"HE'S MOVING now, Ryker."

Balita sa kanya ni Travis. He nod his head and called his brother, Nyker. Truly, his brother was meant for office works. Ang tagal na nilang wala ni Cj but Nyker handled the company just fine. Meetings after meetings, signing contracts, handling the new project he approved, halos wala itong pahinga pero ni minsan hindi niya nakitaan ng pagod ang kapatid. Nyker didn't even bother to call him to lashed out.

[Kuya?] Gulat na tanong nito sa kanya sa kabilang linya.

He smirked and cocked his head a little. "Nyker, I have a tiny favor to ask."

[Naubusan ba kayo ng budget? Ipapadala ko kay Kuya Levi ang card ko.] Napangisi siya sa sagot nito. Maaasahan na rin ito ngayon. [Oh, hinahanap ka nga pala ng mga kaibigan mo, Kuya. Rion too.]

"Hayaan mo muna ang mga 'yon. Kaya nilang mabuhay mag-isa. The favor... Can you let that old man have his way in our company?"

Nakita niya sa live footage kung paano tumigil si Nyker sa ginagawa nito at pinalabas ang sekretarya niya na naglalapag ng mga panibagong papeles.

[Pardon?]

"Let that old man have his way. Kilala mo naman kung sino hindi ba?"

[Mr. Jocson? That asshole? Are you for real?!] Tumaas ang boses ni Nyker.

"I can feel your frustrations, bro... But, can you? I promise, I will handle the aftermath."

[Kailan ba kayo babalik? Babalik na sa bansa sina Mommy at Daddy.] Nyker asked and massaged his temple and turned his swivel chair around, deretso itong tumingin sa dingding kung saan naka install ang secret camera na inilagay ni Sean. Pinapa-activate lang nila 'yon kung kinakailangan. [I don't want to sell my shares, Kuya. What about I'll ask one of our investors to sell 10 percent of his shares?]

"Sino?" He asked. Isinandal niya ang likuran sa kinauupuan niya, he rested his elbow against the arm chair and played with his lower lip.

[Ako na ang bahala. I'll call you once my role is done.] Nyker answered.

"Can you do it now? I'm sure he'll grab the chance."

[Inuutusan mo na ako e!] Nakasimangot na sagot nito sa kanya. Bahagya lang siyang natawa sa nakababatang kapatid.

"I'll do the rest of your work tomorrow." Aniya at mabilis na ngumiti ang kapatid niya.

[Got to go, big brother! May kailangan pa akong asikasuhin para makapag day off ako bukas!] Nyker chuckled before ending the call.

Levi tapped his shoulder and showed him his iPad. May pulang tuldok doon na gumagalaw. That was Pearl's father. Their target years ago. Ang lalaking natapunan — tinapunan ni Cj ng frappuccino ang bagong gawa na tailored suit nito. They messed their mission up and now biting their asses back.

"Any signal from uncle?" He asked while eyeing the red dot.

Levi hummed and showed his thumb up. "Make sure to kill him this time. Siya na raw ang bahala pagkatapos."

Ngumisi si Ryker sa sagot ni Levi. He was actually planning to personally called their Uncle, their former boss, but he got busy. With Cj. Kaya si Levi na ang gumawa noon para sa kanya. Tampering evidences was an easy job nowadays. Well, may it be legal or illegal, the Government still wants that man to be dead. Malaya lang itong nakakakilos sa bansa dahil sa connection nito.

Evil people and their never ending connections!

It's stressing him out!

"After the close up shooting years ago, sigurado na palagi na 'yang may suot na bulletproof vest. There's also a lot of goons and guards surrounding him, baka mauna tayong mamatay bago natin siya malapitan." Aniya at inilipat ang tingin sa bulletin board na sinet-up ni Sean. He picked up a dart and throw it, aiming the picture of the scumbag slash Mr. Jocson.

Narinig niyang sumipol si Travis nang tumama ang dart sa mismong noo ni Mr. Jocson sa picture.

"One at a time. Let's send this mother fucker to hell first." Aniya.

He may not like office work, pero hindi ibig sabihin noon na hindi na niya pinapahalagaan ang pinaghirapan ng mga magulang nilang dalawa ni Nyker. After all, their business was the main reason why they live their life easily, ni minsan hindi sila kinapos sa pera, nakukuha nila ang mga bagay na gusto nila, nakapag-aral sa maayos na paaralan without thinking about the tuition fee, their daily expenses and suchs.

Alam niya na kahit anong taboy nito sa matanda, gagawa at gagawa ito ng paraan para mapasok ang kumpanya nila. The only thing that makes the old man wealthy were through investing to big companies, his business may looks like tough and standing firm, but it was literally crumbling inside. Marupok ang pundasyon nito lalo na at gago ang may ari.

"Can we kill him?" Prenteng tanong ni Travis at itinuro ang picture ni Mr. Jocson.

Tamad na sumandal si Levi sa pader at pinagkrus ang mga braso nito. "Hmm, killing him wasn't enough. Imagine the women he molested, he give those women's nightmares, torturing him would be the best option."

Nag thumbs up si Sean, "gusto ko 'yang idea mo, Libay!"

"Ako na ang magbababad sa inyo sa holy water," he joked.

"Sure!" The idiots answered in chorus.

Ryker messed his hair. "Lalabas ka ba?" Tanong niya kay Levi.

Sa kanilang lima, si Levi lang ang mahilig lumabas. He said he's observing the surroundings when they can literally do that without leaving Sean's unit. Ano pa ang silbi ni Sean at Travis?

"Yes! I can't stay here, nasu-suffocate ako." Pagrereklamo nito sa kanila.

"Kapag ikaw binaril nalang sa labas, patay ka!" Travis teased and laughed at Levi's face.

"Malamang, tanga mo naman." Levi answered before looking at him. "May ipapabili po ba kayo boss? Nakakahiya naman sa inyong dalawa ni Cj no? Ginawa niyong legal ang gawin akong alipin niyo." Sarkastikong saad nito.

Hindi niya 'to pinansin at basta nalang ibinigay ang card niya. "One frappuccino for me with extra whipped cream, Cocoa macchiato with oatmilk for my hun, three banana loaf, two glazed doughnuts and two croissants. Ayon lang. Bahala na kayo kung anong gusto niyong kainin."

"Libre mo?" Levi asked.

"Kaninong card ba ang hawak mo?" Pabalang na sagot niya sa pinsan.

"Sa'yo."

"Stupid." Ryker said and rolled his eyes.

"Sasama ako!" Travis immediately wear his shirt. He's already rambling what kind of food he'll buy using his card.

Nakaalis na ang dalawa sa harapan niya nang maalala na nagtitipid nga pala silang dalawa ni Cj. Giving his card to Levi was a huge mistake.

"Sean, limitihan mo ang card ko na hawak ni Levi." Agad na utos nito.

"How much??"

"10k." That'll be enough. He guess.

He massaged his nape. For a meryenda, masyadong malaki ang sampung libo na ilalabas niya. If only Isabella's cafe was open, sigurado na libre lang ang meryenda nilang dalawa ni Cj. They already started teh renovation, the estimated date na matatapos ito ay within the month lang, but some supplies weren't available kaya kailangan nilang mag extend.

He sighed and stood up. The woman they sheltered was locking herself inside her room, which was a good thing for them, malaya silang maglabas masok sa mga kwarto nila. Palagi rin naman nakabantay ang kasambahay na kasama nila sa babae.

"How's she?" Tanong niya kay Sean.

"So far, so good. The Doctor said she can see some improvement, nakokontrol na nito ang sarili kapag may urge siya na pumatay dahil sa selos. She's that obsessed with you?" Kunot noong sagot ni Sean. Ryker just shrugged his shoulder. Naturally speaking, he doesn't even care. He was busy with his own life, how to make himself forget Clijay's death, and how to make himself believed that he's not attracted to Cj.

Pero kalaunan ay hindi niya rin naman nakayanan. Bumigay din siya.

THE NEXT day, katulad nang ipinangako niya sa kapatid. Siya ang pumasok sa opisina at tumapos sa mga naiwan na trabaho nito, he cancelled all the meetings, except for one. Working inside his office without Cj's presence was new to him, hindi siya mapakali at panay ang nakaw ng tingin niya sa designated seat ni Cj sa loob ng office niya. Nasanay siya na palagi itong nasa paligid niya.

Bumalik lang siya sa sarili nang marinig ang katok ng sekretarya niya, kasabay noon ay ang pagbukas ng pintuan.

"Sir, may nagpadala po."

His brows furrowed and gaped at the Starbucks takeaways bag his secretary's holding.

"From who?" He asked and glance at her.

"Your fiance, Sir." Nakangiting sagot nito sa kanya. Looks like nakarating na rin sa secretary niya ang balita. Sigurado siya na ang madaldal niyang kapatid ang nagsabi rito.

"Thanks!" He said, tsaka niya ito sinenyasan na ilapag 'yon sa table niya.

Bahagya siyang yumuko at nagpanggap na busy sa mga papel na nasa harapan niya, he even tried to pushed his tongue against his cheek para lang mapigilan na kumawala ang ngiti. But he failed. Hindi niya maitago at maitanggi maski sa sarili na kinikilig siya sa pinadeliver ni Cj.

Unti unting umangat ang tingin niya nang marinig na bumukas at sumara ang pintuan, a sign that her secretary already left his office. Agad niyang binuksan ang paper bag at inilabas ang laman nito.

A mocha frappuccino and a blueberry cheesecake.

Para siyang tanga na ngumiti habang inilalagay ang straw sa frappuccino niya. Mas lalo pang lumawak ang ngisi niya nang mag chat sa kanya sa Telegram ang dahilan kung bakit parang takas mental siyang nakangisi ngayon.

Cj: Patay na patay ka na ba sa akin ngayon?

Sumandal siya sa swivel chair niya at mahinang natawa.

Ryker: So what?

He smirked when he saw the typing bubbles.

Cj: Buti naman. Same vibes.

Ryker: Are you bored? Want to come over?

Cj: Hindi masaya ang mabaril, Zion.

Ryker: What if it's my gun?

Cj: You know I am a willing victim.

Ngumisi siya bago nagtipa ulit.

Ryker: Then?

Cj: Magtrabaho ka muna? We need more money. Angelyn actually message me, naniningil na. Hindi ka raw nagbigay last month? Actually, kayong dalawa ni Kade.

He licked his lower lip and scratched his forehead. Nawala sa isip niya.

Ryker: Fine, I'll handle it.

Cj: Okay. Enjoy your drink, hun! 😘

Napangiti siya sa emoji na ginamit nito. But it would be better if it's a real kiss. French kiss to be exact.

Bago niya tuluyan na bitawan ang cellphone ni Ryker, he noticed the numbers of unread messages from their group chat. Naka mute ito sa kanya kaya hindi nag na-notif. Without thinking, napindot niya ang gc nila at hindi na nag-abala na mag back read.

He knew to himself that he misses a lot of important meetings with them. Including the night when Laur finally brought Jillian inside the Lust community. Noon, siya ang nangungulit sa mga kaibigan niya na ipasok na ang mga girlfriend nila sa loob ng Lust community. And now, it was them convincing him to bring Cj inside.

Ryker: Sorry for being a MIA all of a sudden. We're still dealing with a problem. Babalik ako once na natapos na namin.

He muted the group chat again and turned his phone off bago pa makapag reply ang mga tarantado. Mga keyboard warriors pa naman ang mga kaibigan niya kapag tsismis ang usapan. Ryker saw Caleb's last message, hindi siya aware na naging source na rin pala ito ng tsismis. Mukhang nahawa na kay Light.

While signing the documents, kinakain din niya ang pinadala ni Cj na blueberry cheesecake. He didn't even noticed na malapit na niya itong maubos at malapit na rin matapos ang nakatambak na papel sa lamesa niya.

Nangangalay na siya sa pagkakaupo but what choice do he have? None.

"Sir, 10 minutes before the arrival of your visitor." Paalala sa kanya ng sekretarya niya sa intercom.

"Kumatok ka muna bago mo papasukin." Habilin niya rito.

"Yes sir!"

Ryker glance at the ceiling and smirk. He picked up his phone and call his cousin, Levi.

[Turn the fucking camera inside my office, I have a audio transmitter hiding in my table, alam na yon ni Sean. Record everything.] He said and dropped the call.

Inubos niya ang blueberry cheesecake at mocha frappuccino niya bago pa dumating ang bwisita na inaasahan niya. Ayaw niyang mawalan ng gana at sayangin ang pagkain na pinadala ni Cj sa kanya.

Itinabi niya lahat ng folder na naglalaman ng mga importanteng bagay tungkol sa kumpanya nila at itinira lang ang mga papeles na hindi pa niya napirmahan. Mostly, legal documents, and the paychecks of their employees. He waited for about five minutes, napangisi siya ng marinig ang katok ng sekretarya niya.

Umayos ng upo si Ryker at inayos ang coat na suot niya, kasabay niyon ay ang pagbukas ng pintuan sa opisina niya.

Entering his office with an oozing confidence. A kind of smirk that Ryker's wants to wiped. Mabuti nalang at naalala niya na kailangan niyang makipag laro. A battle of two heads, one will be beheaded and one will surely win.

"Mr. Jocson, pleasure to meet you." to kill you.

☕