"What did you do?!"

Yan ang tanong na hindi pa rin ni Red masagot-sagot hanggang sa araw na iyon. It's been a week since that little incident with Troy. Gulat na gulat silang dalawa noon ni Frey. When Troy left without a word, halos hindi na rin silang dalawa makapagsalita.

Naiinis siya sa sarili. Why did he have to bring Frey over? Nai-imagine pa lang niya kung gaano sana ka-romantic ang nangyari kung wala sa picture si Frey ay naiiyak na siya sa panghihinayang. But that's just the thing. She didn't know. Kung alam naman niyang may ganoong plano si Troy, hindi naman niya gagawin ang ginawa nya.

She was actually happy when he punched Frey in the face, because it made her know that he cares, that he was jealous. There's nothing to forgive, really, because he doesn't need to apologize for that.

Ngayon ay tahimik ang buhay niya. There's no Troy in the future. Wala ring Frey. She told Frey na kailangan muna niyang mag-isip. He was courteous enough to give her some space.

But Troy made a move that made her fuming mad. Thursday last week nang malaman niya through Ela na umalis si Troy papuntang Santorini. Maiintindihan sana niya iyon kung mag-isa lamang ito. But he brought Little Miss Plastic Cup along! At hindi pa bumabalik ang mga ito.

She was enraged!

Ilang araw na ang inis niya and even Vico could not pacify her. Ngayon ay balik na naman siya sa dati. She repainted her nails red. She's wearing a bloody red dress underneath a white coat, a pair of velvety black louboutins and her signature red lipstick.

Vico commented that she looks like she was about to murder someone. Well, she will, if that someone happened to be around.

Nagkita sila ni Vico sa ground floor. Kabababa pa lamang niya ng sasakyan habang ito naman ay papasok ng building. Sabay nilang tinungo ang elevator. They both boarded a car. May sasabay sanang ilan, but Vico waved them no. Alam yata nitong magmamaldita siya kung sakaling sumakay ang mga ito.

"Still angry?" he asked. Nang umirap siya ay bahagya itong tumawa, "I guess that's a yes."

Lumabas sila sa floor nila. Dire-diretso siyang maglakad. Kusang tumatabi ang mga tao. Hindi na niya pinansin ang mga nagbubulungan nsa gilid. May sumalubong sa kanyang isang babae. She knows the woman. Ito iyong araw-araw na bumabati sa kanya.

"Good morning po, Miss Red!"

"Good morning, Reynalyn," pabalik niyang bati. She even smiled.

Tuwang-tuwa itong bumalik sa cubicle nito habang si Vico naman ay kunot-noong nakatitig sa kanya. He dropped his bag on his cubicle and followed her inside her office.

He really knows her. Alam na agad nitong may ipagagawa siya kahit wala pa siyang sinasabi.

"Fire her."

"Fire who?"

She sat on her chair and removed her coat. "That woman who made the mistake of greeting me."

"On what ground?"

Sinamaan lamang niya ng tingin ang pinsan.

"Red, you can't just fire someone. Magagalit ang daddy mo, if ever. He's coming in later. Baka mabalitaan nya, ikaw rin ang mapapasama."

He's right. She hates that he's right.

"Did he say why he's coming?"

"Kakausapin ka raw. Hindi ka kasi nya nakausap kahapon. Tapos kanina, nagmamadali ka raw umalis. Nagtatampo na nga si Tito e. He thinks that he still needs to go through me to be able to talk to you."

Yesterday, her father went back to the office to check on things. Akala nga niya ay babawiin na nito ang kumpanya kay Vince. But he didn't. Parang for formality na lamang ang merger dahil sila na lamang ni Vico ang may shares sa kumpanya. It's like Vince was merging in behalf of her father, though he technically already owns his half.

Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit ganoon. Magulo pa rin para sa kanya.

"If he comes, tell him that he can talk to me any time," paalala niya sa pinsan.

"Okay."

--

"You need to come home right away," was what Vince told Troy last night. There's urgency in his half-brother's voice. Mukhang may emergency yata. O bala idi-disown na siya ng sariling ama dahil umalis siya nang walang paalam.

It's not accurately true that he went to Santorini with Santina. It just happened na papunta ito sa nasabing lugar kaya nakisabay siya. Hindi naman ito tumanggi. In fact, she seemed to be more than happy with the idea.

His whole family thinks that he went with Santina because it was her birthday, and that they're going to celebrate it together. At alam niyang makararating ang balitang iyon kay Red. But he's too damn angry to care.

--

Red was in the middle of a conference call when her dad walked in the office. Naupo ito sa sofa at naghintay na matapos siya.

Agad siyang tumayo when she finished and gave her father a hug.

"What brings you here? Maglilibot ka ulit?"

Ngumiti ito. "No. I have more important things to do that roam around the office."

He enveloped her hands with his.

"What is it?" she asked. Her father was looking very grim.

"I heard about what happened with you and Troy."

Kumawala siya at saka lumayo. "Great. Are you here to lecture me too?"

"Regina, I need this marriage to happen."

"Bakit ba atat na atat kayong makasal ako?"

"Because I have nothing left, anak. You're all I have left and I want you to be secured."

"I don't understand. Hindi ba't may merger pa kayo ng mga Aragonza? It means that you have things to offer, di ba? Hindi naman sila papayag na makipag-merge kung wala."

Bumuntong-hininga ito.

"That's the thing... I really don't have anything. I only appointed Vince as the interim CEO to prevent the rest of the board from throwing me out. It was Vince's idea. I owe him a lot. I owe his whole family. Kung hindi nga lamang dahil sa utang na loob sa akin ni Vic, hindi ko na alam kung saan ako pupulutin ngayon."

"Dad, don't say that."

"It's true. I promised the board a merger. We'll be better financed and better managed once we merge. But I won't merge until you're married to Vic's son, anak. I want you to belong to a family, their family. Mas mapapanatag ako kung mangyayari yun dahil alam kong hindi ka nila pababayaan."

"I'm old enough, dad. I can take care of myself."

His face softened. "Why are you so stubborn?" naiiling nitong tanong. "Anak nga kita."

Niyakap siya nito saka hinalikan sa pisngi.

"I want you to marry Vince."

"But—"

"No buts. Vic and I already talked about this. You've had your fun with Troy, but it's time to get serious. You will marry Vince and it's final."

--

"What was so important that I had to go home immediately?" tanong niya sa ama at sa kapatid. Nasa study room sila ng bahay. Dumiretso kaagad siya roon pagkauwi. His mother was very tensed. Pati na rin ang dalawa niyang kapatid na babae.

Kita niyang nagtagis ang bagang ng ama. Lumapit ito sa kanya, hostility in his eyes. Then he slapped him hard. Napasinghap ang mga kapatid niya sa gulat. It stung. Pang-ilang beses na ba niyang nasampal.

"You had the nerve to show your face after what you did to Santina!"

"I didn't do anything, dad," mahinahon niyang sagot.

"Then why did she come forward and told us the things you did with her in Greece?!"

He huffed. "What things? We shared a flight. That's it!"

"And a hotel room?! A bed?!"

He could not believe what he was hearing. Ni hindi nga niya alam kung saan tumuloy sa Santorini si Santina. She met with her friends there. Hindi niya maisip kung bakit gagawa ito ng kwento.

"I told you to fucking stay away from Antoinette's daughter!"

"Dad, that's enough!" saway ni Vince sa ama.

His dad backed away. Itinuro nito si Vince.

"Why can't you be like your brother, huh? When will you stop being a disappointment to this family?"

"Victorino!"

"If you're that proud of him, then why did you leave him in the first place?"

It hit a nerve. He saw how his dad's eyes darken. Sinuntok siya nito. Someone shieked. Vince held his father down habang hinarangan naman siya ng mga kapatid.

Dinuro-duro siya ng ama. "Panagutan mo si Santina!"

"Wala naman akong pananagutan! You don't even have proof that she's telling the truth!"

"Her words are my proofs!"

He stood up and shook his sisters' hands away.

"I am not going to marry her, if that is what you're asking me to do."

"That is what I am telling you to do! You will marry Santina and Vince will marry Regina. And this is the last time that we will speak of it."

Doon na naubos ang pasensya niya. Gusto niyang sugurin ang ama. He wanted to punch him in the face. Respeto na lamang siguro sa ina ang pumigil sa kanya.

"Red can't get married to him! She can't get married to anyone else!" He turned to Vince and gave him his warning, "I love her. I'll never forgive you, if you marry her."