CHAPTER 2

Nang oras na iyon ay naisipan niyang lumabas, kailangan niya ng sariwang hangin para naman makalimot pansamantala.

Nang makababa sa elevator mula sa 5th floor ay agad siyang nagpunta sa kanyang VIP garage.

He's drunk that time but he knows he can manage to ride his big bike, a Red Ducati Panigale V2.

.....

Ang lungsod ay buhay na buhay sa ingay ng trapiko at ang bahagyang liwanag ng mga ilaw sa kalye na nagbabalot ng mahahabang anino sa bangketa ay napakaganda.

Ang malamig na hangin ng gabi ay humahampas sa mga kalye, ngunit wala nang hihigit pa sa tunog ng isang makapangyarihang makina na takaw-pansin mula sa likuran ng kanyang dinaanan.

Yuri was walking casually, her steps measured. The high heels she wore clicked rhythmically against the pavement, too absorbed in the rhythm of her own pace to notice the approaching danger or shall we say, gusto lang niyang gumawa ng eksena. Bad trip siya ngayon, hindi siya nakuha sa isang talent company para sa gaganapin sana na pelikula.

"Tsk, nakakainis, anong sinasabi nilang maputi raw ako masyado? Pinagbintangan ba naman akong gumagamit ng gluta? Leche plan nila! Hindi ba pwedeng de-chlorine lang ang tubig na pinaliligo ko?"

Mula sa sulok ng kanyang mata ay may isang kislap mula sa kung sinong paparating. Isang Ducati Panigale V2, kumikislap sa ilalim ng mga ilaw ng kalye.

Mabilis ang takbo nito na rason para agawan siya ng eksena sa kalye. Maging siya ay napalingon, pero ligwak ang pagpapantasya niya nang mapansing papunta na ito sa mismong kinatatayuan niya.

Holy mother of mercy!

Yuri's heart skipped a beat, and before she could react, the roar of the engine deafened her, the bike darting closer, almost too close.

The rider leaned in again—so close it felt like the metal would scrape her skin. But the bike swerved just in time, cutting the air with a sharp twist of the throttle, and flew past her, narrowly missing the edge of her LV dress, charot! Ukay-ukay dress lang pala! correction!

For a split second, everything went silent.

Then—bam—Yuri's body jerked violently, as if hit by the force of a phantom blow. She stumbled back, a gasp escaping her lips, and in the same instant, she collapsed to the ground, her eyes wide, the perfect picture of shock and distress. Iyon ang piece of acting niya kanina sa audition niya, at dahil bad trip siya, gusto niyang gumawa ng eskandalo ngayon. She chose violent!

"Ahh! Oh my God, A—ang braso ko, ang dibdib ko...awww... ang sakit..." Yuri cried out dramatically, clutching her chest.

Agad namang bumaba si Garet at madaling hinawakan ang braso ng hindi kilalang babae.

"Aray!" dagdag na acting pa nito.

"Hey! wala ka namang galos ah," Garet proves the woman wrong.

A few people nearby stopped in their tracks; eyes wide with concern. Someone shouted to take that woman in the near hospital. But Yuri was already exaggerating her reaction, turning to face the onlookers, her eyes glistening with a masterpiece acting!

Damn it! ano naman kayang modus ang ginagawa ng babaeng 'to? Sambit ni Garet sa kaniyang sarili.

"Come, dadalhin kita sa hospital." He initiated.

"Ah, 'wag na..." Sabi naman ni Yuri.

Yuri's face twisted into a mask of distress as she slowly stood up, her hand still clutching her chest. She staggered forward, her eyes wide with disbelief, as though she had been the victim of a near-death experience.

"Akala ko katapusan ko na," she said, her voice breathless, but her eyes glinting with the thrill of the drama. "I was just walking... and then you came out of nowhere, speeding, and I—" She raised one hand dramatically, her finger trembling, pointing toward the street where the Ducati had already disappeared. "Sinagasaan mo ako..." Pointing Garet's bike.

Garet's gaze flickered to the street, but the Ducati had long passed. He stepped closer, his expression unreadable.

"You didn't get hit," Garet said flatly, crossing his arms.

Yuri blinked, as if surprised by his bluntness.

"What do you mean?"

Yuri protested, looking around at the onlookers. "Nakita n'yo naman 'di ba? He almost ran me over! Sinagasaan niya ako—he could've killed me!" giit pa niya.

The small crowd, sensing the commotion, leaned in closer, their sympathy growing.

Garet's eyes narrowed. He saw through her performance.

"Miss, you're fine," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice, though his tone was firm. "You weren't hit. Hell, you weren't even touched." Dagdag pa ni Garet.

Yuri's lips quivered, but she pressed on with the act. She dramatically glanced down at her knees, as if they were bruised from an impact.

"Excuse me mister walang-galang, I'm telling you, it was so close. I—"

She reached for his arm, clutching it with the most innocent look on her face, making sure the people around them were watching. "Makinig ka, isama mo ako ngayon din at ibaba mo ako doon sa may seven eleven!" pabulong nitong sabi.

With a sigh, Garet's lips twisted into a smirk. "Right, right. You're a damsel in distress. Got it." He leaned down, almost too close to her face, his eyes narrowing in a playful warning. Agad niyang binuhat ang babae at isinakay sa kaniyang big bike.

"Thanks." Bulong ng babae sa kaniya.

"But don't expect me to go after some excuse, Miss. Anong gimik na naman ito? Baka may kasama ka ha at i-scam ako, you'd better not, wala akong pera." Balik na sabi ni Garet na hindi man lang tiningnan ang babae.

Agad siyang sumakay sa motor saka nag-umpisang pinaandar.

Yuri's gaze faltered for a fraction of a second, but the next moment, she regained her composure, turning her doe-eyed expression on full blast.

Yabang nito ah! Saad pa ni Yuri sa sarili.

"Hindi ho ako mangbubudol, mister. Isa akong sikat na artista, hindi mo ba ako kilala?" pakilala pa ni Yuri sa lalaki.

Garet glanced at the mirror, checking the face of that woman. He holds a second to guess, pero wala siyang maalaa na artista na mayroong mukha na ganoon.

"Artista? Hindi kita kilala." Malamig na saad ni Garet dito.

"I am Eureka Dela Vega, mister walang-galang, nice to meet you," sarkastikong pakilala ni Yuri.

Garet on the other hand just blink his eyes, sa totoo lang--wala siyang pakialam kung sinuman ito.

Magiging sakit lang siya ng kanyang ulo!