#LAWMB
Flashback...
NAGTAKA nang bahagya si King kung ano ang ginagawa ni Melissa sa loob ng kaniyang opisina gayong wala siya roon. Si Melissa ang kanyang sekretarya.
She's carrying a small satchel. Mukhang hindi siya nito napansin. Pumasok na rin siya sa kanyang opisina. He saw Catherine.
"What are you doing, Catherine?"
Nabigla siya nang sa halip na tumugon ay bigla na lamang itinutok ng babae sa kanya ang baril nito. Nanginginig ang mga kamay nito, halatang hindi sanay na gumamit ng baril.
He was stunned. But like the many times he had experienced pressure, he somehow found composure in the middle of chaos.
Maybe he indeed possessed some kind of ability, for even his parents asked him how he managed that. There's always that beacon inside his head that told him his brain had to rise above all else.
"D-don't you move, King. Don't you d-dare move."
Nilapitan niya ito. Nakikita niyang hindi ito sigurado sa ginagawa nito.
"Easy. Put it down. You're going to hurt yourself, baby."
He tried to look for the woman he fell in love with in her eyes.
Sa pagkakataong iyon ay hindi niya makita ang babaeng iyon. His mind was suddenly at a loss. Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ay hindi niya magawang manatiling nag-iisip nang nasa lugar. Would she really shoot him? Was she that silly? Bakit biglang nagbago ang tingin nito sa kaniya?
Why did she hate him?
"Did I do anything wrong, Catherine?"
"Stay where you are."
But he didn't.
Catherine would never shoot him. They shared a lot of good times together. Hindi nababagay ang eksenang iyon sa lahat ng nangyari sa kanila. It was a piece of the puzzle that just did not fit.
Patuloy itong umurong, patuloy naman siyang lumapit. Patuloy nitong sinasabi sa kanya na huwag siyang lalapit.
Hanggang sa wakas ay isang dipa na lamang ang layo ng dulo ng baril sa kanya.
He reached out to get it. Sa isip niya ay nasisiguro niyang mayroon siyang nagawang malaking pagkakamali rito kaya ganoon na lamang ang ginawa nito. Iyon ay kahit ang mga pagdududa niya sa nakalipas ay biglang lumutang sa likod ng isip niya.
And in that split second before her finger pressed the trigger he realized he had made a total fool of himself.
Split second din ay tumama ang bala sa kanyang balikat. It would have been lodged into a delicate portion of his chest—maybe his heart for she was aiming at it—if Catherine had not been an amateur with the gun.
Close-range shot, naunawaan niya kasabay ng marami pang realisasyong pumasok sa isip niya, na ang intensiyon nito ay sadyang ipahamak siya.
And thank God he was overwhelmed with anger that he forgot his gunshot wound. And isa niyang kamay ay umabot sa baril at inagaw iyon dito.
Sinamantala niya ang pagkakataong nakita niya, mukhang hindi nito nauuunawaan na hindi siya napuruhan sa ginawa nito.
It was probably the longest split second in his life.
"King..." Sambit nito.
"Why, Catherine?" Tanging tanong niya bagaman halos nasagot na kanina pa ang katanungan niya. Yet, like the fool that he was, he still needed to know, still needed to hurt himself more.
Hindi ito tumugon, muling napuno ng galit ang mga mata. He turned his back. Anger had never ever been able to hurt him this much. Ngayon pa lang. And with that anger came yet another painful realization...
Present
Nang magmulat ng mata si King ay agad niyang tinapunan ng tingin ang babaeng katabi niya. She was fast asleep. Tila nasasanay na itong matulog na katabi siya. He stood up and headed out to the terrace. He needed air. He needed to breathe.
Mayamaya ay nagtungo siya sa painting na kanina ay naalis sa kinaroroonan niyon.
What's inside that safe were a few important documents, cash, and some small diamonds. Wala pa marahil dalawang milyong piso ang halaga ng nasa loob ng vault na iyon.
He headed for the bathroom.
The garbage can is completely empty. Nagtungo siya sa kusina. Wala ring laman ang basuraan doon.
Tumawag siya sa housekeeping department, tinanong niya kung anong oras huling naglinis ang mga ito sa kanyang suite, kahit batid niyang sumusunod ang mga ito sa patakaran niyang maglinis tuwing umaga lang.
Nakompirma niyang walang ibang naglinis doon nang wala sa oras.
He call up the maintenance department. Ang sabi ng nakausap niya ay hindi pa raw natatapos ang extermination na regular na ginagawa sapagkat nahuli ang mga ito nang isang linggo sa takdang oras.
Napangiti siyang bigla. He felt so great all of a sudden he decided not to terminate the contract of the exterminator.
Muli siyang nahiga sa kama. Parang gising na yumakap sa kanya ang mga bising ni Alexandra. She even uttered his name, but he realized she's still asleep.
Hinagkan niya ang pisngi nito.
He felt nice having her near him. He wished she would not fall for him too much. At least, so much to ask for anything big in return, like an engagement thing perhaps. He was not ready for something like that. Hindi niya alam kung magiging handa siya kahit kailan.
"Sleep tight, kitten. No bug is going to bother you now..."
