CHAPTER 3: Owe

Following her "socializing" with Lorel, Anna returned to their hotel room. That woman will constantly make every effort to discredit Anna, but she will never succeed. She distinctly recalled Lorel's words to her;

"A rookie who managed to have a chance to work with Logan Herman...but not because of talents and skills. Instead, connections. How spectacular, they say," Lorel said with mockery. Anna rolled her eyes. Due to her so-called luxury-of-having-no-skill-other-than-money, many badly want to pull her down. Anna doesn't even give a damn about it because she knows well than anyone that she has the talents. And given how swiftly her career blossomed, although she was a rookie, those individuals are just threatened and insecure. What a pity.

Lorel added, sounding extremely petulant and...a loser. "You only rose high due to connections, Anna. Remember that. After all, I'm still better than you." Annalia has never given a damn that she is an experienced actress. The fact that she is a veteran is something about this loser constantly bragging.

"Indeed, Lorel, you have the qualities. And I am utterly aware of that. But you being this braggadocio but at the same time boor is beyond absurd. How can you be this lemon and a dead loss?" Anna said, maintaining her poise and grace. As Lorel's expression turned sour, Anna could tell how it affected her.

"I am a rookie, yeah. But you also have this juncture in your life. The only difference is that I am a rookie with success while you are the opposite," Anna said with a triumphant grin on her face. She walks past Lorel and stops for a moment.

"You're flopping, Ms. Herry. If I were you, I would start making my own connections."

Everyone is still enjoying the program, which is still in progress. Still seated at the table, the Delatorre is conversing with Mr. Santiago. Don, however, is nowhere to be seen. Mr. Santiago has claimed that Donovan has an urgent matter to fulfill and that he will be quick. But it had been over an hour since he left. Anna is still dealing with the terrible emotion forcibly despite it engulfing her body. In the meantime, Antonio is always casting her these odd glances. Anna is aware of this even though she has her full attention on the performers on the stage. She dislikes it. Don, damn you! Where in the world are you?

"Adam!" Marcel's second son may have already arrived. Although Annalia didn't mind what Marcel had mentioned earlier, she was now thinking about his second son. Truthfully, she was unaware Marcel had a son aside from Antonio. The only person I knew was Nio. Unfortunately, it was too dark for Anna to see the face of the second child when she turned to face him. However, despite being much taller, his physique proportions are almost identical to Antonio's. He wore a white polo underneath his black tuxedo and a black necktie. Anna estimates that the man has a medium crew haircut after scrutinizing the overall structure of his body.

"I'm sorry, I was late," the man apologized. Anna's brows furrowed at the voice's recognizability. She seemed to have heard it somewhere.

"No, it's alright. Please sit down," Mr. Santiago responded.

"Hey," Don said. Anna did not realize Don had already been there. Mr. Santiago grinned even wider when he saw Don.

Mr. Santiago made a heartfelt introduction, saying, "Adam, I want you to meet my children, Donovan and Annalia." Adam reached out to shake Don's hand. The light comes on just as Adam turns to face her while extending his arm, which is somewhat well planned. Anna's eyes widened in surprise as soon as she saw his face and realized who it was. In contrast, the guy only smiles at her as though he anticipates this will happen. Annalia is trouble breathing for an unknown reason, and it feels like her heart has stopped pounding. This person...

Adam greeted knowingly, "Lovely to finally meet you, Ms. Annalia." Anna quietly lets out the air that has been choking her.

"It's nice to meet you. I hope you're enjoying the program so far," Anna remarked, confidently extending her arm for a handshake. Adam slyly smirked at her and took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he gave it a little kiss on the back. Although Anna was startled, she didn't let it affect her demeanor. So, even if she didn't, she solely warmly smiled to convey her appreciation.

"Indeed enjoying it," Adam responds. Anna instinctively drew her hand away from Adam's hold as if his touch were a flame scalding her hand and making her body heat up and feverish.

Don whispered in her ear, "Are you okay?"  Adam continues to have a smug smirk plastered on his face as Anna nods in response while staring at him coldly. 

Who is he? How come I didn't know him back then? The Delatorre never mentioned they have the youngest child. 

As if Mr. Santiago read her thoughts, he asked Marcel about Adam. 

Mr. Santiago asked courteously, "So, Mr. Delatorre. This kid of yours, Adam, I presume we never met him before?" Marcel taps Adam's back with a pleased smile. 

"He spent almost his whole childhood in Switzerland, and this is his first visit overseas," Marcel explains. Anna subconsciously frowned in response to Marcel's assertion. He comes out as a complete liar. However, she surmises that he is such a skilled liar that even Mr. Santiago and Don seem to believe it. Anna watches Adam's reaction, but frustratingly she cannot see any emotion on his face. Why does he conceal it? She asked herself with suspicion.

In a feigned surprise, Mr. Santiago said, "Really? Who would've thought you have a hidden son this handsome!" Hearing the "unintentional" suspicion of Mr. Santiago, Anna snorts covertly. The statement makes Marcel displeased, but he handles it nicely by laughing genuinely.

Marcels smiled and added, "Oh, Mr. Santiago, I would if I had this good-looking child, but it was his decision to live on his own in a far-off place."  Given that he sees Anna is reading him, Adam maintains his countenance with his father's statements. He chuckles to himself at how he finds Anna to be amusing. As soon as the music begins and everyone in the room starts to rise up, the two elderly guys stop talking.

Don gets up as well after remaining silent the entire time.

Donovan smiles, "Can I have a dance with you?" Anna rolls her eyes while shaking her head. Don knows that Anna can't dance, and he should've expected her to say no. But this day is different, and she doesn't want to stay with these people. So Anna took Don's hand and got to her feet. Walking in the center, Don starts to circle his hand around Anna's waist as she places her grip on his shoulder.

Don began to question, which startled Anna, "So, what's up with you and the second son?"

"What?"

Don laughed and remarked, "Annalia, I know you well enough, so try not to fool around."

Anna denies, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well, he seems to know you," 

"Everyone knows me, Donovan," Anna replied sarcastically. 

"You know what I meant," Don said knowingly.

"No, I don't."

"Well, I think you are," Don smugly says while eyeing something. 

Anna followed Don's gaze, and to her surprise, she found that Adam was already standing behind her.

"Don, I swear. If you—" 

"I thought you didn't know what I'm talking about?" Donovan teasingly said and let go of his grip on her. 

Before Don left her, he stated, "He is still Marcel's son." I'm aware, but I don't care.

"Hey," Adam greeted.

"I apologize, but I think I'm done here," Anna hurriedly responds.

"Why?" Adam asked.

"I don't dance," Anna said clearly enough to be a valid excuse for her refusal.

"You were pretty good. I just watched you dancing with Mr. Santiago,"

"No, he didn't. He was seated the whole time." Anna sarcastically said.  Fuck! Her heart is thumping so violently that it seems like it may break through her ribs.

Adam chuckles, "You know who I meant."

Anna irritatingly remarked, "Can you stop saying that I know what you are all saying?"

"All right, I will. Relax."

"Sorry, I have to go," Anna turned her back on him, but Adam caught her forearm.

"Hm-nope. You're not going," Adam is so persistent! Before he could turn Anna around to face him, Anna unintentionally cast a glance at Antonio. He is staring at them—no, he was glaring. Antonio boasts flaming eyes. And if the look could burn, we would be screeching in agony. What is he looking at?

When Anna turned to face Adam, he was grinning triumphantly. What an idiot. Anna was about to refuse again when she noticed that everyone was already clapping their hands and smiling at them.

"Well?"

"Screw you! Just one dance," Anna said indignantly. Adam only chuckles without saying anything. He could enjoy dancing with this girl, who knows. Shallows began playing as soon as Adam wrapped his hands around Anna's waist. Slowly, Anna placed her hands on Adam's neck. Anna was too preoccupied listening to the furious hammering of her heart and the unexplainable emotion she was feeling within that she didn't notice Adam was already pulling her body unto his. She turns to face Adam, looking at her with darkened eyes and a playful pleasure dancing in them. Anna bites her lips to avoid his stern gaze. But it was a blunder as Adam's eyes darkened even more; he slowly diverted his eyes from Anna's and toward her lips. They are dancing in a dimly lighted room with a few red and purple lighting. Anna tightened her fists because she could feel Adam's gaze burning up her entire body. She felt so hot. The song changed to Salted Wound as if it was aware of the atmosphere.

"What are you doing?" Anna sharply said despite being affected by what he was doing.

"You're breathtaking, Anna." Instead, Adam responds in a deeper baritone voice, seeming as though he is having a hard time with something. What he said caused an intensification of butterflies churning in her stomach down to her womanhood. She is neither naïve nor dumb to not understand what he is doing. Even though Anna is aware of it, she enjoys it—hell, she thinks she craves it. Anna wished to halt the overwhelming pleasure in her body, but not this time; she couldn't just stop it...Anna can't stop her body. Adam is lowering his head gradually and slightly shutting his eyes as though attempting to do something. Anna closes her eyes out of obstinate human reflexes. She waited for it; she waited to be kissed. Anna doesn't understand why but allowing a stranger who Anna only met a while ago to touch her is beyond her imagination. She never did this to the other men around her, celebrity or not, in front or behind the camera. Nobody ever touches her. She is an actress, yes, but she doesn't work in romantic movies, and thus she has never willingly touched a guy or even been touched by one. However, Anna had an odd emotion toward Adam for an unknown cause that she was afraid to name. And right now, she's waiting for this man to even kissed her. 

Anna opened her eyes in surprise as Adam laid a gentle kiss from her ear to her neck.

"What-"

"I have to make sure I have a reason," Adam said with the hidden meaning underlying his words.

Anna is perplexed and wonders, "What are you saying?"

"You owe me," Adam knowingly said, beaming gleefully. Anna wasn't aware that Adam had already released his grasp on her as she was still processing what had just happened. Adam walked by her before she could even ask. When Anna turned to face him, Adam's figure could be seen shrinking...slowly. And that was how her night came to an end.