"I now pronounce you, husband and wife."

Malakas na palakpakan ang narinig sa simbahan nang matapos ang wedding ceremony nina Aero at Istanna. Among the attendees were, of course, the people who helped them get back together.

Ken looked at teary-eyed Lily in incredulity. "It's their second time getting married. And the way they just broke up without confirming things with each other was so immature, what are you being so emotional about?"

Bigla namang sumabat ang lalaking nasa kabilang side ni Lily. "Some people just don't understand true love. Lily, if you need to cry, my shoulder is always available." Sage grinned. "My chest is also available, if you'd prefer that."

"Well, I guess you should listen to the expert, Lily. Nakahanap nga naman siya ng anim na future wife in eight months," Ken replied sarcastically.

"We all make mistakes but you will never be one of my mistakes, Lily," Sage said. "So saan mo gustong magpakasal?" dagdag niya bago pa makasingit si Ken.

"It doesn't really matter where as long as I'm marrying the right person." Lily smiled.

"Nice to meet you, I'm the right person," Sage said as he jokingly extended his hand.

"The right person to avoid," Ken said. "Don't even shake his hand, maraming germs 'yan, for sure."

"Says someone who initiated the handshake when we first met," Sage retorted, remembering how he didn't expect Ken's hand to be soft.

"Like you said, we all make mistakes," mabilis na sagot ni Ken.

"You two are just impossible. I'm gonna go and congratulate the newlyweds." Lily let out an exasperated sigh before leaving them behind.

"Ano bang kailangan kong gawin para magtiwala kang wala akong masamang intensyon kay Lily?" Sage asked calmly. Girls would usually be eager to date him within a week of meeting him but he had been trying to charm Lily for over three months yet she had shown no signs of interest in being non-platonic with him.

Sinabi naman ni Lily wala itong gustong ibang tao kaya isa lang ang masisisi ni Sage kung bakit hindi pa rin bumibigay sa kanya si Lily—si Ken, ang babaeng magaling sumira ng diskarte at nasusupalpal ang lahat ng galawan niya.

Ken looked straight into his eyes, slowly narrowing hers in suspicion. "You've never cared about my approval before. Anong binabalak mo?"

Sage cleared his throat, feeling invaded by Ken's piercing stare. "It's just that you're so good at keeping me away from her. I want you to be on my side, for a change. Ang hirap mong kalaban, we can be friends, you know." Masakit sa pride na aminin 'to, but he managed to say it with a straight face.

Kendra continued to stare at him. Her lips slowly curved into a sweet smile. Umasa si Sage na papayag itong makipagtulungan.

"Sorry but like everything else that has anything to do with you and me, may conflict of interest 'pag dating sa bagay na 'yan. Thanks for telling me how effective I've been at keeping you away from Lily." Kendra's smile looked a lot more cocky now. "Mukhang malapit ka nang sumuko. Can't wait!" With that, she left him and followed Lily towards Mr. and Mrs. Ringo. 

Panandalian namang natulala si Sage. He should've expected that from Ken. Medyo disappointed siyang tinanggihan ni Ken ang live friend request niya but at least she didn't pretend to help him out and sabotage his efforts in secret.

Lumapit na rin si Sage sa mga bagong kasal para batiin ang mga ito. Nasalubong niya si Ken na palabas na ng simbahan. As he passed her side, he leaned in to bring his lips closer to her ear. "You know, I offered you a truce so that you won't be too depressed when Lily finally chooses me. At malapit na 'yon. Watch me catch her 'cause she'll be falling hard."

Ken just smirked in response before she continued walking. 'Di man lang ito natinag.

Lily had just finished talking to the couple when Sage reached them. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Ringo!" he said as he shook their hands. "Your love has endured a lot, I wish you all the best."

"Isa ka sa mga tumulong para maayos ang misunderstanding namin, we're forever grateful to you," Istanna said, smiling at him.

"It's nothing and as you know, si Lily ang may pinakamalaking naitulong sa inyo," Sage replied. He briefly glanced at Lily and gave her a smile which she politely returned. "She's really cool. Kung magkakaro'n ako ng happy ending na tulad ng sa inyo ni Mr. Ringo, I'd be lucky if it was with Lily."

Naniningkit naman ang mga ni Mr. Ringo sa sinabi niya. "So Lily is really the girl you like? You seem to have a lot more chemistry with someone else."

"Si Lily lang ang gusto ko, I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Ringo," Sage said with a laugh that sounded a bit forced.

"Hay naku, Aero. 'Wag ka nang makialam sa love life ng mga batang 'yan. I'm sure it will work out and they'll end up with the person they're supposed to be with," Istanna chided her husband.

"The bridal car is here. See you at the reception venue," she told Lily and Sage before she and her new husband walked towards the spotless, white Jaguar XJ, parked in front of the church.

"Hey, do you want to ride with me?" Sage asked Lily as she was about to leave.

"I can't. I brought my car at kasabay ko si Ken. Alam mo naman 'yon, hindi nag-da-drive. I'll see you at the reception," Lily said as she walked to her best friend.

Inakbayan ito ni Ken nang magpang-abot sila. Ken looked back at Sage and stuck out her tongue at him tauntingly which left the boy pretty annoyed.

* * *

The reception venue was less than ten kilometers away but Lily decided to take a detour to avoid the city traffic. She was driving a silver McLaren 650S and Ken was riding shotgun and trying to find a good FM station. They were passing through an area which was up for redevelopment when Ken noticed that the car behind them seemed to be on their tail.

"Lily, drive faster. Puro abandoned buildings lang ang nasa kalyeng 'to at mukhang kanina pa nakasunod sa 'tin ang itim na kotse sa likod. We need to get away." Lily checked the rear view mirror and nodded.

Before Lily could accelerate to a speed that could get them out of the situation, the car behind them was able to overtake their car. From the side mirror, Ken saw another car behind it. Dalawang kotse pala ang sumusunod sa kanila. This was bad news.

The black car drifted and effectively blocked their car's path as it came to a stop. Thankfully, Lily was able to hit the brakes before slamming into it. She was about to reverse when the gray car, now behind them, also stopped.

Realizing they were now trapped between two shady sedans, Ken's mind started to race. Her eyes shifted around, trying to assess the surroundings. Walang ibang dumadaang kotse sa area na 'yon. Puro abandoned building lang na malapit nang i-demolish.

Two people wearing jackets and clown masks alighted from the car in front of them and another two with the same getup were from the car behind them. All of these highly suspicious individuals were walking towards Lily's car. Her eyes shifted around the car to see if they could use anything as a weapon but before she could find anything, she heard a tapping sound from the window.

May dalawang kumakatok sa side ni Lily at may dalawa rin sa side niya. When neither of the girls opened their doors or windows, one of the masked people raised a sledgehammer.

"I think we need to get out of the car. Babasagin lang nila 'yong bintana 'pag 'di tayo sumunod," Lily said in a shaky voice.

Ken palms were beginning to sweat. She was confident in hand-to-hand combat pero ibang usapan na kung may armas ang kalaban. She clicked her tongue and tried to hide the fear in her voice when she spoke. "Ano bang problema ng mga punyetang 'to?"

Lily unlocked the car doors and they both alighted. As soon as they were out, two of the creeps grabbed the girls' arms. Syempre, hindi hahayaan ni Ken na ma-kidnap sila nang gano'n lang. Mabilis niyang hinila ang mga braso niya at sinipa sa maselang bahagi ang lalaking nagtangkang kumuha sa kanya. Being in stilettos and a halter dress slowed her down but her kick was just as strong.

Sinunod niya ang lalaking may hawak ng sledgehammer. She grabbed the weapon, which was surprisingly easy 'cause the man's grip wasn't tight, and threw it to the sidewalk. She managed to land an uppercut and a hook to the guy's torso but she was distracted when the man holding Lily covered the heiress's nose with a handkerchief that rendered her unconscious.

"Hoy, anong ginaga—" 'Di niya pa tapos sigawan ang lalaking may hawak kay Lily nang makaramdam siya ng malakas na paghila sa kanyang buhok. She was about to elbow her captor when he forcefully threw her to the ground. Her right foot landed on a bad angle and it hurt like hell, she must've been sprained.

Sinusubukang tumayo ni Ken nang bumunot ang lalaki ng isang handgun mula sa jacket pocket nito. He pointed it at Ken and without a warning, pulled the trigger.

Ken let out a piercing scream as she felt the searing pain from a bullet lodging in her abdomen. She clutched her side as blood stained her clothes. Sobrang sakit pero mas nanaig ang galit niya. Gagong 'to, di man lang nag-countdown.

"Bakit mo binaril?" sigaw ng isang lalaki sa kasama niyang namaril. "'Di ba sabi, dalhin pareho?"

"Pre, hindi natin madadala 'yang isa! Tayo bubugbugin niyan eh," the guy who had a gun replied. "Tara na." They carried Lily to the black car and left within seconds.

"Shit!" Naluluha na si Ken habang gumagapang pabalik ng kotse.

* * *

Sage took a detour through a redevelopment area to get away from the traffic. Minabuti niya na ring dumaan sa lugar na 'yon para makita ang pinagyayabang ng kapatid niyang empty lot na nabili raw nito sa napakababang halaga. May multo siguro do'n kaya mura.

As he was driving down an empty street, he spotted a car. It was in the middle of the road and the front doors were ajar. Sage's eyes widened as he recognized the car. He clearly remembered the best friends getting in a car with the same color and model. He was positive it was Lily's. How common was a McLaren in this country anyway?

Agad siyang nag-park at bumaba para suriin ang nakahintong sasakyan. He peered inside but found no one there.

He was walking around the car, looking for clues that may point to its passengers, when he saw Kendra. Gumagapang ang dalaga palapit sa kotse at kitang kita ni Sage ang dugong nagmamantsa sa suot nitong bestida.

"Oh my God! Anong nangyari sa'yo? Nasaan si Lily?" Tumakbo si Sage papalapit kay Ken habang nagda-dial ng 117 sa kanyang cellphone.

"Kinuha nila si Lily," hinihingal na sinabi ni Ken. "Puntahan mo siya, please."

Hindi na nakasagot si Sage dahil sumagot na ang operator ng emergency hotline. He quickly switched to speaker mode. "117, what's your emergency?"

"May kasama akong injured. She's awake but she has a wound on her abdomen and it's bleeding non-stop!"

"Can you tell me your name and location, please?"

"Sage Hermoso. Uh, hindi ko alam 'yong exact address basta redevelopment area sa may Alabang."

"How was the patient injured?"

"How did you get that wound?" tanong niya kay Ken.

"Gunshot wound," Ken said quietly.

Muntik niya nang mabitiwan ang phone. "What the fuck? Who would shoot you?"

"Please calm down, sir," sabi ng operator. "If you can, apply a tight bandage on the wound and constant hand pressure. Make sure that she doesn't take anything by mouth. I will be sending an ambu—"

"I'll take her to the hospital, please get the ER ready," he interrupted, urgency evident in his voice. He ran to his car with her in his arms and sat her down on the passenger seat.

"Wa-wait, maghintay na lang tayo ng ambulance," hirap na sabi ni Ken. "Malalagyan ng dugo 'yong upuan ng Ferrari mo."

"'Tang ina naman, Kendra! Pwede akong bumili ng sampung bagong Ferrari pero ikaw, hindi kita mapapalitan!"

"Eh 'di ikaw—"

"Shut up, Ken. 'Di ako nakikipagbiruan."

Sage found one of his long-sleeved shirts in the car and used it to bandage Ken's wound. "Hold this and continue to apply pressure," he said before returning to the driver's seat. He brought the engine to life and quickly stepped on the gas.

"Inaantok ako, Sausage," mahinang sabi ni Ken habang isinasandal sa headrest ang ulo nito.

"'Wag kang matutulog, please," pakiusap ni Sage.

"Si Lily... Call my team and get her back. 'Di na kita hahadlangan sa panliligaw mo sa kanya, promise. Gusto mo siya 'di ba? Sagipin mo siya," Ken pleaded. Her voice was getting weaker. "Please, Sage Hermoso."

"I promise to get her too, but that can wait." Sage sped up, his eyes focused on the road. "Ikaw ang priority ko."

Wala siyang narinig na sagot mula kay Ken. Sage briefly glanced at her and saw that the girl had lost consciousness.