This chapter is dedicated to: xxialej

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I eagerly stepped on the gas as I let my car roared. I can hear the not so loud sound coming from it. Hindi lang ako sigurado kung sa sasakyan ko nga galing ang tunog na iyon o sa ibang kalapit na kotse. I tightly gripped the steering wheel as I looked directly at the race track.

At the side of my eyes, I saw Spencer's car at my left. Its window lowered while he's directly looking at me. Tila tumatagos ang mga titig niya sa heavy tinted na salamin ng aking sasakyan.

I lowered mine too and I boyishly smirked when our eyes met. He's now wearing his auto racing helmet, kulay itim iyon katulad ng sa akin.

"I'll beat you this time," mayabang na sambit niya na lalong nakapagpangisi sa akin.

I simply nodded. "Ready your money." This is just one lap race but he'll lose a lot of money if I win.

Ginalit ko ang makina ng sasakyan hanggang sa marinig ang putok ng baril, hudyat ng pagsisimula ng karera.

My McLaren immediately advance together with a Bugatti and Spencer's car.

Ang limang kotseng kasama sa karera ay agad na nawala sa aking paningin at naiwan sa likuran. Nangunguna ang aking kotse kaya naman hindi ko na binigyang pansin ang mga naiwan.

I removed my foot on the gas when I saw the track, I need to turn left. Dahil sa pagliko ay agad na nanguna si Spencer.

Hindi iyon nagtagal dahil agad akong nakabawi nang muling dumiretso ang takbo ng aking sasakyan. I glanced at his car. Nakita kong ginigitgit ng Bugatti ang kotse niya at naiipit na sa gilid. I can imagine his frustration later. Dahil nasisiguro kong magkakaroon ng gasgas ang pinakamamahal niyang kotse.

Nakita kong nagpaubaya si Spencer at hinayaan ang Bugatti na maunahan siya. Nakangisi akong napailing dahil doon. He would rather lose than win with a scratch on his precious car.

The Bugatti speed up. Ilang sandali pa ay naabutan niya ang kotse ko. I heaved a sarcastic audible breath when I saw him beside my car. My grip on the steering wheel tightened as the Bugatti started banging my car.

Ginitgit nito ang aking kotse, katulad ng ginawa niya sa kotse ni Spencer hanggang sa maipit sa gilid at bahagya pang tumaas ang kaliwang bahagi.

Pilit kong kinabig ang manibela upang labanan ang pwersa ng kotse nito ngunit dahil bahagyang nakaangat ang kabilang bahagi ng sasakyan ko ay mahirap na iyong gawin.

I smirked as I saw the race map. Ilang sandali lang ay kailangan ng lumiko pakanan ngunit para bang hindi iyon napansin ng kung sino man ang driver Bugatti dahil okupado iyon sa pandaraya sa akin.

I slowly shook my head. Hinayaan kong magpantay ang aming kotse habang patuloy siya sa pagpagtulak ng aking sasakyan patungo sa gilid.

Lumayo sa akin ang Bugatti, muling bubwelo upang gitgitin ang aking sasakyan. The Bugatti was about to bump on my car as I immediately stepped on the gas when I saw the road turning right. Kasabay noon ang pagkabig ko sa aking manibela patungo sa direksyong iyon.

Tama ang hinala ko na hindi napansin ng driver ng Bugatti ang palikong daan. His car goes straight on the barriers. Umikot ang kotse at biglang sumilab ang apoy doon.

I shrugged my shoulders off. Hindi ko kasalanan iyon. Karma really never losses an address.

"Damn!" I cursed not because of what happened on the Bugatti but because I caught Spencer's car advanced.

Gigil na kinapitan ko ang manibela. I harshly stepped on the gas as I lowered my car's window.

Nang mapantayan ko ang kotse ni Spencer agad ko siyang sinaluduhan at nilagpasan. I know he saw what I did and I can imagine him uttering a series of curse.

I smirked as my car advanced and reached the finish line, ilang segundo lang ang pagitan sa pagdating ng kotse ng aking kaibigan.

I turned the car's engine off as the dihedral door of my McLaren opened.

Lumabas ako ng kotse at marahang tinanggal ang aking helmet.

The warm breeze of air immediately kissed my skin as my hair danced with it. I shook my head and let my hair fall down my neck. Pinasadahan ko ng hagod ang aking buhok gamit ang aking mga daliri. Napangiwi ako nang maramdamang malapit na naman iyong tumuntong sa aking mga balikat.

I mentally remind myself to go to salon and have a haircut. Probably an inch or two shorter.

If only I can cut it as short as Spencer's hair, I already did. But the last time I cut my hair clean, almost bald, my dad had a heart attack.

And as a considerate daughter, note the sarcasm on that, I never cut my hair that short again. In the middle of my neck is the shortest.

The plain black shirt I'm wearing feels warm in my body as the wind blew. The front of my shirt is tucked in my black skinny pants. The way it tightly hugged my lower body feels uncomfortable but I just shrugged it off.

I placed the helmet in between my arm and the side of my body.

Namataan ko ang pagbukas ng Volkswagen sa tabi ng aking kotse. Inihanda ko ang mapang-uyam na ngisi sa aking mga labi habang hinihintay na lumabas ang sakay noon.

I pursed my lips as I saw Spencer's expression. A frown is etched in his face. Bakas sa mga mata niya ang inis.

Hindi ko na napigilan na hindi mapahalakhak nang marahas niyang tinanggal ang helmet at agad na inikutan ang sasakyan habang sinisipat iyon.

A curse immediately escaped his mouth when he saw a huge scratch on his baby. "Fuck!"

I chuckled. "I won," I muttered that made him stop. Napatuwid siya ng tayo at matamang napaharap sa akin. Tila ba ngayon lang naalala ang aming napagusapan bago pa magsimula ang karera.

"Pay for this, huh?" I glanced at my car.

He tsked. "Ano pa nga ba?"

A smirk formed in my lips. "You can sell this after, if you want," I suggested.

This car's maintenance cost a fortune. I can't pay for it. Besides, he's the one who told me to buy this Speedtail. I agreed as I told him he needs to buy this from me if he'll lose this race.

Isa pa, may kotse naman ako, sapat na iyon at hindi na kailangan ng agaw pansin na sasakyan.

"Yeah." Napakamot siya sa batok habang iiling iling na muling ibinalik ang atensyon sa sariling sasakyan.

Akmang sasagot pa ako nang tumunog ang aking telepono. I fished my phone from my pocket as I picked it up.

"What's up, my old man! How was the senate?" Bati ko.

"Wala ka talagang galang! Where the hell are you, woman? Wala ka na naman sa kompanya!"

Oh, don't start talking about respect with me, Senator. You did this. You forced me to change like this. Even I, already miss the one who truly am. Kahit ako, hindi ko na makilala 'yung sarili ko. Though, this way, I feels like I'm free.

Hindi tulad noon na, para akong aso na sunod lang nang sunod. I'm glad that I broke the collar in my neck.

Change is indeed constant. Sometimes, we doesn't want to but we were forced to.

"Sa race track. Why, wanna race with me?" I lazily muttered as I placed my helmet inside the car.

Nahuli ko ang mahinang mura ni Spencer nang marinig ang sinabi ko sa aking ama. Nagtama ang aming mga mata at agad akong napatawa nang nahihiwagaan siyang tumingin sa akin. As if he's still not used to my behavior when it comes to my family.

I heard my father heaved a deep harsh breath. I can perceived him massaging his temples while tightly shuting his eyes closed.

"You're needed here in the company. Ako ang tinawagan ng sekretarya mo dahil hindi ka mahagilap. You have a meeting with an important tycoon for a possible partnership yet you're not here!"

My lips parted a bit as my eyes widened a fraction. Ngayon ba 'yon?

"You're the CEO of LM&L, for fucks sake, Amaryllis! If only I have a choice..." His usual raising and firm voice doesn't give chills to my body any longer. Hindi na niya itinuloy ang sasabihin ngunit alam ko na kung ano iyon.

If he doesn't want me to lead his precious company, he can give it to Romulus. As if I want that company. Though, Rom is in engineering field. Si Fritz, masyado pang bata at balak mag-abogado kaya wala rin. Or he can resigned from the senate and handle the company on his own.

I glanced at my wrist watch as I slowly answered. "Alright, I'm coming. I'll attend."

"Hindi na! I attended. We're already in the middle of the meeting. I just called a short break before the decision."

Marahan akong napailing habang sarkastikong napangisi. Tsk, labo nito. Tinawagan ako tapos 'wag na raw?

"Tomorrow is the signing of contract. Baka naman wala ka na naman bukas? Do I need to ask your secretary to sign it for you?" I sense the sarcasm but I choose to ignore it.

I let out a fake chuckle. "Funny mo naman, Dad! As if pwede 'yon!"

I caught Spencer stopped on inspecting his car. Ngayon ay pinanonood niya na lamang ako at mukhang aliw na aliw sa mga lumalabas sa aking bibig.

I raised my brow on him when I met his eyes.

"You--" My father trailed off. "I don't know what I'd do to you. Be responsible! Go the company, now!"

Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili na hindi mapahalakhak. Ano talaga, pupunta 'ko o hindi?

"Hmm, I'll end this." Paalam ko. Kapag ganoon na ang usapan ay alam kong kung saan na lamang ito tutungo.

I ended the call without waiting for his answer.

Marahas kong isinuksok sa bulsa ang phone at binalingan si Spencer.

"I'll use this first. Dadalhin ko sa inyo bago ako umuwi," I muttered as I tapped the roof of the McLaren. If only Dad's not asking me to go to the company, I'll drive this directly to his garage.

He nonchalantly nodded his head. "Sige lang," agarang niya na para bang Vios lang ang ipinagpapaalam ko.

Nginisihan ko siya bago bumalik sa loob ng sasakyan at pinasibad iyon palabas ng race track.

Romulus should really just study business and not engineering. Para naman siya ang kinukulit ni Daddy at hindi ako, lalo na dahil alam kong napipilitan lang si Dad sa akin dahil wala siyang choice. Without me, he'll either leave the politics or let the company manage itself and wait for its bankruptcy.

I know he can't leave the senate. Hindi ko alam kung anong mayroon doon at hindi niya maiwanan. Lagi niyang sinasabi na, mahirap makarating sa tuktok kaya naman bakit ngayon pa siya titigil kung kailan malapit na siya?

Nakaplano na rin ang pagtakbo ni Fritz sa oras na matapos itong magabogado. Kaya hindi rin maaasahan.

Si Mommy naman, ewan ko. Mas gugustuhin pa niyang magliwaliw kasama ang mga amiga niya o kaya naman ay bumuntot kay Daddy kaysa mamahala ng kompanya.

I let the car slowed down as I saw my family's building. The company name, Lofranco Moving & Logistics, was engraved at the entrance of the company together with its logo.

Inalis ko roon ang tingin at idiniretso sa ang sasakyan sa loob ng parking lot.

Bago pa makalabas ng sasakyan ay muling tumunog ang aking telepono. Nang makitang si Daddy iyon ay muli ko iyong isinuksok sa aking bulsa.

Lumabas ako ng kotse habang nilalaro sa mga daliri ang key fob. I frowned as I saw the signage at the elevator, saying it is under maintenance.

Agad na akong bumaling sa kasalungat na direksyon upang magtungo sa main entrance ng gusali.

The staffs who turned their eyes in my direction greeted me while I nodded as a response.

Walang emosyon akong dumiretso sa elevator. I stood in front of it as it opened. Akmang papasok ako ngunit agaran ding napaatras nang makita ang pamilyar na bulto. Ilang sandali akong napakurap at bahagya pang kumunot ang noo.

I met his gray colored eyes and saw glint of recognition in it but it immediately vanished. Tila ba isang ilusyon ang aking nakita.

My eyes involuntarily softened as his turned cold. The first thing that caught my eyes is his newly shaved stubbles. It perfectly fits his squared jaw. The color of his eyes and his pointed nose made it obvious that he's not purely from the Philippines.

My eyes flew in his now jet black hair, it was in a clean cut. One of the reasons why I hesitated if it's him. Pati na rin ang kulay ng balat niya. He's now tan, far from the pale color of his skin seven years ago.

Wearing a black suit makes him looks more formal. Tumulay ang aking mga mata sa kamay na nakakapit sa kanyang braso.

A woman who can pass as a Victoria Secret model is clinging on his arm. Nakangiti sa akin ang maamong mukha nito kahit na ito ang una naming pagkikita. She's wearing a beige and a bit revealing dress but it effortlessly suits her well.

"Excuse me, miss. You're blocking our way." A cold baritone voice linger in my ears.

It sent shiver down my spine as a dozen of spear cutted my heart into bits.

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