Prologue: Auction

12 YEARS LATER . . .

“You sure, bro, dito ‘yun?” Paniniguradong tanong ko kay Agent Z nang parehong huminto ang sasakyan namin sa tapat ng isang building na hindi ako pamilyar.

Spedo Underground

“Oo, sinabi ko naman sa’yo. Nanggaling na ‘ko rito kanina,” sagot niya pa. Nang makababa ako ng sasakyan ko ay saglit akong sumandal roon upang pagmasdan ang building na ito.

Could she be really here?

“Sigurado ka rin bang andito si Yiel Amaro?” He asked. Matapos no’n ay naramdaman ko ang presensya nito na papalapit sa tabi ko.

“That’s what my assistant told me,” sagot ko. Hindi ko sigurado kung makikita ko nga siya rito, but what I have to assure tonight is to get her out of the hands to who fucking ever dare buy her.

Nang may makita kaming tao na papasok sa building ay sumabay kami ni Agent Z sa kanila. We don’t know what’s inside this building and how we can enter. We have to hide kung ano talaga ang siyang pasya namin kung bakit kami naririto, kaya sumabay kami sa mga taong nasa unahan namin.

As we reached the entrance, what my expectatant is there will be a lot of people inside, since from its own background, this is where the auction occurs. They sell young ladies and men here.

“Dito, Agent Chaos,” Agent Z lead the way through the anoher alley nang tuluyan kaming makapasok sa loob. And there, we found a single door.

“This is where their underground found,” sambit niya. A smile draws on his face.

Underground? There’s an underground here beside this?

As we finally enter the door through that alley, napakahabang pasilyo ang siyang bumungad sa amin. We walked through the alley until the darkness eated us, dahil habang patagal nang patagal ang paglalakad namin ay siya ring unti-onting pagdiim ng paligid dahil wala ng ilaw sa dinaranan namin.

“Sigurado ka bang tama ‘tong pinuntahan natin, Agent Z?” Can’t help myself but to asked dahil wala naman akong ibang makita kundi ay kadiliman.

“Nagduda ka rin, ‘no? But do trust me, bro. Magugulat ka pagkarating natin sa dulo.” I can sense him smiling though I can’t completely see his face.

“What’s inside this?” I asked but he just laughed at me.

“You’ll see,” sambit niya nang sa wakas ay masilayan na namin ang liwanag sa hindi kalayuan.

‘We’re here,” he said. And the moment we reached the end of the tunnel and saw the light, I roam my eyes around. The place where we are right now is a big lobby where everyone is wandering.

I don’t know what to react, ang mamangha ba o ang maalerto. There’s a lot of different people, and different kind of noise was heard. This is an illegal place and we’re here, felt like we have to do something to everyone in here. But I have to focus to my only mission.

That is to get Yiel Amaro.

And I’ll do everything to do that. If I need to buy and stole her, then that’s what I’m gonna go.

Kung hindi ko siya madaraan sa pirmahan ng contract marriage, then maybe this is the better way to get her.

Buying her.

“Mukhang nag-uumpisa na, tara,” paghila sa akin ni Agent Z kung saang direksyon patungo ang halos lahat ng tao sa lobby. Once again, bumaba kami sa alley kung saan rinig na rinig ang hiyawan at kalampagan ng mga tao. Lot of cheerings, and even cursing.

Nang makarating kami sa ground ay napakaraming tao ang bumungad sa amin. There are lots of audience while there’s a wide stage in front of the crowds. While a young woman was innocently sitting on the single chair, habang nakatutok sa kanya ang spotlight. An emcee was happily leading the whole auction, while people raising their bids.

“50 million! Higher?!” The emcee shouted.

“100 million!” Someone shouted from afar. I cannot see anything dahil nasa pinakalikuran kami nakapuwesto.

“Going once, going twice! Any higher than 100 million?” The emcee shouted once again, the auction for the young woman in the stage was about to end. And when no one bids anynore, the emcee finally closes it.

“Thalia Lasuel sold out to Mr. Haru Guevara with worth of hundred million pesos!”

“Wow, aangas pala ng mga tao rito, e. ‘no? Milyon milyong pera ang tinataya, hahahaha!” Natatawang sambit ni Agent Z na nasa tabi ko nang mapanood namin ang unang auction na iyon.

But I didn’t answer him at matiim lang na pinapanood ang lahat na mag-ingay.

“Hahaha, I wonder how much money you’ll spend tonight oras na si Yiel Amaro na ang pag-agawan-“ naputol ang sinasabi ni Agent Z nang mangibabaw muli ang siyang nakakabingi at napakatinis na sigaw ng emcee sa stage matapos kunin iyung babae sa stage ng lalaking bumili sakanya.

“And for our last item!’ Kumunot ang noo ko.

“This might be a lot of pricey, so you better get ready your bags, gentleman!” Tuwag tuwa na sambit nito.

“For our VVVIP last item. Let’s welcome, Ms. Yiel Amaro!” Pumantig ang tainga ko dahilan para otomatikong mapaayos ang tayo ko nang marinig ko ang pangalan na siyang pinakahihintay ko.

“Holy mother fcker? Totoo ngang andito siya?” Hindi makapaniwalang singhal ni Agent Z, gulat na gulat sa narinig. Habang ako ay tutok na tutok ang atensyon sa harapan, inaaninag ang stage kung may lalabas na tao.

“And you might want to know, she has everything you’re looking for. Be careful, she might be pricey, but a little bit of dangerous!” Natatwang saad ng emcee, bahagyang nagkasalubong ang dalawang kilay ko.

A little bit of dangerous? Why would she?

When the spotlight appears again on the stage ay mas lalong tumaas ang energy ng mga tao, the shouts became triple loud compare earlier. And I won’t deny it. Dahil kahit ako ay hindi maalis-alis ang tingin sa harapan. Waiting for someone to appear on the stage.

“Fucking hell, kinakabahan ako, bro.” Rinig kong bulong ni Agent Z, but I could’nt react to what he was saying, dahil masiyadong distracted ang atensyon ko sa stage.

Fuck, bakit ang tagal?

Ngunit nagkasalubong ang dalawang kilay ko nang magsimulang mag-ingay ang lahat ay wala na rin akong nakita dahil lahat ay nagkagulo na.

“Woah! Woah! Woah! What the freak is happening!” Pareho kaming napaatras ni Agent Z nang halos maatrasan na kami ng mga tao. I can now hear shouts, a whistle, and even a cat calling.

“Woooh! I love the energy!” Narinig naming hiyaw ng emcee, kasabay nang malalakas na hiyawan pabalik ng crowd.

“Without further a do, let’s start now the auction with a price worth of FIVE HUNDRED MILLION PESOS!” The emcee shouted.

“Woah! Higher than the normal? Ang taas no’n, ah?” Nagugulat na tanong ni Agent Z. From what happened to earlier, the young women were sold a hundred million, but her price starts at five hundred. She’s really a VIP.

Heck, sino bang nagdala sa kanya rito? Did I even give them a permission?

“650 million!” someone bids higher.

“800 million!”

“900 million!”

“I’ll go for 1 billion pesos!” Sumama ang mukha ko nang isigaw iyun ni Agent Z, ngunit nginisian lang ako nito.

“Sorry, bro. Kung hindi ka tataya, ako na lang. Mukhang suswertehen ako rito sa manok mo,” nang-aasar niyang sambit.

“Fuck off or I’ll shoot your head,” banta ko rito.

“Get out of my way,” my jaw clenched as I heard everyone keeps bidding higher.

Nang marinig ng mga tao sa harapan ko ang sinambit kong iyun ay tila nagulat pa sila nang makita ako.

“Oh my, is that CEO Chaos?”

“Woah, he’s here?!! For real?”

“Oh my gosh, sir Chaos Dale Vante! He’s here!!”

I ignored those freaking bitches who’s calling out my name at masama lang ang tingin na naglakad papunta sa unahan. It’s not that hard to walk past through them, dahil halos ang lahat ay tumatabi at tinutulak ng iba ang katabi na kapag palapit na ako.

“I’ll take it for 2 billion besos!”

Damn it.

“I’ll go for 10 billion pesos.” Mas lalong nandilim ang paningin ko nang mapanood kong tumayo ang isang matanda sa kinauupuan niya at saka naglakad patungo sa desk, kasabay nang paglapag niya ng isang cheque.

“Going once, going twice. Any higher than 10 billion?” I heard the emcee.

“Oh, looks like no one wants to bid for it.” Nakangising sambit nito.

Fuck these people, they really want to die early.

“Yiel Amaro—”

“Give me my cheque,” I lend my hand to Agent Z.

“Huh?” Nagugulat na tanong nito.

“My fucking cheque, Chase. Give it to me,” I glared at him. Bahagya pa itong napaatras nang maramdaman niya ang dilim ng tingin ko.

“H-here,” dali-dali niyang inabot sa akin ang isang cheque at ballpen. Agad ko namang sinulatan at pinirmahan iyun.

“Yiel Amaro sold out to Mr. Costa De Leon with worth of—”

“100 BILLION DOLLARS,” I said in a cold tone.

Gulat ang emcee na bumaba ang tingin nito sa direksyon ko. I can even also feel the eyes of everyone towards my direction, but my glaring eyes were dart to that fucking old man who has the guts to get what is mine.

Slowly, I made my way towards him. And as I already approach him, I put my cheque on the desk.

“Oh my, CEO Chaos Dale Vante is here!” Hindi makapaniwala at tuwang tuwa na hiyaw ng emcee na siyang lalong nagpagulo sa mga manonood. But I fucking ignore her and keep my eyes roaring to this old wan who was now smirking at me.

“$100 billion, going once, going twice! Any higher than $100 billion?!” Tuwang tuwang hiyaw ng emcee.

Nang sambitin iyun ng emcee ay inilipat ko kay Yiel Amaro ang tingin ko. Shocked was evidence all over her face, absolutely didn’t have any idea that I would run in here just to fucking buy her after she rejected my business proposal to her.

There’s no fucking way I will let you run away from me, Yiel Amaro. Because you’re mine, mine alone.

“HA HA HA! Seems like we have a new player here, and a wealthy one.” I heard the old man said who’s beside me.

“But I won’t let you,” hirit pa nito na siyang nagpakunot ng noo ko.

“$200 billion!” He smiles at me that made me scoffed. My eyes sharpened as our eyes locked.

“FIVE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS. You better shut your mouth now, old man, or I’ll shoot your fucking head.” Walang ganang sambit ko, ngunit tinawanan lang ako nito.

“Looks like you like her pretty much, huh? Alright,” he put his hands up.

“You win,” he mutters.

“As I should,” I coldly responded and turned my back to him.

“Alright, alright, alright!! Hands up! Our VVVIP item, Yiel Amaro is now sold out to Mr. Chaos Dale Vante with worth of five hundred billion dollars!” The emcee announces.

Someone approached me and hand me a warranty paper, he explains me something that I don’t fucking care, and just signed it already.

“You can get your price now, Mr. Vante.” The emcee utters, smiling.

“T-teka, sasama ako sakanya?” Yiel Amaro asked the emcee, eyes were circled.

“Of course, he bought you for freaking $500 billion, dear. Don’t worry, may hati ka samin.”

“S-sandali, saan kami pupunta?”

“I don’t know,” the emcee shrugs, “but he has the warranty, kaya kapag hindi ka sumama sa kanya. He has the right to do everything to you.”

“Congrats, dear! Thanks for the hard work, gotta go now!”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Armed cross, I stop Yiel Amaro when she was about to follow where the emcee went.

“U-uuwi na?” She unsurely answered.

“Yes, you’re going home. We’re going home. You’re going with me, Amaro,” seryosong sambit ko that made her blink rapidly.

“Ayoko.”

“Hindi ako sasama sa’yo,” dagdag niya pa.

“It’s not a choice, Amaro. Nor asking you, I’m ordering you to come with me.”

“Bakit ko naman gagawin ‘yun? Hindi ba’t ang sabi ko ay hindi ako magpapakasal sa’yo?” You’re making my head ache, Amaro.

“Tss, you have no choice. I bought you, and all you can do is do what I say, because if not—”

“Kung hindi, ano?!” Matapang nitong saad, ngunit agad rin siyang natahimik nang itaas ko ang warranty paper na siyang pinirmahan ko kanina. All means, that she has the right to do everything what I say or else her life will be more miserable.

“It’s your job to obey me, Amaro. Nothing more.”

“But If you don’t want to come with me, that’s fine,” who am I to force you, anyway? You just rejected my business proposal, and now that I bought you for freaking billion dollars, you still don’t want to go with me.

“Just don’t beg me after to fetch you here after they don’t let you get out of here,” dagdag ko. I smirked at her after her face turned freaking confused.

“Just so you know, hindi ka makakalabas rito hangga’t hindi mo kasama ang taong bumili sa’yo,” sambit ko. I don’t know if it’s true, but that’s what Agent Z told me, na ngayon ay umalis na.

“If you want to know if I’m saying the truth, then I think I must go now,” mahinahong sambit ko at saka ko siya tinalikuran.

“O-oo na, sasama na! Pero tandaan mo, hindi pa rin ako pumapayag na pakasalan ka,” she said at nagmadaling bumaba ng stage saka ako nito inunahang umakyat sa lobby.

I scoffed. That’s good, Yiel Amaro. Sundin mo lang ang lahat ng sasabihin ko, and our plan will be successfully executed.