All Chapters of Trapped by the Governor : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

“...No.”Halos hindi marinig ang boses ni Karolina nang lumabas iyon sa bibig niya. Nanginginig siya, hindi lang dahil sa takot kundi dahil sa galit at kahihiyang unti-unting sumisikip sa dibdib niya.Sandaling natahimik si Aldous. At pagkatapos, bigla itong natawa. Malalim. Mabagal. Halos parang totoong naaaliw sa sagot niya.Napaatras si Karolina habang mas lalong hinihigpitan ang hawak sa bag na dala niya. Ramdam niya ang mabilis na tibok ng puso niya habang nakatitig sa lalaki. There was something wrong with him. Hindi siya tulad ni Alejandro na malamig at kontrolado.Mas delikado si Aldous.Parang hindi mo alam kung kailan ito magiging seryoso o kailan ito biglang sasabog.“That’s funny,” saad nito habang pinupunasan ang gilid ng labi niya, halatang pinipigilan pa rin ang tawa. “You said no?”Napakunot-noo si Karolina.“A stripper… saying no to me?” dagdag nito, tila hindi makapaniwala.At doon niya naramdaman ang matinding paghapdi sa dibdib niya. Parang may kung anong maruming

The next morning arrived quietly. Dahan-dahang pumasok ang sinag ng araw sa malaking kwarto, warming Karolina’s skin as she slowly opened her eyes. For a few seconds, she stayed still, staring blankly at the ceiling as if hoping she would wake up somewhere else. Somewhere familiar. Somewhere that felt like home. But the expensive room around her immediately reminded her of reality. She was still far away from her children. Napapikit siya sandali habang mabigat na bumuntong-hininga. The emptiness inside her chest somehow felt worse this morning, parang mas mabigat kaysa kahapon. Tahimik siyang bumangon at lumapit sa balcony, letting the cold morning breeze touch her skin. The view was beautiful—too beautiful, actually. But Karolina had already learned that even the prettiest places in the world mean nothing when the people you love are missing from it. Somewhere far away, her children were probably awake by now. Maybe her daughter was looking for her. Maybe her son was asking w

Lalong lumamig ang pasilyo nang umalingawngaw ang mga yabag ni Alejandro. Nakatayo si Karolina sa gitna ng corridor, naninigas ang katawan, kahit ang instinct niya ay sumisigaw nang umatras. Ang katahimikan sa paligid ay hindi normal, parang buong mansyon ay huminto para makinig. Si Aldous naman ay mukhang kalmado. Bahagya siyang nakasandal sa dingding, may bahid pa rin ng ngiti sa labi na parang aliw na aliw siya sa sitwasyon kaysa matakot. Nang tuluyang lumitaw si Alejandro sa dulo ng pasilyo, hindi ito mukhang nagulat. Saglit lang tumama ang tingin niya kay Karolina bago lumipat kay Aldous, at doon pa lang, lalo nang kumirot ang sikmura niya. Aldous broke the silence first. “You’re late,” he said casually, tilting his head slightly. “I’ve been enjoying the company.” Hindi agad sumagot si Alejandro. Dahan-dahan siyang humakbang palapit, bawat galaw ay mahinahon at sinadyang kontrolado, hanggang sa ang pagitan nilang lahat ay unti-unting naging masikip at nakakasakal. Pagka

Karolina couldn't remember the last time she had been this confused. Nakatayo siya sa gilid ng playground habang pinagmamasdan ang eksenang nasa harapan niya. Sa loob lamang ng ilang minuto, tuluyan nang naglaho ang lalaking kilala niyang Alejandro.The governor everyone feared. The governor who could silence an entire room with a single look. The governor who always seemed two steps ahead of everyone else.Gone.Sa harapan niya ngayon ay isang lalaking nakaupo sa damuhan habang napapalibutan ng mga bata na tila ba matagal na itong kaibigan."Ako naman, Kuya Alejandro!""Hindi, ako muna!""Sinungaling ka! Nauna ako!"Napailing si Karolina habang pinapanood ang tatlong batang halos akyatin na ang gobernador."One at a time," natatawang sabi ni Alejandro. "Hindi ako octopus.""Anong octopus?""Malaking pugita.""Kadiri!"Napatawa ang mga bata. At nakakagulat, napatawa rin si Alejandro. A real laugh, hindi iyong pilit. Hindi iyong mapanukso. A genuine one.Karolina found herself staring

The next morning, Karolina wakes up with one mission: Make Alejandro fall for her, again. But there's one problem? The moment she sees him at breakfast, she realizes she has absolutely no idea how to flirt.Ilang taon na rin ang lumipas mula nang magkaroon siya ng seryosong relasyon, ang lalaking naging ama ng bunso niyang anak. Ang problema lang, that asshole wasn't ready to be a father. As cliché as it sounds, he went out to buy milk and never came back.Since then, she had been left to raise their child on her own, carrying responsibilities that should have been shared by two people.Karolina stood outside the dining room and took a deep breath."Okay," she muttered to herself.Step one, be charming. Step two, be pretty. Step three, make the governor fall in love.Simple.Very simple.Sa kasamaang-palad, nang sandaling pumasok siya sa dining room at makita si Alejandro na nakaupo sa dulo ng mesa, biglang naglaho ang lahat ng inihanda niyang sasabihin.Nakasuot ito ng malinis na put