Prologue
In the world of Baccarat, most people are obsessed with numbers. They chase nines, terrified of zeros. They call face cards "trash" because, mathematically, a queen is worth nothing.
Pero hindi nila alam kung ano ang value ng isang bagay na walang katumbas na numero.
Bumaba ang tingin ko sa mga cards sa pagitan ng mga daliri ko, I can see the the Nine of Spades and the Queen of Spades. To a novice, the queen is just a filler. But to me, she is the mask. She is the silent partner who allows the nine to remain pure.
I am that queen. I am the absolute zero. . .the cold, empty space that makes a winning hand "natural." I don't need to add value to anyone; I simply provide the silence they need to succeed, or the void in which they will eventually drown.
Ramdam ko ang bigat ng hangin sa loob ng private suite kung saan ako naroroon. It smells like an expensive tabaco, vintage bourbon, at ang pamilyar na lasing na amoy ng kapangyarihan. I breathe it in like oxygen. Dito sa mundong 'to, hindi pera ang tinataya...we trade companies, reputations, and futures.
At ako ang nagdidikta kung sino ang mawawalan ng lahat.
Prente akong nakaupo sa gitna ng mesa, magka-cross ang legs ko sa ilalim ng table, my fingers are tapping lightly against the velvet surface, they're steady and controlled. Every eye in the room is on me—as it should be. My black silk dress clings to my skin, but it's not the fabric that makes them nervous.
It's me.
I lift my gaze, locking onto Lucio Clinton across the table. The great shipping mogul. Untouchable, they said. Pero ngayon ay pinagpapawisan at namumutla lamang sa harapan ko. He's pathetic if he thinks he can beat me.
A soft hum escapes my lips because of that.. it was clearly mocking and deliberate.
"You're trembling, Lucio," kalmadong puna ko sa kaniya, sapat para mas lalo lamang siya mamutla at kabahan sa harapan ko.
Pasimple nitong pinupunasan ng mamahalin niyang itim na panyo ang kaniyang noo, at leeg. I can also see it everytime he swallows, ang paggalaw ng kaniyang adams apple at ang pagkunot ng kaniyang noo, like he was solving a mathematical problem.
"Relax, darling. It's just a game." I tilt my head slightly, studying him like he's already lost.
"Or is the Clinton Group worth so little to you that you'd risk it on a single draw?"
"I'm not losing, Alessandra," singhal niya sa akin habang mahigpit ang kapit sa cards niya, like they might save him.
"I'm just waiting for your bluff to fail." may maliit na mapaglarong ngiti ang sumilay sa mga labi ko ng sunod njyang sabihin iyon.
Bluff? Cute.
To me, this has never been gambling. This is a transaction. I already know how this ends—I always do. Every move he makes, I've seen it before he even thinks it.
In my world, people are variables and I've already solved him.
"Bluffing is for people who depend on luck," I murmur, leaning forward just enough for the chandelier light to catch in my eyes.
I know what they see—something sharp, something dangerous.
"I depend on assets." tumalim ang tingin na binibigay ko sa kaniya habang naroroon pa rin ang mga ngisi sa labi ko.
"And right now? You're nothing but a liability."
I lay my cards down slowly. It's a perfect Natural 9.
Narinig ko ang mga singhap ng mga naroroon na nanunood sa amin. Of course they do. They always do.
But Lucio...doesn't. Nakatitig lamang siya sa cards ko... like he hasn't processed it yet. Like his entire legacy wasn't just stripped away in under a few minutes.
I don't even bother looking at the chips as they're pulled toward me. Wala iyong kwenta sa akin. I have a lot at barya lamang ito kung tutuusin.
"Checkmate," I whisper, already rising to my feet and ready to leave. I smooth my dress, na para bang hindi ako gaanong ginanahan sa larong iyon.
"Have your lawyers send the transfer papers to my office by 9 AM tomorrow." sinulyapan ko siya ulit sa huling pagkakataon at nanatili akong walang expression habang nakatingin sa kaniya.
"I don't like waiting. Your time is running.Tick tock." that was the last thing I said before leaving.
Hindi pa sa akin nakaligtas ang mahinang bulungan sa loob, bago ako tuluyang nakalabas.
Pagkalabas ko ng room na iyon ay may nahagip agad akong pigura ng taong matagal ko nang nakikita, pero kailanman ay hindi ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na malapitan. Axel Valtieri.
He was holding a champagne on his hand as he was talking with one of the guests of this event. Mukhang malalim ang kanilang pinaguusapan kaya hindi na muna ako gumawa ng hakbang upang lumapit sa lalaki.
I've been trying to get near this man... I want to speak with him...but he was too untouchable. Masyadong mailap at nakakawala.
Instead of going near him, I just decided to walk away. Balak ko na sanang lumabas ng lugar na 'yon nang may mahagip ang mga mata ko.
"What a great night," mahinang nasabi ko sa sarili habang nakatingin sa lalaking halos lumuhod sa harapan ko noong nakaraan, just so I would keep him.
He was now kissing someone else's neck, na para bang hindi siya sabik na sabik sa akin noong nakaraang gabi. Nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad, heels echoing against the polished floor, hanggang sa tuluyan ko silang malampasan.
I didn't stop. But I knew—he saw me.
"Sandra!" Too late.
Humawak siya sa pulsuhan ko, but I immediately pulled away like he disgusts me, my glare was sharp enough to cut through whatever excuse he was about to form.
"We're done." Mariin kong sabi dahilan kung bakit nanlaki ang mga mata niya.
I wanted to laugh at how hillarious he looks like in front of me.
"What? No—no, Sandra, we're just beginning. You can't—"
"Oh, you totally know I can." Ngumisi ako, then shifted my gaze to the girl beside him. . .hindi ko maipinta kung ano ang nararamdaman niya base sa expression niya.
She was silent, and probably already shrinking under the weight of something she didn't sign up for.
Marahang bumalik ang tingin ko kay Cyde. Hindi ko nga alam kung bakit ko hinayaan na mag-stay siya where I don't even do relationships. He's just fuck buddy for a week at wala nang higit pa roon.
"Cheap things always come with cheap price tags. Bagay kayo." Bahagya kong ikiniling ang ulo ko with a smug in my face.
I flipped my hair and turned my back on him as if he was nothing more than a concluded deal.
He tried to follow but my personal guards stepped in—blocking him effortlessly, like he was never worth the access in the first place.
My personal guards guided me until I was able to ride the backseat of my black Mercedez.
"Sa bahay, Kuya Gino." Utosnko sa driver ko at agad naman itong sumunod.
I went home that night with anger burning under my skin.
Hindi ko na alam kung nakailang baso na ako ng whiskey habang tahimik na pinapanood ang sunod-sunod na interviews ng mga mayayamang businessmen sa bansa. Their confident smiles, their polished lies, their carefully crafted images on screen.
I lost track of time. Ilang oras ang lumipas bago ko naisipang kunin ang cellphone ko mula sa mesa. The screen lit up against the darkness of the room as I typed a single message to my "toy" for the night.
Fifteen minutes later, he was already inside my room.
Men. Ganiti sila kabilis makuha.
I looked at him with empty eyes, no emotion left in them. Slowly, I began to slip off what I was wearing, watching how his gaze darkened, how the hunger in his eyes slowly ignited.
Exactly as expected.
Men were always predictable like that.
"Like what you see?" hindi man lang siya kumurap or nagsalita.
"Touch me..."
Like a leashed dog, he crawled, eager to touch me. Mariin akong napapikit nang maramdaman ang kamay niyang humahaplos at pumipiga sa dibdib ko. I could hear his heavy breathing. Sabik sa pagkakataong ibinigay ko sa kaniya.
"Suck it..." utos kong muli habang itinutulak ang ulo niya palapit sa akin.
I moaned when I felt his hot mouth on me. Played my crown with his filthy tongue.
"Hmm, you damn fucking scumbag." I grabbed his hair as he nibbled my nipple like a child who badly wants milk.
Ipinikit ko nang mariin ang aking mga mata, hinahayaang lamunin ng panandaliang sarap ang sistema ko.
But even with his tongue swirling, I felt nothing but a cold detachment. He was devouring me like a starving man, his groans echoing in the silent room...a symphony of desperation that I've heard multiple times before.
Pero lahat nang 'yon ay walang kahit anong epekto mula sa akin.
"God, Alessandra... you're so perfect," he whimpered against my skin, digging his nails into my hips.
I let out a sharp, mocking laugh that he mistook for a moan.
Perfect? No, I was a predator, and he was just the flavor of the night.
"Is that all you've got?" I taunted, grabbing his hair and pulling his head back so he was forced to look at me.
Bakas ang panghihina sa expression na ipinapakita niya. His eyes were glazed with lust, completely stripped of his dignity.
"You're pathetic. Dila pa lang, pagod ka na? Show me how much you want to fuck me." mariin na utos ko, throwing glares on him.
He didn't need to be told twice. Mabilis niya akong binuhat pahiga sa kama. Kitang kita ko kung paano siya nagmadaling ipasok ang t-te niya sa akin, groaning so loud. His movements becoming frantic. He was trying so hard to please me, to leave a mark, to make me remember him. Poor soul.
He didn't realize that to me, his touch was as fleeting as a shadow. Pagkatapos nito'y isa na lamang siyang sirang laruan na kailangan nang itapon at palitan.
Once I felt the peak of my own release, I didn't hold him. I didn't whisper his name. I simply exhaled, the fire in my veins turning into ice in a split second.
"Get off," I said, my voice cold and flat. Tumitig siya sa akin, bakas ang lito sa kaniyang mga mata.
"Akala ko ba..."
"I'm done with you," malamig na tugon ko habang kinukuha ang aking robe.
"You can leave now." sunod na sabi ko, nang lingunin siya.
Gulat at hiya ang rumehistro sa kaniyang mukha. He looked like a lost child, scrambling to find his clothes and his pride at the same time.
After he left, I bathed myself thoroughly. Imbes na mandiri, ay unti-unti lamang akong nakaramdam ng pagkauhaw... for more men... for more ego to break....at makita kung paano sila mahiya sa harapan ko.
Matapos maligo ay ibinalot ko ang sarili sa roba. I walked out of my bathroom and grab a glass of one before peeking outside my window and a smile formed in my lips.
Nasa ganoon akong pwesto when my phone buzzed on the side table. Agad ko iyong kinuha and I saw a message from my secretary.
From: Jazlene
Madame, just a reminder for tomorrow's appointment at 11:00 AM. You have a meeting with Mr. Valtieri at Valtieri Holdings. This is for the billion-dollar partnership contract proposal. He is expecting you.
Napangisi ako. I closed my eyes, remembering his face from the magazines and TV interviews na sobrang bihira lamang mapanood.
Axel Leontius Valtieri. The known cold and youngest billionaire in the country. He's every woman's fantasy. Gwapo, matalino, mayaman. Isama mo pa ang nakakapag pa-attract sa kanila... his reserved and intimidating personality.
He's the ultimate prize.
"Let's see how you'll react wheni you see me, handsome." ngumisi ako habang iniisip kung ano ang mga mangyayari kapag nagkita na kami.
"I'll make you dance for me, Axel," I whispered staring at my reflection from ny phone's screen.
.
