Boulevard to Polaris (Virago Series #1)

confuses furthermore

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CHAPTER FORTY
confuses furthermore
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"My father loved your Tita, but your Tita loves someone else. Duwag daw ang papa ko sabi ni Denuevo kaya mas pinili niyang magpakalayo-layo nang malamang iba ang mahal ni Avara at kaibigan niya pa 'yun. Wala ang papa ko 'nung mangyari ang lahat ng gulo. That's what I know and that's what I was told." Halos maging bulong 'yun na naging mas dahilan bakit matigilan ako. 

"Of course... Of course..." Sagot ko habang tumatawa nang pilit, "T-Tita Avara loves Tito Luc-."

"Your tita is a victim of the Madrigal's greed, Astra. She doesn't want the wedding to happen but for the sake of the man she loves and the child they're hiding, she'll do it anyway." Aniya.

Nanlaki nang tuluyan ang mata ko, "The child they're hiding...?"

"The fairytale you once told me four years ago about Avara and Lucas doesn't exist because no matter how many influences she had and no matter how powerful she was, she's still weak in the arms of the man he loves that she sacrificed everything including her own happiness for him not to experience the wrath of her own blood. You said there was a suicide letter she left, but now that I think about it, she's not pertaining to this Lucas Madrigal at all. It was never Lucas that she loved. Madrigals are too cruel and infamous despite being powerful, after all. Nasabi na rin sa'kin ni Sir Denuevo na imposibleng magustuhan ni Avara si Lucas. Lagi raw sila magkaaway sa trabaho at nagkakasundo lang sa sayahan."

Napahilamos siya ng mukha pagkatapos sabihin 'yun bago sumandal sa upuan.

Hindi-makapaniwala ko lang siyang tinignan. Parang hindi ako makahinga bigla dahil kahit anong pag-iisip ko ay hindi ko alam paano 'to naging konektado sa investor. Ang layo nito sa naging konklusyon ko pero may parte sa'king nagsasabi na may ideya na ako anong nangyayari pero ayoko lang tanggapin. 

Kung ganu'n ay magkaaway ngang talaga ang Madrigal at mga Tolliedo noon sa trabaho pero may mumunting pagkakaibigan na nabuo sa pagitan nu'n. I wonder if those were lies, too. Gulong-gulo na ko.

Umiling-iling ako, "Ano ba ang ibig mong sabihin? Can you enlighten me more?"

Tumango siya bago pinagsalikop ang dalawang kamay. Mukhang ayaw niyang sabihin lalo na't 'di pa kami kumakain, but I showed him that I won't touch any of the food if he won't speak. He already told me a gist of it, he should spill it all.

"The two daughters that Sir Denuevo decided to hide until now is your Tita Avara's daughter, Astra. Pero kahit isa pa lang ang nakikilalang anak ni Sir Denuevo ay alam niyang nasa paligid lang ang isa niya pang anak. That's also the reason why Papa left. After knowing that the woman she loves before is in love with one of his bestfriends? Mas pinili niyang hayaan na lang ang dalawa at magpakalayo-layo."

Ngumiti siya pagkatapos sabihin 'yun habang ako naman ay napaawang lang ang bibig, hindi-makapaniwala sa isiniwalat niya pero nang tumayo siya para umalis at bumalik ng may dalang folder ay mas lalo akong napamaang. 

I didn't open the folder. Mukhang alam ko na ano laman nu'n. I'm too petrified to even move. I don't want to know. I refuse to know. 

"C-continue, Gaze." Lumunok ako.

Nilunok ko ang nagbabadyang luha dahil sa kasinungalingan ng sarili kong pamilya patungkol sa Titang lubos naming minahal.