CHAPTER 41
THE BIRTHDAY celebration has ended before ten in the evening. The guests had begun leaving one by one. And only the immediate family remained. Tahimik na ang garden at naiilawan na lamang ito ng mga light lantern na nakasabit sa mga puno. Nakatayo naman si Lucien sa may veranda. A cup of black coffee in his hand. He looked out toward the moonlit gardens, enjoying the peaceful silence while watching Neriah interact with her cousin, Noreen. Nang may tumikhim sa kaniyang likuran. Lucien turned around and saw Neriah’s older brother walking toward him, his hands tucked inside the pockets of his dark slacks. Unlike earlier, the cheerful atmosphere he’d maintained during the party, there was now an unmistakable authority in his presence. Naalala ni Lucien ang auction na pinuntahan nil
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