SILENT NIGHT BUT FAR FROM HOLY. Tahimik na lumapag ang mga paa ni Rome sa desk ng opisina ni Alejandro. Unlike his first few surveillance, he was more equipped tonight. Suot na niya ang kaniyang lapel microphone at night-vision glasses. He was wearing a pure black combat suit, at hindi na rin niya kailangang dumaan sa lobby.
Naipadala na kasi ni Lucille ang blueprint ng buong villa. Thus, he already knew the easiest and safest way for him to move around the place. It was through the air vent dahil walang CCTV at wala ring guwardiya roon.
'Aren't you so dumb, Alejandro?' Kalkulado ang galaw na lumundag si Rome mula sa desk. He was one of the organization's elite spies, and it was clear how accurate his movements were.
Ganoon pa man, hindi lang ang paghahanap sa Amati ang kaniyang rason nang piliin niyang sa air vent dumaan. Ginusto niya talagang gamitin 'yon dahil konketado rin ang lagusan sa kuwarto ni Margaux.
'Ang napakagandang anak ng Don na mahilig pa lang kumanta habang naliligo.'' Naipilig niya ang kaniyang ulo nang maalala ang kalokohang ginawa. He was crawling inside the vent earlier when he heard Margaux singing. Sobrang sintunado si Margaux, pero kakatuwang napahinto siya mula sa kaniyang pagkilos.
Rome's original plan was to finish surveying Alejandro's office at exactly eleven in the evening. Kaso bandang alas-onse-diyes, natagpuan na lang niya ang kaniyang sarili na pinanonood ang anak nito mula sa malayo.
Margaux looked like a goddess while enjoying her private time. Nakapikit ang mga mata nito habang nakasandal sa gilid ng bathtub. Her hair was up in a messy bun, at may suot itong malaking over-ear headphones. And the best part? That was all she was wearing. Hubo't hubad ito at wala itong kaalam-alam na may nagmamasid rito.
'A naked Margaux while singing in her bath... That's goddamn hot.'
Sunod-sunod na beep ang umagaw sa atensyon ni Rome mula sa pag-iisip. Dismayadong napahilamos tuloy siya ng kaniyang mukha bago pinindot ang buton ng kaniyang lapel mic.
[Maestro.] It was Lucille who first spoke. As always, puno ng paggalang ang boses nito.
"Ano ang lead?"
[It's a written code.]
"Dokumento?"
[Maari.] Iyon lang ang sinabi nito bago pumailanglang ang tunog ng tinitipang keyboard sa background ng tawag. Lucille must be cracking something while talking to him. [The code had been missing for twenty-seven years.]
"Tangina."
[Yeah. I know.]
"I need more clues, Lucille."
[That's all I have right now, Maestro—]
Iritado si Rome nang putulin ang tawag. Pagkatapos niyon ay tiim-bagang na nilapitan niya ang pinakamalaking bookshelf sa loob ng opisinang 'yon. It was made of wood and it spanned from one wall to another. Bawat baitang ay puno ng mga libro at folders; iyong iba mga luma at iyong iba naman mukang bago pa.
'This is absurd.' Napahilot siya sa kaniyang sintido. Saan naman niya hahanapin ang Amati kung sandamakmak ang puwedeng paglagyan nito? For Christ's sake! It was a twenty-seven-year-old document. Worse? Ni hindi nga rin siya sigurado kung nasa bookshelf na ito ba ang hinahanap niya o may iba pang bookshelves sa buong villa.
'Damn you, Alejandro! Ang tagal mo na pa lang ninakaw ang code. Halos kasing edad ko na―' Natigilan si Rome nang may marinig siyang mahihinang hakbang. Alerto siya nang lingunin ang pintuan at kumpimahing may papalapit sa kaniyang kinaroroonan.
Soundlessly, he rushed back to Alejandro's desk and jumped to the air vent. Napakaingat ng kaniyang kilos nang dahan-dahan niyang ibalik ang takip ng lagusan, leaving just a tiny gap para masilip niya kung ano ang mangyayari sa loob ng kuwarto.
YOU ARE READING
Dangerous Temptation - Published
General FictionRome Saavedra never wanted anything else in his life but to please his surrogate father, the man who kept and fed him when the world itself turned it's back to the bastard that he is. Para gawin iyon ay kailangan niyang tanggalin ang kahit anong bu...
