumas are not allowed in the hospital." I said, chuckling. "But yeah, I will visit."

"Good. See you, then!"

Inihatid namin ang dalawa sa labas ng resort kung saan naghihintay ang driver ni Dr. Ciervo at ang sasakyang mukhang galing pa sa Maynila para sunduin sila.

"Take care of my cousin, okay?" I said to him, smiling.

"Of course." Dr. Ciervo said and nodded. "That's what I'm here for."

I waved at Tina before she rolled the tinted windows up and we both watch in silence as the car drove off. I turned to Blake and caught him already looking at me. I know he's still waiting for an answer. The emotions in his eyes may be swirling lazily, but I could feel its burn right through my gut. In the broad daylight, Blake looked striking as any dangerous man would appeal. Only that he's nowhere near the definition of danger, and between the two of us I am most likely to hurt him than he would.

"Savannah!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and suddenly found myself inside the study room with my lawyer. He was explaining something uninteresting to me about my properties and I drifted off. I looked at him and grinned unapologetically.

"You were saying, attorney?"

He sighed and shook his head. "You're out of sorts. What's going on?"

"Nothing." I picked up a piece of paper and tried to gather as much information as I can. "Are you saying that I can't sell this property in Tagaytay?"

"I'm not saying you can't, I'm just saying you shouldn't sell it right now." he rubbed the bridge of his nose and put down his gold-rimmed spectacles. "But you can wait for a year or two, you'll be able to sell it in a higher price. You're not in a rush, are you?"

Umiling ako. Up until yesterday, I was so determined to go back to Russia but now I don't know what to do. Calling my lawyer for an afternoon tea and discussion of my real estate properties to drift my mind away from the things that's been bugging me is a bad idea. Halos hindi na ako nakikinig sa kaniya.

"Well, that's just a suggestion. But you can sell it anytime you want. Have you seen this?"

Iniabot niya sa akin ang hawak na iPad. Kumunot ang noo ko nang makita ang larawan sa screen kalakip ng headline at artikulo tungkol sa pagbabalik ko. I scrolled past uninteresting headlines and stories until I came upon a Forbes list.

"For years, they've been writing how you would've been included in the Forbes Top 20 Youngest Female Asian Billionaires if you were alive and now that you're back, you easily scooped the 13th spot."

Biglang bumalik sa isipan ko ang sinabi ni Blake sa akin noong nakaraan. At first, I refused to believe it. All my life, I've been taught to work hard to get what I wanted. I thought the insurance from the mansion that got burned down at Negros Occidental and the trust fund from my parents are all I am going to get but I was wrong. A few years ago, a lawyer contacted me saying that all my grandparent's money and properties were handed down to me, not including my mother's own shares. I was shocked to see how much she possessed, and wondered if my father even knew of it. The trust fund I got from when I retrieved the mansion from Valerie seemed like a few coins.

"No man would dare marry you once they found out about your net worth." Atty. De Guzman chuckled.

"Why not?"

"Because it will hurt their egos. You know how modernized men nowadays think. They'd rather jump off a boat than marry a woman richer than them."

Napanguso ako at ibinalik ang tingin sa listahan. I don't know how to feel garnering all these riches without even breaking a sweat. All these inheritance should make me happy, but what I am feeling right now is quite the opposite.

Nang makaalis na si Attorney ay mag-isa ulit ako sa mansion. I already fed Barin twice and felt guilty for ruining his diet so I just stayed in the grand parlor, stroking his fur and getting bored to death.

The housekeepers were getting wary, as well. Maybe they're not used to doing nothing and not getting screamed at under the supremacy of Valerie for years. I have ordered literally nothing since I arrived at the mansion and opted to do everything by myself, having to live in a small apartment in Russia and growing independent of anyone.

Sighing, I got up and smoothed down my skirt, gesturing to one of the young maids.

"I'm going to take a shower in a few minutes. Can you watch over Barin for me?"

"Certainly, Miss. I'm going to prepare the bathroom for you as well."

I just nodded so she could have something to do. My phone suddenly rang, so I lazily reached for it without even bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Savannah!"

I instantly perked up in my seat when I heard a familiar, baritone voice that brought a smile to my face.

"Tito Cristophe," I cried.

He chuckled at the other line. "Been a while, huh? I keep hearing of you from my son but I just wanted to ask personally: kumusta ka na?"

"I'm okay, Tito Cristophe. I'm so sorry that I haven't made time to see you. I'm so ashamed and—"

"Ssh. Nothing else matters, Anna. Ang importante ay ligtas ka."

I bit my lower lip, staring at the huge ballerina painting that my mother particularly ordered from French when I was young, trying to "inspire" me into becoming a ballerina. It remained crisp and has maintained its vintage appeal.

"I thought you'd be furious at me..." I said in a weak voice. I was too afraid to show up at the hospital after what happened. Blake was mad at me that time, so I didn't dare make a move.

"Furious? What nonsense are you talking about?" he laughed sportily. "Anyway, I heard you're in La Union and visited my son's humble resort."

I snorted, grinning at my reflection in the glass. "The resort is nothing but humble, Tito Cristophe."

"Are you planning to stay here in La Union?"

"No, Tito, I uh... have other things to attend to."

"Alright. I called to invite you to a party that my daughter-in-law prepared this weekend. Can you stay that long?"

I paused for a while, trying to remember whose birthday it is but when I didn't, I just pressed on.

"What's the party all about?"

"I'm not really sure. Some sort of revealing the baby's gender or something." he laughed. "You know I'm not into these things. I just wanted to see my grandchildren happy."

Napangiti rin ako sa sinabi niya. As I've said to my lawyer earlier, I'm not in a rush. I might as well make an appearance to the party before I go.

"Don't worry, hija, it's just a simple party. We invited some close friends and families. If you're worried that the press would make such a fuss of your appearance—"

"No, no, it's okay." I assured him. "Pupunta ho ako, Tito."

"I'm glad to hear." He said and I could even imagine the smile of relief on his face.

We chatted for a while, checking out on each other before I ended the call and went upstairs. The young maid has certainly outdone herself when I saw a complete kit of French shower gels and hair treatment. There are even some 30 candles lit for a shower. Kumunot ang noo ko. Is this how Valerie injected a royalty culture to the housemaids whenever they're serving her?

Napakibit-balikat na lamang ako. I slipped from my dress and stepped into the shower, sighing in delight as the warm water ran down my body.

The understated elegance and warmth of the candle-lit bathroom brought me peace added by the lavender smell of the French products. I stayed there for about an hour before I stepped out and was shocked to see the maid waiting outside for me, holding a silk robe.

"Uhm.. thanks." I said as she helped me slip it on.

"May kailangan pa po ba kayo, Senyorita?" mahinhin niyang tanong.

I waved my hand in dismissal. "Wala na. Maghapunan na kayo kasama ang iba sa baba."

She nodded and disappeared while I headed to my room. I was busy picking the best nightwear when my phone started ringing again. This time, I checked the caller ID and frowned when I saw it was from the police department that captured Valerie.

"Miss De la Rua," a polite voice sounded from the other line. "Pasensiya na po sa disturbo."

"Bakit?" gumapang kaagad ang kaba sa dibdib ko hindi ko pa man naririnig kung anong pakay niya sa pagtawag.

"This is about Valerie, Miss De la Rua. We can't reach her daughter or any of her family so we decided to just contact you instead."

"Why? What happened?"

"She's showing signs of PTSD for the past few weeks and started talking to herself, so we invited a doctor to check on her to make an official diagnosis. She's mentally ill and our chief recommended to move her to the rehabilitation center tomorrow, where she can get the proper treatment instead here in the prison."

Natigilan ako, hindi alam ang sasabihin.

"She has heart problems, too." I whispered.

"Yes, all the more reason why we can't keep her locked up here. If you know how to contact her daughter or any of her family, we would deeply appreciate it. We will update you from time to time, Ma'am."

"Okay, thanks..." nanghihina kong sagot upang tapusin ang usapan.

I ended the call and clutched my phone tightly, staring at the half-sliced moon hanging in the dark sky.