บท 15: CHAPTER FIFTEEN

NANG KUMALMA na si Noah, hinarap niya si Victoria na nagsusuka sa tabi. She's drunk.

Nang matapos ito magsuka, galit na dinuro siya nito. "Ikaw, you should learn how to protect yourself! Iyang kadate mo nga hindi ka tinulungan. Ako pa talaga ang tumulong sayo para lang hindi ka dumugin ng mga reporters."

He looked at Victoria flatly. "No one asked you to save me."

"No one asked to because I did it on my own free will." Victoria shortly replied while avoiding looking into his eyes.

He fell into silence for awhile then spoke. "Pero ngayon magagalit ka sakin?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Noah.

"That's natural!" Depensa naman ni Victoria. "Magdasal nalang tayo na sana hindi nakuha ng mga media ang mukha ko or else rumors will speculate." She continued.

Umiling-iling nalang siya. "I have to get back—"

"Why? Cause Vivienne is waiting for you?" She sounded irritated.

"Galit ka ba?" Naguguluhang tanong ni Noah.

Victoria's face turned red. "I'm not mad. Bakit kasi siya ang kasama mo? I don't approve you for my sister."

"Bigla nalang niya ako inimbita sa event na 'to. At saka, walang namamagitan sa amin ng kapatid mo."

Victoria pouted. "Talaga?" Mataray nitong tanong.

Noah nodded earnestly before grinning. "Nagseselos ka ba? Akala ko ba hindi mo ako gusto?"

Victoria grimaced. "Yuck. Hindi ka ba nandidiri sa sarili mo? Ang pangit mo kaya. Hindi kita type."

He placed both his hands om his chest. "Lagi mo nalang ako iniinsulto ah."

Pabirong sinuntok siya ni Victoria sa dibdib bago nagsalita, "in exchange of me helping you, you have to help me back."

Napabuntong hininga si Noah. As expected of his wife, bawat tulong nito, laging may kapalit. "Ano na naman iyon?"

"You see, Aqua won't be back until next week and I have a photoshoot tomorrow." Panimula ni Victoria.

Noah's eyebrows furrowed. "So?"

Victoria smirked which made him nervous. Iyang mga ganiyang ngiti ng asawa niya, ibig sabihin, may binabalak itong masama. "You will be my secretary tomorrow. Siyempre, every model needs its secretary. Which means, sasamahan mo ako sa trabaho. You will handle my schedules, my clothes and my makeup. Everything."

"Bakit hindi ka nalang maghanap ng iba? Marami kang pera. Hire some secretary for a day and I'm an attorney. I have a lot of work to do." Puna niya.

Marahas na umiling si Victoria. "I don't trust anyone to be my secretary rather tham Aqua." Sagot naman nito kapagkuwan ay kumunot an noo. "What do you mean that you have a lot of work to do? You're a jobless attorney with no clients. Saan doon ang maraming trabaho?" She dissed.

"Do you even trust me to do all the work?" Noah asked while pointing to himself.

"O-Of course! Why else would I hire you?" She kind of hesitated.

Magsasalita pa sana si Noah nang may biglang sumigaw.

"Noah!"

It was Vivienne. Running towards them. "Anong ginagawa mo rito—oh, Victoria! Magkasama kayo?"

Victoria gave Vivienne a 'duh' look. "Hindi ba halata?" She sarastically implied.

Tumawa si Vivienne. "The reporters are gone. I gave them a clean answer." She grinned.

"Anong sinabi mo sa kanila?" Noah asked. He's hoping that Vivienne cleared his name. Ayaw niyang pinaguusapan siya ng mga tao. Gusto niyang maging tahimik lang ang buhay niya.

"I told them Noah's my boyfriend." Vivienne answered confidently.

Natigilan si Noah. Pati si Victoria ay natigilan din. "You said that?" Victoria asked.

Tumango si Vivienne. "I remember Vincenzia telling me that the both of you are keeping your relationship a secret. Tinanong nila ako kung kaano-ano ko si Noah so I answered, 'he's my boyfriend'." She explained.

"Why would you tell them that?" Victoria sounded annoyed.

"Bakit galit ka? Kasi naunahan kita?" She teased.

"Anong sabi mo?" Victoria took a step towards Vivienne who's smiling playfully.

Tahimik lang si Noah habang pinapanuod ang magkapatid pero sa loob-looban niya, he's getting worried. Vivienne is as famous as her sister. Siguradong nasa balita na siya mamaya.

Huminga nang malalim si Victoria. "I'm tired. I wanna go home." She just uttered then glared at him. "Yung deal natin. Huwag mong kakalimutan." She then left.

Nagkatinginan sila ni Vivienne kapagkuwan ay natawa ang dalaga. "What's funny?"

Umiiling-iling ito habang natatawa. "Nothing. It's just that, ang saya pala utuin si Victoria."

"Ha?" Anong sinasabi niya?

"Do you really think, I would easily tell the public that I'm dating you? A simple attorey? Hindi ka naman sikat, bakit kita ipapakilala sa publiko."

Noah looked at her flatly. "Magkapatid nga kayo ni Victoria. Alam mo bang iyan din ang sabi niya sa akin?" He tsked. "It's a good thing though that you didn't tell anything."

Vivienne nodded. "Sinabi ko lang sa kanila na kaibigan lang kita. Inuto ko lang si Victoria kasi I want to see her reaction."

"Reaction to what?" He asked.

Vivienne replied with a shrug. "You know, if she's jealous or something."

He's really confused. "Jealous of what?"

Vivienne rolled her eyes. "For an attorney, you're so dumb." She commented.

He glared at her. "What's with you and your sister? The both of you have been dissing me. Sinabi na rin niya sa akin yan."

"Kasi totoo naman." She smiled sweetly before patting his shoulders then left.

Napabuntong hininga nalang si Noah at napagpasiyahan nalang unuwi dahil bukas, hindi siya pagpapahingahin ng asawa. She'll make him do all her work but oddly, he doesn't have the heart to say no to his wife.

Why is he feeling this way?