I tied my hair in a bun using a pencil without tearing my eyes on the documents in front of me. My hair is still blonde but it now have brown highlights. Ilang hibla ang naiwan sa gilid ng aking pisngi ngunit hindi ko na iyon tinuonan ng pansin. 

I continued reading the documents from my family's company. I have been reading this contract since I woke up and it's already lunch, I'm looking for something wrong in here as it looks too good to be true. 

I started handling the company months after I talked to my father over the phone. 

And now, I'm handling it for years already. Unti-unti nang umaangat ang kompanya ngunit hindi pa rin iyon sapat. I handled the company without personally going to the office. May tao si Flavio sa kompanya na siyang tumatayo bilang namamahala nito habang wala kami. Ako lahat ang pumipirma at nag-aapruba ng mga kliyente at kontrata sa kumpanya. But some contracts are still affected by the board members' decision.

Nasa dokumento ang buong atensyon ko nang naramdaman kong muling sumabog ang mga hibla ng buhok sa aking mukha dahil natanggal ang lapis na ginawa kong alternatibong panali ng buhok.

"Mam... ma," a small voice beside me called. "Mama!" 

I shifted my body to face the direction where the voice is coming. "Faye," I chuckled as I saw a kid holding the pencil I used for my hair. She's standing at the long wooden chair where I am sitting while now jumping and waving the pencil in her hand.

"Faye, don't disturb your Mama." I rolled my eyes upon hearing Flavio from the kitchen. Ngayon ay papunta na sa direksyon namin at akmang ilalayo ang anak ngunit agad kong iniupo si Faye sa aking kandungan. I slightly pushed the wooden table for a wider space for her.

Ngunit inilahad pa rin ni Flavio ang kamay sa harap ni Faye, kinukumbinsi itong sumama sa kanya. "Come on, baby. Come to your Papa," malambing na tawag ni Flavio sa anak.

My brows furrowed. "What's wrong?"

He shrugged. "It's not good to disturb you when you're too focused on your documents. You almost slapped me before just because I—"

I made a mocking face and instantly cutted his words. "I can't do that to her." Agad kong inilayo si Faye sa ama niya habang nanliliit ang aking mga mata.

His eyes turned into slits, mirroring my eyes. "Pero kapag ako—"

"Of course! Sino ka ba?" I raised a brow.

"Bakit, sino ba si Faye?"

"She's my daughter—"

"Asa ka. Anak ko 'yan. Akin lang. 'Wag kang nang aangkin!"

Namimilog ang mga matang tinignan ko siya. A ghost of smile is waving at the side of my lips while listening at his declaration. "She's my daughter too." 

I'll never thought I'll see Flavio like this. So possessive on her daughter. He's a man a woman wouldn't want to marry. Dahil para bang tatakbuhan niya ang sinumang mabuntis niya. 

But look at him now.

"Your daughter..." Marahan ngunit puno ng sarkasmong ulit niya habang may ngisi sa mga labi. "Sige lang." He nonchalantly nodded his head like he's convinced but with mockery in his tone.

I chuckled as I shifted Faye from my lap. "As if you can make a child alone."

"I can't. But I surely can raise her alone."

"She still needs her mother—"

"Nasaan?" he aggressively asked. 

Napakagat ako sa pang-ibabang labi nang biglang nag-iba ang tono niya.

"Sige nga, Marcia. Nasaan ang ina ng batang 'to?"

Naitikom ko ang aking bibig. I don't know. Kung alam ko lang, matagal ko nang kinaladkad ang babaeng 'yon pauwi kay Flavio at sa anak nila.

I never expected that she'll ran away after bearing Flavio's child. Tandang tanda ko pa noon nagpaalam ang ina ni Faye na bibili ng mga gamit ng bata. Flavio's initiating but she constantly declined. So she left. Tatlong taon na ang bata, hindi pa rin siya bumabalik.

I slowly shook my head. Hindi pala si Flavio ang tatakbo sa responsibilidad, si Winella pala. 

Winella, the daughter of the landlady, is the mother of Flavio's child. 

I have no idea if Flavio's in love with her. At wala akong balak alamin dahil mukhang laging sasabog si Flavio tuwing pinag-uusapan si Winella. 

"I don't have a child. I can be her mother..." I scrutinizingly stared at his eyes. Tinatantya kung seryoso ba siya at nang natantong hindi siya nagbibiro, noon ko lang naramdaman ang pagbigat ng hangin sa pagitan naming dalawa.

I cleared my throat and tried to cheer the situation up. "I can be her mother. Well, as long as we won't marry each other, I'm fine with that," I smirked.

A smirk is at the edge of his lips as he slowly shook his head. "Yeah, because you wanna marry someone else." Now it's his turn to grin. Malawak na ngisi ang iginawad niya sa akin.

I made a mocking face as I rolled my eyes. "Stop it. Chaos is married."

Dahilan kung bakit napahalakhak siya. "Oh? I didn't mention anyone. So its him?"

I tightly pressed my lips and glared at him. As if he didn't know. And who said that I wanna marry him?

Umupo siya sa aking tabi at inabot ang dokumentong nasa lamesa habang natatawa pa rin. "What happened to the contract?" he asked as his eyes remained on me. 

Hinawakan niya ang kamay nang anak na nasa aking kandungan at nilibang ang sarili roon. 

"Still don't want to sign it?"

I shook my head. I've been very careful in everything since I handled the company. Ayaw kong basta na lamang magdesisyon at maulit ang nangyari sa kompanya noon.

"Told you, sometimes, there's really a contract like this..." tukoy niya sa kontratang hindi ko magawang pirmahan dahil sa kakahanap ng mali roon. "Nabasa ko 'to kagabi. This is legitimate. No hidden stuffs." 

Without Flavio's help, I won't have any idea on how to start. He guided me and taught me the basics.  Everything the company achieved, it is because Flavio's helping me.

For five years, it's always just Flavio and I. It has been five years already since we left and started hiding. Been a tough five years for the both of us. 

He had a relationship with Winella and everything fucked up when Faye was born and she left. While I am handling my family's company, at the same time, making designs for my boutique. 

In those years, according to my father, there's no warrant of arrest for me. So I assume they want to find us first before filing lawsuits against us.

Wala akong balita sa mga Zaldivar. Or more like, I tried to ignore every news about them. 

"Pap! Ma, lipap!" Faye chanted the moment Flavio left to buy our groceries.

I blinked. "What?"

"Lipap!" She placed her thumb in her mouth for me to fully understand what she meant. 

"Lollipop, you mean?"

She cheerfully nodded. "Lipap! Lipap!"

I groaned and looked at her, helpless. "Your father will kill us for this."

"Kill? No kill, Pap...pa!" She hastily shook her head while whining. "Buy! Lipap!" Her lips pursed. 

My eyes turned into slits as the three years old daughter of Flavio looked at me with her pleading eyes. 

I sighed in defeat. "Fine. Fine, we'll buy you lollipops." 

I instantly went towards the room and grab some penny on my wallet. Nang nakita ang susi ng bahay ay kinuha ko rin iyon. Matapos ay agad kong binalikan si Faye sa sala. Ngayon ay nakatayo na siya at tila binabalanse pa ang sarili. 

I kneel in front of her. Hinuli ko ang mga mata niya agad siyang nginitian. "You want Mama to carry you or you'll walk?" I asked. 

"Cawey!" she sang as she lifted her hands.

I found myself chuckling at her response and she chuckled too, revealing her teeth and even her gums. 

"Alright!" Agad ko na siyang binuhat bago ko pa maisipang panggigilan siya.

Nang makalabas ay agad kong isinara ang pinto at siniguradong nakasusi iyon. The store is just a few houses away from our apartment. Kung tatanawin ay hindi mawawala sa aking paningin ang apartment na tinutuluyan namin kahit pa makarating kami sa tindahan. But I still locked it just to make sure that no one would sneak in while we're away. 

"Mam...ma, chocolates too!" the little girl version of my friend, Flavio pursed her lips.

Muli ko siyang pinanliitan ng mga mata ngunit para bang walang talab iyon sa batang ito. 

Instead, she clasped her hand while looking at me. "Pwease?" How can I decline when her eyes are twinkling with hope?

My God! I never thought I'd be this submissive and for Pete's sake, to a kid! 

What more when it's my child by blood? I'll probably give them all their whims. Fuck. 

Oh, heck! 

What am I even thinking? Wala nga akong asawa, anak pa kaya? And what? Their? Marami?

Shut it, Marcia.

"How about let's wait for your Papa first and ask him if we can buy some chocolates?"

"For now, we'll have your Lollipops, huh?" I continued.

She pouted her lips and nodded. 

"Too many sweets are not good for your health, sweetie." I smiled. "So  we'll ask your father first. Because I really think one of these days, he'll just throw me outside because I'm spoiling you," I stated as I shifted her from my arms. 

"Fine! Pap...pa won't thwow Mama."

Napailing ako sa paraan ng pagsasalita niya ngunit hindi naalis ang ngiti sa aking mga labi. 

Nang makarating sa pinakamalapit na tindahan ay agad na itinuro ni Faye ang gusto niya. Lollipop, as what she mentioned earlier. Habang hinihintay ang sukli ay tinanaw ko ang apartment na tinutuluyan namin. 

But my eyes darted somewhere as it caught my attention. A fucking black sports car is parked at the apartment that's still owned by our landlady, just at the other side of the road from where we're staying.

Ngunit hindi iyon ang nakakuha ng buong atensyon ko. What fully caught my attention is the man who went out of it. I can see him directly looking in the direction of the apartment I'm staying in, even though he's wearing an aviator.

Malayo man, kilalang kilala ko ang bultong iyon. I'm sure of it as my fucking insides missed him so bad that my heart's making me flinch from every rough beat it's making.

Hindi dapat iyon ang dahilan ang pagbilis ng tibok ng aking puso ngunit hindi ko na mapigilan ang sarili.

I scrutinizingly stared at the man and my eyes narrowed when he removed his aviators, sinisigurong tama nga ang nakita ko ngunit agad akong napasinghap nang magtama ang aming mga mata. 

"Fuck," I lowly cursed as I hastily shifted my face away from that direction.

I swallowed as I cursed again for what I'm feeling. I should be thinking of other things and not— 

Damn.

Agad kong tinalikuran ang tindahan at hindi na kinuha pa ang inaabot sa akin na sukli. My instincts made me glance towards the direction of the sports car but I saw no one standing near it. 

I blinked but there's really no one. Ngunit hindi ako maaaring magkamali. I saw him.

"Pak!"

Nawala roon ang aking atensyon nang marinig ang sinabi ng bata.

"Faye?" Namimilog ang mga matang binalingan ko siya na nasa aking bisig.

"Pakpak!" She giggled. 

I snorted and shut my eyes off. "Don't say it again. That's a bad word, your father will be mad, huh?"

We arrived at our apartment and I immediately inserted the key to open the door. 

Agaran akong pumasok at napasandal sa pinto nang muling maisara iyon. I heaved a deep breath as I felt like I'm out of breath. Para bang kanina ay pigil ang aking paghinga kaya't ngayon ay panay ang habol ko nito.

Ibinaba ko si Faye mula sa aking mga bisig. Dumiretso siya sa upuan at inabala ang sarili sa mga pagkaing binili. 

While my mind is literally in chaos right now. At hindi lang isip ang magulo sa akin ngayon. I can still feel my heart pounding against my ribcage but this time, I'm sure it's because of something else. Because I now remember what the consequences would be if we get caught.

I tightly pressed my lips unto each other as my eyes landed at Faye. Flavio can't go to jail because he has Faye. At siya na lang ang mayroon si Faye. Faye's grandmother, the landlady, seems she doesn't want anything to do with Faye so it's really just Flavio.

We can escape again if we want. But until when? Hanggang kailan kami makapagtatago? Until Winella comes back and finally there will be someone for Faye? I doubt she'll come and get her daughter. Malabo iyon. 

I raised my hand and placed it at my forehead. I shut my eyes off while I'm massaging my temple as I stride towards my phone. 

I instantly dialled Clarita's number the moment I got a hold of it. 

Years ago, I've changed my number. But I didn't bother using my old phone. Naroon pa rin ang lumang sim card na gamit ko, pati na rin ang kay Rieselle. 

"Marcia?" I heard him over the phone.

I instantly shifted my weight from one foot to another. "Clarita, how's the boutique doing?"

"Still the same, Marsh. There's a new request for your design, I'll send the details," she stated in a monotonous voice. I'm not oblivious that these past few months she seems distant but I didn't bother asking. I never asked her what's wrong even though I have a hunch that something's bothering her.

Mariin akong napapikit. I can't squeeze it in our call right now. I have no time because Chaos is here!

I bit my lower lip. "How about the money you're sending on Chaos' account. How much is the remaining balance?" 

We're communicating at least once a month for the designs and the boutique but I never asked about this before. I didn't. 

But I'm sure the remaining balance as of now is just a million or lower than that.

Ngunit agad akong natigilan sa sumunod na sinabi ni Clarita. "He didn't accept a single penny, Marcia."

"What?" I asked in a flat tone. Siguro ay dahil hindi ko inaasahan na iyon ang ibabalita niya sa akin.

"'Yung binigay kong pera noong unang taon, ibinalik ng bangko sa account ng The Estelle. He blocked our account from transferring money in his account."

Marahas akong nagpakawala ng buntong hininga. I deeply inhaled while my lips were tightly pressed. "Then the money is in the account of the boutique? How much is that? Chaos found me, maybe that's the reason why he's here. I'll withdraw the money and personally give it to him." Sunod-sunod na sambit ko. 

While I'm now mentally counting the years I will probably spend inside of prison for kidnapping Rieselle. Plus, some minor offense I've done while pretending to be her. Shit. 

I just hope the Zaldivars will stop hunting me after paying the money I stole.

"Rita?" tawag ko nang napansin na tahimik ang kabilang linya.

"M–Marcia, I'm sorry." Her voice from the other trembled. I heard her sniffing that made me frown. 

I walked a bit, going nowhere. "What's wrong?" 

"T–the money—" she paused a bit. "M–Marcia, my father had a huge debt in a casino. I–I have no... choice, Marsh. They will kill my father—" She can't properly utter her words as she keeps on sobbing. 

Mariin akong napapikit. A hunch is forming in my head. "What happened to the money that you're supposed to give Chaos? That's what I'm asking, Clarita," I asked even though I can already feel my heart tightening as what happened is already obvious. 

A continuous sob answered me first before I heard her voice. "I–I used the boutique's money, Marcia."

"Fuck," I let out a low but hard curse upon confirming what's in my head. I grit my teeth as my jaw clenches. My hand flew on at the bridge of my nose and started massaging it. 

"Marcia, so–sorry. I'll p–pay for it. Babayaran ko. I'll work h–here without s–salary to pay for it."

Pinatay ko ang tawag nang maramdaman ang lubhang pagsikip ng aking dibdib. Nanlabo ang aking mga mata. I felt the tears peeking at the side of my eyes. 

One thing I'm sure of is I'm not feeling this because of the money. It is because of what Clarita did. I didn't expect her to do it. I trusted her. I trusted her with everything. Fuck. 

And she did it for her father. Like what I did years ago. 

I let out a harsh breath as I stride towards the laptop at the top of the table.

I glanced at Faye who's still silently sitting in the chair while eating her candy before I sat beside her and pulled the laptop towards my lap.

My fingers worked and typed to search for news about the Zaldivars.

Hindi mahirap maghanap ng balita tungkol sa pamilyang iyon dahil tanyag. There are several articles about them. 

But what caught my attention is the one about the supposed wedding of the year back then but it was postponed until no definite time.

There's also a lot of articles about Chaos being out of the country in the past years. 

But my brows furrowed at the recent article about him. I clicked the article to open it.

"The tycoon son of Aero Zaldivar has been buying properties in their province, Bulacan, after five years of flying from one country to another," binasa ko iyon gamit ang maliit na boses.

I blinked and tilted my head. 

I was in the middle of reading it when someone knocked on the door.

My eyes darted at it and thought of who's the possible person behind it. Flavio won't knock and I didn't lock the door. The landlady has no reason to barge in either.

I placed my laptop back at the top of the table as I rose and walked towards the door. 

I slowly twisted the handle of the door and opened it. And the man in the article that I'm reading a few seconds earlier came into my view. 

Bumigat ang aking paghinga nang tuluyang nagtama ang aming mga mata. I needed to part my lips for air while staring at his cold eyes that's directly piercing at me.

Igting ang panga habang mariin ang mga titig sa akin. A small amount of stubbles were around his jaw that made him more matured yet looks like he didn't aged a bit.

There's no hint of surprise in his eyes, the reason why I assumed he really knew that the door of the apartment where he knocked is the apartment where I'm staying.

His jaw clenched. "Five years and you're here." His distant and raspy voice seemed to vibrate along every bit of my insides.

"Chaos," I whispered. Iyon lang ang nasambit ko dahil hindi ko mahagilap ang mga salitang dapat sabihin.

"Five long years, Marcia and you're damn here," he firmly stated as he placed his hand on the door, stopping me from closing it.

__________