"WE will miss you, dude! We can't believe that a playboy like you will finally tie a knot."

Deive wanted to hit her friend's face with the glass when Sidney started to become dramatic. He becomes emotional under the spirit of wine, even with just a drop.

It was in contrast with the party they threw for him. It was full of beautiful women. They were at his other friend's condo. Lucien's penthouse was perfect for events like tonight. It was heaven for four virile young men.

The four of them - him, Lucian, Sidney and Averill were best of friends. They've been together since they were kids. They were as thick as thieves and they got along when it comes to women and their foolish pranks.

"Did you bring me here so you can cry for me as if I am dying?" Deive asked.

"Idinala ba ninyo ako dito para iyakan lang?" tanong niya.

"This is your stag party, bro!" said Averill and tapped his shoulder.

He shook his head and drank the four seasons cocktail. He can't drink because he would drive later. And he couldn't flirt with the gorgeous women in the room. He just wanted to spend time with his friends.

"I am not yet getting married. Why the stag party?" Deive inquired.

"Because you will finally meet the woman that you grandfather had chosen for you." Lucian filled his glass with brandy. "And you will stay with her for a couple of months or so. I am sure she won't let you leave her side."

"Rock and roll, man! If the woman is that beautiful, I won't let her go either. I will even chain her to my bed and give her babies," Sidney said with a mischievous grin on his face.

He wanted to pummel his face. "Hey! This is my future bride we are discussing. Have some respect. I am not a maniac. We just want to get to know each other before we plan our wedding."

"You are not a maniac. You are just a lady killer." And Averill nailed him with that comment. "But can you really become faithful to your bride, Deive?"

He was constantly at the dating scene. He had no permanent girlfriend and settling down or walking down the aisle was never a part of his plans. He just wanted to live his life to the fullest.

All he cared about was his job and family. That's why he was challenged by his grandfather. Lolo Jorje wanted him to marry the granddaughter of his best friend if he wanted the capital for the business he wanted to start with his friends and to make ammends with his past faults.

"That's why we were shocked when you said that you are getting married," Lucian said. "Is that really serious?"

"I have to marry her. I want to break away from my grandfather's chain. I want our dream cruise ship to push through."

Their group had been dreaming of having their own cruise ship since they were in college. They had been under their family's thumb, slaving on their family's companies. Deive was trained to manage Hontiveros Coco Industries, a company which exports coconut products.

It was not his dream but it was what his grandfather wanted. Marrying Callea was his only chance to do whatever he wanted. His younger brother, Keiran, was ready to take over. But the old man didn't want to let him go. His loan won't get approved and he couldn't get the capital infuse he needed if he won't follow his grandfather's condition.

"Do you think it is right? This is the new millenium!" Sidney complained and raise his arms. "I can't believe arranged marriage is still practiced in the modern world."

"I think it is fitting," Lucian commented. Then he glanced at him menacingly. "Your womanizing reputation nailed you down."

Deive whispered an oath. Ruby Canales, a daughter of their client from Argentina wanted him so badly but he turned her down. When he didn't accept her advances, she announced that she was pregnant and he was the father. It was almost a shotgut wedding. His client wanted him to marry Ruby but he refused. He didn't even kiss that lunatic. Could she get pregnant just by breathing.

So they lost a huge client and it affected their business.

It was not his fault that women wanted a piece of him. He was guilty about enjoying women's company. But where Ruby was concerned, he was innocent.

"You are running away from a shotgun wedding only to marry another," Sidney mumbled while shaking his head. "I don't get it."

"Any woman will do except Rubie Canales! And besides, Callea is so fine. She's sweet and innocent and she has a face of an angel," Deive voiced dreamily. She was his savior.

The last time he saw Callea, she was just fifteen years old. She was already beautiful then. And according to Tomasino Lopez, Sr. she's still an angel. He was living in solitdude at the Lopez's mansion in Nagcarlan, Laguna. No boyfriend since birth. How lucky could he get?

"Hmmm... not your type!" Averill interjected. "She's too sweet for your taste."

He liked his women wild and sophisticated. Those who were not interested with commitment. But he didn't have a choice now, did he? He would get what he wanted if he will do his grandfather's bidding. He had to endure it.

He stood up then tapped Lucian's shoulder. "I have to go, guys! Don't worry. I can handle this perfectly," he declared with full confidence.

I am in total control of the situation.

His deep dimples showed up on both of his cheeks when he thought about it. He could easily ask Callea to do this bidding. He already had a contract for their arranged marriage. He could discuss it once he got close to her. He could easily charm her.

But his confidence started to dwindle as he was trapped South Luzon Expressway. It was still an hour or so from Nagcarlan, Laguna. And he freakin' hated traffic because it ruined his mood.

It was already nine o'clock when he reached the end of the expressway. He was supposed to arrive at eight in the evening for dinner. His grandfather said so.

It was his first meeting with Callea and he was late. Not a good sign.

After an hour, he finally entered the town of Nagcarlan. He flinched when his cellphone rang. He grimaced when he saw his grandfather's name registered on the phone screen as the caller. He breathed deeply before he answered the call. "Hello, Lolo!"

"Where are you, Deive? Do you know what time it is?"

He gulped when he saw that it was already half an hour after ten in the evening. "I am here at Nagcarlan, Lolo." He tried his best to be cheerful. "I am near Villa Celesta."

"Where exactly are you?"

"Ahhh..." He looked out the window and tried to check out the establishments in the dark of the night. "I just passed Neneng's Sari Sari Store."

"Where is it?"

"Near the two mango trees beside the tamarind tree." And he was not sure if it was tamarind tree because there was no street lights.

"Are you trying to be funny? I am telling you, you are not!" his old man blasted that almost ruined his eardrums. "I already told you that Callea prepared dinner and you must be there by eight. Where have you been? To your paramour?"

He twisted his lips. "Of course not. It was traffic."

"You are driving my patience! Have you forgotten that your womanizing landed you into trouble in the first place? You shoudl be grateful that I am still considerate with you. Look what I got you. A perfect wife. Callea is beautiful and kind. She knew how to take care of the house. And she's very cultured. She's an artist, too."

"Yes. I know. She's perfect. Thanks for choosing well, Lolo." He tried his best to hide the sarcasm. He couldn't imagine what his future would be with Callea. He never thought about settling down with a woman. So many girls, so little time. And because of Callea Lopez, his fun time was over.

"Better keep that in mind. Give my kisses to Callea." Then his grandfather ended the call.

"Callea! Callea! She would be perfect if she had a sound mind for business as well. " A naughty smile formed on his lips. "And if she's scorching hot in bed."

Deive let out a whistle. A lady in public but a vixen in bed. Now that's the idea.

He was busy dreaming about his bride when he noticed something cross the road. "Whoa!"

Deive's car screeched into a halt. He was breathing hard. Did he hit someone or something? Where is it? Did he kill it?

Some men who were drinking at a makeshift store rushed to him. "Hey, handsome! Are you okay?" one of them asked and knocked on the windshield of his car.

His heart was pounding wildly when he opened the window of his car. "Don't mind me. I am sure I am hit something. Can you c-check it?" He must get his wits together. He must bring it to the hospital. He hoped it was still alive.

"You didn't hit anything. The black cat crosses the street," answered the small man. Then he saw a black shadow that was running away.

"Just a black cat? I-I didn't see that one." He was worried over nothing.

"When a black cat crosses your way, that is a bad omen," said the old woman.

Deive gave the old woman a bewildered look. She looked serious as if that statement about the superstitious belief on black cats was a fact. It was already the modern times. Who else believed in mystical beliefs anymore?

"I am sorry but I don't believe that. But thanks for the warning. I must go now," he said to the group.

He would really experience bad luck if he didn't get to Villa Celesta soon. Even if he was forced to marry Callea, he didn't want her to think that he hated the idea. His old man will be more pissed off and he would find himself in the dump soon.

"Where are you going, child?" the old woman asked him.

"In Villa Celesta."

Everyone hitched their breath as if one person. Extreme fear reflected on their faces.

"Are you an exorcist or a paranormal expert, young man?" the old woman asked. "Do you want to help the suffering souls in that house?"

He shook his head. He imagined the traditional healers who perform rituals to communicate with spirits and elements using their chants and wearing their bandanas on the head. No, that image on his head was a far cry from him. "No, ma'am. I will visit my future bride there."

"Oh, my god!" exclaimed the old woman and clutched her chest. The rest of the men put their hands together as if in prayer.

The biggest of the bunch gulped. "Aren't you aware that bad spirits lurked there? Ghosts abound that place. It is a haunted house."

"Yes! Last night, we even saw a white lady standing at the verandah. It was really eerie," said the man who was mostly bones and skin.

His face twitched as he tried not to laugh out loud. Ghosts? White lady? Haunted house? These men must be really drunk with all the weird things they see.

"I have to go now. Thank you very much," Deive said.

He was about roll the car's window when the old woman stopped him. "Wait!" Then the old woman put her hand on his head and murmured a prayer. "Please protect this man from the evil spirits."

The other men also put their hands together and joined the prayer. "Amen."

"Always pray, young man," said the old woman and took his hands. "I hope that God won't leave your side."

He thanked them. From the chat that brought bad luck to a haunted house. Elements and ghosts? For Pete's sake! There were lots of technologies invented. They even sent men to the moon. There was human cloning, plant and animal mutation. Ghosts and elements were a thing of the past. It was only used to scare the little kids to sleep or as a scaring tactics by the Spaniards to the Filipinos during colonial times. You could only see those ghosts on films and horror books.

From the store, he didn't find any more houses along the way. All he could see were fields illuminated by the moonlight. After few minutes, a huge house could be seen from the view.

Villa Celeste. It was an old house built during 1920s. It was Victorian inspired house made mostly of wood. It was three-story tall. It looked like a haunted house for other people. But for him, it was a fine example of classy architecture.

He slowed down the car as he neared the iron-wrought gates of Villa Celesta. He beeped and an old couple opened the gate. "Good evening, Señorito Deive!" greeted the old man. "I am Lito, the caretaker of this mansion. And this is my wife, Poling."

He shook their hands. "Good evening to you."

"Señorita Callea has been waiting for you. Why did you arrive so late, Sir?" Poling asked.

"The traffic on SLEX was horrible. My apologies. Is Callea still up?" Deive asked.

"Maybe she's already resting. The light is off on her room. Maybe you will meet her in the morning. But Marina is waiting at the door," explained Lito.

"Who's Marina?" Deive asked. Her grandfather metioned the couple caretaker at the mention. There was no mention of this Marina.

"She is Miss Callea's companion. Please get inside so you can gave your late dinner and you can rest," said Poling.

He went back to his car. "Why don't you ride with me back to the mansion?" he offered.

"We are on our way home. We only visit this place two to four times a week to clean up this place. Or if Marina and Miss Callea wants us to buy something from town," Lito clarified.

"I see." It was only the two women in the house. Isn't that dangerous? Do they even have security there?

"Don't worry, Señorito Deive. Nobody would dare rob the mansion. They are terrified to even pass by this place," said Poling in an amused voice.

Lito elbowed his wife. "Watch your mouth. We don't want to give Sir Deive the wrong impression."

"Is there a problem?" Deive asked.

"What my wife meant was the Lopezes are respected in this town. So, even if this house has no guard, nobody would dare loot it. We have to go now, Sir. We will be back tomorrow to check on your needs."

Then he waved goodbye to the couple and kept on driving. He didn't really like old houses but he admired Villa Celesta. It was as if the moonlight was worshipping it as it casted its glow. The Lopezes tried their best to maintain its splendor. There was a certain romantic appeal to the house. According to his Lolo Jorge, Callea loved the house so much and preferred to live there. So, as her future husband, he must learn to appreciate the place as well.

There was a sprawling garden with a fountain in the middle. There was also a tall camachile tree. He looked as it as he get off his car. He was used to the noise and brightness of the city. He was not a rural boy. But now he appreciated the silence of the night where he could only hear the night insects chirping. The beautiful moonlight was usually unnoticeable due to bright city lights. But he could see it clearly now because it was the only shining object in the night sky.

So this was her bride's world.

Very laidback. Very...

He looked around when he heard the wooden door squeaked as it opened. Feared clutched his whole being when he saw a hunchback. He stepped back. He asked himself if the stories about ghosts were real.

"W-Who are you?" he asked in a shaky voice. He was ready to run anytime. Is the place really cursed?

"I am Marina, Señorito Deive."

"Y-You are Callea's companion?" This was the woman that Callea trusted?

She nodded slightly. "Señorita slept while waiting for you. But I can reheat your dinner if you want to eat."

He took out his luggage from the backseat of the car. "Thank you but I am still full." Deive couldn't fathom why Callea had chosen this woman as her companion. She was not fit to be a bodyguard. Or maybe she was the reason why the people in town was afraid of Villa Celesta?

What was this lunacy? As if they also wanted to frighten him. Not to be judgmental and all. He now understood why towns people were afraid of the place. It was an old house with a hunchback living on it. They weave their own stories. Well, the world was really judgmental and cruel.

"If you don't want to eat anymore, I will take you to your room so you can eat," she said then offered to bring his luggage.

"You don't have to. I can handle this. Where is my room?"

"At the second floor, second door from the end of the hall," Marina answered. "Please get inside because the night is starting to get colder. You might get sick."

Deive halted his steps when he felt like there were eyes on him from the second floor. He caught sight of the shadow of a woman. He looked away. Maybe it was just his imagination. It was just the three of them inside the house. Callea was already sleeping.

He must stop thinking too much. The scary stories from the drunk and the silly old woman was starting to get to him. But how could he explain this eerie feeling?

Callea was holding her breath as she held her cat. She was crouching beside the window, away from the prying eyes of many. Even the moonlight couldn't reach her.

"Do you think Deive saw me, Luna?" she asked the cat.

She had been waiting for Deive Hontiveros since this afternoon. She prepared a sumptuous dinner for him. She didn't want to disappoint him. Even if she didn't want to marry him, she was taught at a very young age how to properly treat visitors. She needed to get his confidence if she wanted to make her plan work.

But the dinner was already cold and he still didn't come. She thought that maybe he decided to back out from their wedding. So, she told Marina to just put the food in the fridge. She was about to sleep when she heard his car purr as it arrived at Villa Celesta.

She decided not to welcome him anymore. So, he would know that she would not be the type who wait out for him if he decided to show up late. She just told Marina that she would just sleep.

Callea told herself that she was not interested in Deive. But something pulled her towards the window and peep. She couldn't see much of his face because it was dark. But with the help of the moonlight, an image of a vigorous young man was formed.

Her eyes rolled heavenward. "So, he was a hottie. So what? What kind of man would let a woman wait for him for several hours. That is hardly a man."

If only she didn't need Deive Hontiveros so badly, she won't allow him to set foot in Villa Celesta. "But why does my heart beat so fast at the sight of him?" she asked Luna as she touched her cat. As if her head would explode when he looked up her way. What was happening to her?

Her long, lustrous hair fell on her face. Then the gray cloud covered the moon. On Deive's arrival, her life was about to change. She must follow her grandfather in the meantime. She would get her hands on Villa Celesta soon.

And Deive Hontiveros would be out of her life.

"THERE are six rooms on the second floor and there's also the attic. Don Leandro has six children. He was the one who built this house and he is Señorita Callea's great grandfather. But after some time, nobody stayed in this house anymore because the family decided to leave someplace else. Others are even abroad. Only Señorita Callea choose to stay here."

Deive gulped as he ascended the grand staircase. Marina was leading him to the second floor to the room that he would stay in. She was like a tourist guide. He bet she could explain the history of each part of the house.

He felt like he was back in 1920s when the mansion was still lively with all the original settlers who lived there. The furniture was also from the olden times. But the place gave him creeps. As if anytime, a head would roll on his feet or a white lady would just show up.

He stopped midway when he saw the painting of a beautiful woman wearing a white ball gown. With all the decorations at the mansion, it was the only thing that caught his attention. It was as if the image was alive. Even the black cat on her lap has intimidating green eyes.

"Who is she?" he asked Marina.

"She is Doña Celesta, the wife of Don Leandro," the woman answered. "She looked a lot like Señorita Callea. Whoever sees her though Doña Celesta went back to life. Unfortunately, she died giving birth to Don Tomasino. They mourned for her. Don Leandro loved her so much and decided not to marry anymore."

He looked away from the painting. He felt Doña Celesta's eyes on him. As if she knew his intentions for her great granddaughter. He felt guilty in a way. The house was built by two people who love each other. The house was a fruit of their love and devotion for each other. While he was there to marry a Lopez for his own interest.

His room was simple yet elegant. A huge four-poster bed dominated the room. There were two old lampshades beside the bed. A replica painting of Francis "Botong" Francisco hangs at the head of the bed. There wasn't much modern furniture even if there's electricity.

"If you want to watch TV, there's an entertainment room downstairs. Don Tomasino preferred that the family will watch TV together or listen to music. So if you want to watch, you do it with Señorita Callea."

He smiled a bit. "No problem. Where is her room?"

"At the end of this hall. But she doesn't want to be bothered especially at night."

Deive nodded and sat on the bed. Great! His room was near to the beautiful woman he was about to marry. Not that he had plans to enter her room without permission. He was not that type of man and he didn't have to force any woman. Well, if Callea wanted to get to his room, that's another thing entirely.

Sleep was starting to lull him. The bed was soft and comfortable. The air was cold and he didn't even need a fan or an air conditioner. He could hear the hymn of night insects as if they were singing him a lullaby. Perhaps it was the dim light from the old silk cocoon lamp that was making him drowsy.

He was usually specific that all of his needs were met whenever he arrived at a new place. But all he did was lean back at the bed's headboard and close his eyes.

"Do you want me to help you with unpacking your things, Sir?" Marina offered.

He flicked his hand while his eyes were still closed. "Let it be. I just want to rest. You may go. Thank you, Marina."

He listened to her footsteps. It was so relaxing. He had never been so at home before. The eerie feeling was gone. He felt better in that room than his own condo or any elegant hotel in the world he had stayed in. Even the ancestral house of the Hontiveros clan in Camarines Sur never gave him this feeling as if strong giving arms were swaying him. He just wanted to sleep.

"Just tell me if you need anything, Sir. There is a rope that you can pull and it will ring in my room. I will attend to you right away."

He opened an eye and smiled at her. "Okay. That would be all. Goodnight!"

"Señorito, whatever you hear during midnight, don't mind it. And don't ever leave this room." Then he heard the door squeak as it closed slowly on her wake. What did she mean by that?

He didn't care about the noise or even the ghosts. The paranormals could party for all he cared. And for the first time, he had a good night's sleep that he never had for years.