Said I Loved You But I Lied... (Book 2)

Chapter 1

Lee Ann Carbonel was sleeping soundly when she heard a knock. She drowsily groped for her alarm clock and frowned at it.

Ano ba to, alas dose nang madaling araw? she thought to herself as she placed the alarm clock beside her and promptly fell back asleep.

But the knocks continued and grew louder and more insistent

She groaned out loud. "Ano ba..." she muttered to herself as she tried to stifle the noise by throwing the comforter over her head.

But, what if it's an emergency...? The thought crept inside her head and her eyes flew open.

"Saglit lang!" she loudly said as she sat up. She groped for her bedroom slippers using her left foot but she couldn't find them so she padded barefoot towards the chair facing her vanity bureau to pick up her light pink dressing robe.

She was about to pull her bedroom door open when she remembered what her sister, Alexa, had told her.

H'wag kang basta-bastang nagbubukas ng pinto. Kahit na kilala mo lahat ng tao rito sa mansyon ay mas mabuti na 'yung safe, 'di ba? I have scheduled our people to come in so we can update the mansion's security.

Lee Ann immediately withdrew her hand. "Sino po 'yan?" she asked. "Ano pong kailangan nila?"

"Lee, si Ate Alexa mo 'to," she heard the reply.

"Ate, what's wrong?" she asked instantly worried as she immediately pulled the door open. "Is everything okay—"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" everyone chorused.

Lee Ann stared at the small crowd in front of her comprising her family and the mansion's staff.

"Seventeen ka na! Isang taon na lang!" her eldest sister, Lia, announced in a singsong voice. She was carrying a pink cake with a lone sparkler candle on top of it. "Masyado kasing madami kung seventeen na ganito, baka ma-overwhelm ka sa kakaihip kaya nakasulat na lang yung edad mo para hindi mo makalimutan," she jokingly added. "Gawa ng mga staff natin ito. Sila ang nag-design."

They were all surprised when the youngest Carbonel sniffled.

"Hey..." Alexa laughingly said stepping forward. "Why are you crying?"

"I just did not expect this..." Lee Ann confided as she looked at the faces in front of her painfully aware that it was missing the one person she missed the most – her dad.

"Aww..." her eldest sister, Lia, seemed to understand as she handed the cake to one of the staff so she could hug her youngest sister. "Nandito kami, okay..." she whispered against the young woman's hair. "And wherever he is, I am sure he's singing a birthday song for you..."

"Oh, now you're making me cry..." Alexa commented as her eyes started to well up. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion!" she added in a cheerful voice. "Bakit ba tayo nag-iiyakan?"

"Oo nga naman..." Lia said with a teary smile. "Happy birthday, baby sister!"

"Happy Birthday, Lee!" Alexa threw her arms around the younger girl before kissing her soundly on the cheek.

"Thank you, mga Ate," Lee Ann said wiping her tears using the back of her hand. "Sorry, napakaiyakin ko talaga..." she added laughing softly.

"Sanay na kami, ano," Lia said. "Pero, kinabahan si Chef Simon kasi akala n'ya ay naiyak ka sa design ng cake n'ya."

"Happy Birthday, Lee!" Chef Simon, Manong Ed, and their staff greeted.

"Thank you po, Tatay Ed, Chef Simon, at sa lahat..." Lee Ann sincerely replied. "Grabe naman itong pa-surprise n'yo, hindi ko tuloy napigilan 'yung luha ko."