The Billionaire's Trap

Chapter 4

Kinabukasan...

Hindi ko maigalaw ang aking katawan. Mabigat ang katawan ko at idagdag pa na parang binibiyak ang ulo ko sa sakit.

I sniffed. I feel cold so I pull the blanket and cover myself up to my neck.

I sense something moved beside me. I open my eyes slightly although even opening my eyes is hard to do.

There, I saw a very handsome face of a very fine young man... Vallen Garret Alejo.

W-What is h-he doing here? Why is he here?!

...

Then I remembered what happened yesterday. Ah, right. He brought me here.

I close my eyes. Even my eyes are sore. What's happening to my body?

Suddenly, Vallen placed his arm in my waist. Napamulat ako. It was accidental, wasn't it?

I saw him still sleeping. Phew. Hinawakan ko ang braso niya at sinubukang alisin ito sa pagkakayakap sa akin.

"Leslie?"

I froze upon hearing his cold voice.

Hindi ako makatingin sa kaniya. Pero tinuloy ko pa ring alisin ang braso niya.

"T-There.. I'm s-sorry..." Even my words won't come out easily. My voice is hoarse and I'm having a hard time speaking because my throat is sore as well!

Nagulat ako nang bigla niyang hinawakan ang aking mukha dahilan para mapatingin ako sa kaniya. His expression changed and he's showing me a very unexpected expression.. he's looking at me worriedly...?

Is he worried about me?

Pft. This man? That's impossible, right?

"You're burning," aniya.

I sniffed. "I'm.. al-alright..." Hah! Bakit nahihirapan akong magsalita?

Bumangon siya bigla. He took a remote I don't know what is used for, then the temperature slowly getting warmer.

"I'm sorry. I should've been more considerate given that you fainted last night," he said.

What? I fainted last night?

Heck. What was the last memory I have last night?

Pakiramdam ko ay napunta lahat ng dugo ko sa aking mukha ng maalala ang nangyari kagabi. I erased that in my memory and trying to remember what happened after that.

I went to the bathroom.. then? I took a shower? After...? I felt dizzy and I couldn't remember anything after that.

So... I passed out?

There? In the bathroom?

Why did I pass out?

I placed my hand in my neck to check my temperature. So that's why he said I'm burning...

Because I'm really burning!

I have a fever!

"I'm s-sorry. I didn't r-realize I h—"

"Why do you keep apologizing?" he asked. He stared at me so I averted my gaze somewhere else.

Out of courtesy? Nah, it's a habit at home. Since Mom is always mad at me, I kept apologizing even in simple things that I do.

I sighed. I shouldn't think of them anymore.

"I'll call for Ivan. Wait here, I'll bring you breakfast." He leans closer and at the second there, when I can't move due to confusion why he's leaning closer, he kissed me in my forehead. The touch of his lips sent shivers in my entire body. It feels so cold and I could feel it in my burning body.

He used the telephone and moments after, Ivan came.

"Good morning, Young Master and Young Miss," bati niya. I want to greet him back but I can't.

"Rest more. I'll be back immediately." He kissed my forehead once again. Tinulungan ni Ivan si Vallen makaalis sa kama. Pagkatapos ay tinulak na niya ito palabas.

Nang makalabas siya ng kwarto, nagtaklob ako ng kumot. My heart is as if in a horse racing! My face feels even hotter because of what he did.

Leslie, kalma. Kalma, okay? It's nothing. He's just being sweet because he'll be your husband, soon. Alright?

I inhaled and exhaled, convincing myself that that's the reason why Vallen's acting so sweetly towards me.

But that doesn't make any sense!

Inalis ko ang talukbong ng aking kumot.

I think it's much better if I don't think over it, right? As if I'd come up with something that justifies his actions just now.

Regardless, he'll be my husband so this much is alright.

Napahawak ako sa aking ulo dahil sa biglaang pagsakit nito. The lids of my eyes suddenly feel heavy. I will just close my eyes for a moment.

Almost half an hour had passed and I'm still lying in bed with my eyes closed.

I started to feel cold, even colder than earlier, even though the air conditioner is turned off.

I remembered those times when I was still at Lambrente household. Whenever I'm having a fever, no one's there to look after me.

Ever since Lorraine arrived, things went south. Now that I think about it, I noticed something is off even before Lorraine met Dylan. She's acting so sweet in front of Mom and Dad when we're together, but when it's just the two of us, she's acting indifferently.

I just ignored it and understand that she has a different upbringing. When we're playing together, she started crying all of a sudden and she's going to Mom to tell on me. Saying it's my fault that she cried even though I didn't do anything.

Iniisip ko lang na baka may nagawa akong hindi ko alam na para sa kaniya ay mali o masakit.

It happened several times, and all these years a lot of things happened. But still, I see her as my loving and bright sister. I loved her and treated her as my full-blood sister. Kahit isang beses ay hindi ko inisip na kamuhian siya o kung ano pa man, o agawin si Mommy sa kaniya.. at hindi ko rin naisip na gano'n ang tingin niya sa'kin.

Nakakalungkot lang... Had I known she was thinking of me like that, I would've give her everything she wanted back then.. all my toys and stuff... Maybe she really had a hard time when she was with our grandparents?

But what can I do now?

Everything's a mess...

I sighed.

I heard the door opens; it closes after. Who is it? Is it Ivan? Carol?

"Leslie."

By hearing that cold voice, I do not need to open my eyes to know who it is.

It's Vallen.

So he really came back...

"Are you awake?" he asked.

Bahagya kong binuksan ang aking mata. It was blurry at first but it adjusted well after.

"Yeah..." I answered in a low voice.

He's with Ivan with a tray of food in his hands. Somebody's pushing the wheelchair in place of Ivan.

"Can you get up?"

I shook my head. My body feels so heavy that I don't know if I can get up on my own.

Inutusan niya si Ivan na ibaba ang tray at kumuha ng basang bimpo. Samantala, inutusan naman niya ang maid na itulak siya palapit sa akin.

Ngayon ay nasa gilid ko na siya.

Dumating si Ivan. Kinuha ni Vallen ang bimpo. Pagkatapos, pinalabas niya ang dalawa.

All of a sudden, he gently damp the towel in my face like as if he's taking care of a very fragile glass...

I feel something building up in me. A feeling I have almost forgotten.

...it's warm.

"I'm f..fine... I'll d-do that..."

"No, stay still," aniya. My chappy lips hurt when I tried to smile because of him. I didn't expect seeing him taking care of me.

Although, I feel sorry for him looking after me. He... really don't have to do this though...

Matapos niyang punasan ang aking mukha, kinuha naman niya ang isang mangkok na may lamang soup. Is he going to feed me?

"Just get up a little," aniya. I forced myself to get up, he helped me as well. Inayos niya ang unan at nilagay sa aking likuran para maging aking sandalan.

"Here, eat this," sabi niya. He's really going to feed me?

"T-That's..." It's embarrassing. I mean, why would he do this to me? Why is he.. being so gentle and kind?

"Leslie." He called my name.

I bit my lower lip. The way he called my name is as if I'm doing something I shouldn't have done.

"O...okay," I said. Sinimulan niya akong pakainin. It's really awkward. At halos mas mag-init pa ang mukha ko kasi sa akin lamang siya nakatingin.

Nang maubos ko ang soup, binigyan niya naman ako ng gamot at tubig.

"Drink this medicine," aniya. Ginawa ko ito at agad na ininom ang gamot.

Kinuha niya ang baso matapos kong uminom. He's now holding a napkin and wipe it in my mouth. "Rest for today. I'll check on you later, hmm?" he said. I just nodded my head, kasi nagugulat ako sa kaniyang mga ginagawa.

After he wiped my mouth, he stared at my face. He extends his arm and reached for my face. His cold hand made me shiver but it's unexpectedly giving me warmth.

He caressed my face. "Rest, Leslie," he said with full of sincerity. As if he knows that I need a rest for all that happened to me in all these years. That I am tired and wanted to give up.

Namuo ang luha sa aking mga mata at anumang oras ay papatak na. Pero pinipigilan ko ito. I smiled at him. "Yes... I will. Thank you," I said.

Saglit siyang tumitig sa akin bago inalis ang kamay niya sa aking pisngi. He helped me lay down. He also covered me with a blanket.

"Sleep. I will check on you later," sabi niya. I nod my head a little and closed my eyes.

I don't know if it's because of the food I ate or the medicine I took, but I immediately fell asleep...