XIBEL couldn't count the times he looked at the four corners of his house just so he couldn't meet the gaze of the woman sitting opposite to his seat. If only Imris didn't ask him to allow this woman inside their house, he already threw her out.

Nilingon niya si Imris na katabi ng babae at kinakausap ito. Bakas sa mukha nito ang saya.

"Ate, thank you po pala sa tinapay kahapon. Super yumyum!" Tinaas nito ang dalawang braso sa tuwa.

Napangiti naman ang babae at ginulo ang buhok nito.

He scrunched up his nose. He wasn't pleased seeing that hand touching his daughter.

"Imris, get inside your room and play with Elia," utos niya.

"Okay!" Mabilis naman itong sumunod at tumakbo paakyat.

Ngayon, sila na lang dalawa ang natira.

Napaayos ito ng umupo at tumikhim. "I'm sorry for butting in earlier. I was--"

"Why did you come again? Am I not clear in telling you not to show your face again to me?" He crossed his arms, his fingers slowly tapping his elbow.

Napalunok naman ito pero nanatiling kalmado ang mukha nito. She raised her head with no fear as if she owned the place. The confident look on her face burned an intense annoyance inside his stomach. Her touch was too fresh yesterday, making him feel like vomitting again.

"As much as I don't want to see you again, I can't help myself. I caused a ruckus yesterday at nadawit ko kayong dalawa ng anak mo. Dahil kilala ako, mabilis ding kumalat sa masa ang sinabi ko." Kinuha nito sa bag ang cellphone at pinakita sa kaniya ang isang litrato. Litrato niya at ni Imris kahapon kasama ang babae. "This is spreading across the country already. You are now linked as my husband, and Imris as my daughter."

A shiver ran down his spine after hearing those words. His fingers tapping on his skin intensified. He didn't like the sound of what she said. It just meant that thousands of people have known his existence . . . and his face. Although he was a famous villain, he had never seen his own face scattered around places.

And it was scary. It was scaring him. He didn't want people looking at him.

"I was actually thinking of a way not to involve you into this mess anymore but . . ." Pinasadahan siya nito ng tingin. "But what I saw today is quite unexpected. Hindi mo pala anak si Imris. You stole her from the orphanage."

"What do you care?" Umiwas siya ng tingin lalo na't sumilid sa labi nito ang maliit na ngiti. Pakiramdam niya'y may binabalak itong hindi maganda.

"At mukhang wala kang alam kung paano mag-adopt. You were eager to keep Imris, so I helped you. But that will not be free."

He glared at her. He was right. Women would always be opportunistic. "Whatever you're planning, if it endangers me and my daughter, I will hunt you down and bury you on the deepest grave."

"This will be both beneficial to us, don't worry. I'll help Imris stay with you in exchange that you will act as--"

"Your husband?" He cut her off.

Tumango naman ang babae.

His forehead creased. The idea is giving him goosebumps. It felt like he had heard this somewhere . . . from a villain.

"How can this be beneficial for the both of us? And why do you want a husband so bad?" Kulang na lang tumalikod na siya sa babae dahil sa sobrang tagilid ng katawan niya. Ayaw niya itong harapin. Her very whole existence disgust him.

"Like I said, tutulungan kita sa adoption process ni Imris. You won't need to argue with that elder from the orphanage again kasi ako na ang bahala sa proseso." Bumuntonghininga ito. "And to answer your question, I actually just want to stop the rumors going on around me. Napapagod na rin ako kakarinig na may anak daw ako. I don't even know where the hell did they get that from. Bawat interview, hindi nawawala ang tanong na 'yan. It would have been fine if it just all about that, but the more I let this rumor slip, the more it's starting to get out of hand. Lahat na lang ng nakakausap kong lalaki ay ni-li-link na asawa ko. They are also posting picture na hindi sana malicious but they made it look like it is. Look!"

May tinipa ulit ito sa cellphone at pinakita sa kaniya. He glanced at the photo, and it made his forehead frown. It was her and a guy inside a room.

"The photo was blur. Hindi rin kita ang mukha namin. We were actually inside the backstage dahil naghahanda kami sa ballet performance namin, pero the photo looked like we were inside a room alone," she explained. "We were just practicing but because it was taken like as if we are having an intimate moment, the netizens went chaotic."

"Why don't you just clear your name then?"

"I did. But you know . . ." Binalik nito ang cellphone sa bag. "If people have already decided their opinion about you, they will only believe what is in line with what they see even if it means not believing the truth."

Hindi siya sumagot. Nanatili siyang tahimik hanggang sa magsalita itong muli.

"Okay lang sana kung ako lang ang naaapektuhan mag-isa pero hindi okay sa akin ang idamay ang taong nakapaligid sa akin. The guy is a good friend of mine but because of the picture, we fell apart. He received hate as much as I did. His fans were disappointed at ayaw na nila itong suportahan. Naapektuhan ang ballet career niya at pinili na lang niyang tumigil." Napakuyom ang mga kamao nito. "I don't want that happening again. I don't want to ruin someone else's dream, so I decided to end the rumor by owning it as true."

"You will choose to lie?" walang gana niyang sagot. "What do I expect? Women loves fooling people."

"If it means I can give others and myself peace, I will gladly lie."

Napalingon siya sa sinabi nito pero kaagad ding umiwas. The determined look she had put him on edge for no reason. The bravery she had to look him at the eye reminded him of Imris.

Annoying woman.

Hindi muna siya nagsalita at nag-isip. Having another woman was too much for him. Hindi niya yata kakayaning makasalamuha nang madalas ang babaeng ito. To think he would be her husband, he wanted to die. It was nothing but a mere suffocation for him.

However, the offer would benefit Imris.

"How long will I need to pretend?"

"I can't tell you a specific date but rest assured that when the media is convinced enough, we will stop this deal as soon as possible. I will also make sure you don't need to face the media and not put you and Imris in a situation like yesterday again."

How could he trust her words? She was a woman. Everything she says, it was just half-sincere for Xibel. The doubts domineering his thoughts made him decide not to believe her. The way she confidently said she would rather chose to lie puts him into thinking she might be lying right now as well.

Ayaw na niyang malinlang pa ng isang babae sa pangalawang pagkakataon.

Nilingon niya ito. "All right. But I will have a condition."

Mabilis na sumilay ang tuwa sa mukha nito matapos niya iyong sabihin. "Sure! Anything. What is it?"

Umiwas ulit siya ng tingin. "I want you to take Imris in school."

Ilang segundo naman itong natahimik na para bang naghihintay pa ng kaniyang sasabihin. Nang hindi siya nagsalita ulit, pinilig nito ang ulo. He could see in his peripheral vision the curiosity on her face. "Oh, iyon lang? Wala ka nang idagdag?"

"And don't touch me. Don't come near me. Stay as far from me as possible."

"Huh? But how can I prove the media if--"

"You can come inside the house as frequent as you can." Judging by what happened yesterday, this media thing the woman had been talking about seemed to be tailing her whenever she goes. "You coming inside my home is enough to tell them we are both familiar with each other. You said earlier too that you do not want us to be exposed to that media, right? I figured this is a reasonable move." He tightened his crossed arms. "Unless you were lying earlier and you really wanted us to be flooded by people again."

"Of course not!" mabilis nitong sagot. She let out a sigh before nodding. "Okay. That is enough for me. Since kailangan ko rin namang asikasuhin ang pag-aaral ni Imris, I still need to come here."

"Good." Isang maliit na ngiti ang sumilay sa kaniyang labi. He wouldn't let her have her way. He would make sure he was in control of this deal in order not to be fooled again.

"By the way, bakit pala ako ang magpapaaral kay Imris? Don't you have the money to do it? Sa laki ng bahay mo, imposibleng wala kang pera." Inikot nito ang tingin sa paligid bago binalik sa kaniya. "Or baka naman hindi mo rin alam kung paano magpaaral ng bata?"

He scrunched his nose. "Stop asking."

Oo, wala siyang pera at mas lalong wala siyang alam sa pagpapaaral ng bata dahil hindi naman siya taga-rito. Isa siyang villain na galing sa Fictosa!

"Oh, okay." She shrugged. Nilahad nito ang kamay na may ngiti sa mga labi. "So deal?"

He snapped his finger and summoned an emerald fire with a shape resembling that of a hand. Iyon ang tumanggap sa palad ng babae at nakipagkamay.

Napaigtad pa ito sa gulat. "What is this? A-am I making a deal with a devil?"

"No." Tumayo na siya. "I am a necromancer. A fictional character made by OneBeast."

Nang hindi ito sumagot, sinulyapan niya ito. Nabalot ng gulat ang mukha nito at ilang beses na napalunok.

"You look funny," komento niya at nagsimula nang maglakad papunta sa hagdanan. Bago pa siya makaakyat, narinig niya itong magsalita.

"Gosh, so I was right. Character ka nga ni OneBeast! Kilala ko siya. Kilala ko gumawa sa 'yo!"

"I do not care." Nagsimula na siyang umakyat. Nais na niyang magpahinga at lumayo sa babae dahil kanina pa niya pinipigilan ang sariling malunod sa panginginig. Engaging with her drain down his system and tortured him mentally. Women were a torture.

Ang akala niya'y hindi na ito magsasalita pero napatigil siya nang marinig itong muli.

"By the way, Xibel. I am Jasia, in case you forgot."

His grip tightened on the railing. Floods of memories immediately filled his mind, defeating the little strength he had left in dealing with her.

It was Celestialiana's second name.