I grabbed a rubber band from the coffee table to tie my black, wavy hair. My sweat is trailing down my face from my forehead. Argh! This is too much! Naupo muna ako sa sofa. "Gosh..." "You just prepared the ingredients and the table and you are already exhausted? We should do something about that," he said from the kitchen. Whatever. I'm already hungry. "Anong 'we'? You lang." Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi ko. "Ano...g-gosh..." Bakit ba naalala ko yung page-exercise niya that morning?! I can feel him smirking right now! What the? Anong time na ba? 10:30? Omg! Ngayon na nga lang ako magte-test! Gosh! Tumayo na ako at nagbihis. Nasa isang box pa rin yung mga damit ko while sitting at a corner at the back of the sofa. After kong maligo at mag-ayos, I can already smell the aroma... chicken? Omg! "Hey, eat before you go." I rolled my eyes. Pinilit kong huwag tumingin sa pagkain na nasa lamesa at nag-ayos lang ng bag ko. "I have my test now. Male-late na ako," I replied while walking towards the door. "Where do you think you're going? Eat." His authoritative voice again... Gosh! Padabog akong lumapit sa kitchen at naupo sa isang upuan sa harapan niya. "Good..." he murmured something else na hindi ko na narinig. I rolled my eyes. "What is it?" I asked while eating. Male-late pa ako. Ayokong masayang yung pinagpuyatan ko ilang araw na! I mean, it's already Wednesday so ilang araw din yun. "Don't forget that I will go with you to your school." Argh. Kumain na lang ako. "Isa pa, huwag kang mag-isip ng kung ano kasi ginagawa ko lang trabaho ko," he added. Trabaho? "Alin?" He looked at me. Then he continued eating. What the hell was that?! Nang hindi na siya sumagot ay tumingin-tingin ako sa paligid. A dumbbell caught my eye. Tapos mga waterbottle... so he's still doing it huh? Consistent naman pala... HA? OMG. Bakit ko biglang naalala yun... again. I always wake up at six in the morning kaya 'di ko na siy nakikitang ginagawa yun... That time, sinakto niya sigurong tagalan no? Kaya naabutan ko? Gosh. Anyways, nevermind! Basta pinilit niya akong gumising ng maaga to help him around and to clean what's already clean! Ano pa bang idudumi ng apartment na ito? After eating hinatid na niya ako sa school. Agad kong tinakbo yung lecture hall, thankful na hindi pa nagiistart. "Boyfriend?" Napalingon ako sa nagsalita. Argh. It's Alyssa. "It's no one." "Psh, I can sense that it's really more than that!" she mocked. The whole class even while having our test, she kept pestering me. It's been only three days and I'm being picked on. Bakit ba kasi kailangang sabay pa kami? Argh! "Hey, Daliah," tawag ni Alyssa habang nag-aayos ako ng mga gamit para lumabas na at makauwi. "What is it now?" "If you want to officially announce your relationship, my parents own an international broadcasting station. I can send you both--" "Bye!" I shouted while running away from her. Bahala siya diyan. This heart won't stop beating so hard! Why does she have to do that to me? Pinagmalaki pang may station daw? Napadaan ako sa office ni uncle. Hanggang ngayon, hindi ko pa rin siya makausap nang dahil sa busy daw siya. How the hell am I supposed to know what he meant that day? Pagkalabas ng campus ay napatingin ako sa sky... orange na ito. The clouds seems to be moving freely. They are like... dancing, waiting to be watched. I grabbed my camera to take a photo. After a few shots, my phone vibrated. Tinago ko na yung camera sa bag while holding it gently with my both hands. This black camera is important! Pati na yung moment. Sino namang epal 'tong tumatawag? Unknown number? "Hello?" "Please don't make me find you. Stay where you are, I'm coming." oh? si Marcus? Paano niya nakuha number ko? Come to think of it, I've been working all day, helping him out. Alam ko na! "I won't come home so don't bother." I answered. Tahimik lang sa kabilang line. "Hell--" "Don't make me do things I don't want to, Daliah Ty." his voice echoed. It is... husky? Why am I saying things like this? I looked at my phone and lowbatt na. The call was ended na rin. How dare he? For a moment there, my heart, it felt like I dropped it. Omg, for sure nonsense lang 'to. I walked around. Now I'm free for the time being. Bahala na muna siya diyan. I want to spend time with my camera dahil na-set na yung mood ko kanina. Maya-maya pa ay may nakita akong nearby park. It looks quiet pero may kaunting tao... err, couple. Malayo naman sila so I'm fine here. Naupo ako sa isa sa mga swing at inilabas ulit ang camera. Ngayon ko lang ulit magagawa 'to... The park is perfectly designed... naka-align yung bawat lines. Yung sa may sandbox, sa mga benches... then yung trees. I like how the lines from the floor are perpendicular sa mga nasa ibabaw nito. I mean, pantay talaga siya! After a few shots, ibinababa ko muna yung camera ko. I sighed. Napatayo ako mula sa swing nang may mahagip ang mga mata ko. U-uncle?! Nandun siya sa may gitna ng park. Of course, with his men. I completely forgot, may mga waatchers din pala ako?! Naramadaman ko na lang naglakad ang mga paa ko palapit sa kaniya. I need him to answer me properly. Napatigil ako nang may braso na humarang sa harap ko. What the? Hindi pa nga ako nakakalapit at... "Are you alone, miss?" the guy asked. Hindi ko siya tiningnan dahil gusto ko lang makalapit kay uncle. I need to settle things so he should back off. Nang akma ko nang hahawiin ang braso niya ay natapilok ako. Because of this, I slumped on the ground. Nakayakap ako sa camera ko. Now that hurts! I massaged my ankle while holding my camera on one hand. "Would you mind helping me here? Gosh," I murmured. May nakita akong palm na nakalahad na sa akin. Oops, napalakas ba ng sabi? Inabot ko na lang yun since my ankle hurts so bad. I tried holding unto him for support. No use pushing him away, I need him to help me up. Gosh... Inalalayan niya ako by letting me hold his shoulder while he holds my back for support. I'm still looking at the ground because of embarrassment. "I guess... thank you?" I said. "Hmm, would you like to face me now, Ms. Ty?" he replied. That voice! I froze for a moment. Yung hawak niya rin sa akin, it feels familiar. From his clothes up to his face, I looked at it. "Why are you running away?" Omg! It's really him! What should I do now? The hell? Tiningnan ko siya ng mabuti. I noticed something on his ear. A hollow earpiece from his neck to his ear. What is this? Is he a bodyguard of some sort? Nakasuot siya and mga kasama niya ng casual poloshirt tapos slacks na black. I looked at his back, there's my uncle, walking away. Gosh! I pushed him gently kahit paika-ika na ako ng lakad. "I think... I can manage," I said while walking away. He just looked at me. Great, diyan ka lang. Tinalikuran ko na siya at naglakad palayo. Kinakapa-kapa ko yung sling bag ko just to be sure. I think I still need to report him about what happened that day. I grabbed my camera and faced him. I instantly clicked it to capture him. Akala mo ah! "Don't come near me, t-the police will know about you, I...I have a picture!" I shouted. 'Di ko makakalimutan yung paghabol niya sa akin nun. Thank goodness nandun si Marcus. Shocks, sumasakit pa lalo yung ankle ko. Wrong timing naman! Next time I promise, I won't wear heels to school again... Umaatras na ako paunti-unti, still waiting for his reaction. Nang wala naman siyang ginagawa ay itinago ko na sa sling bag ko yung camera. I stepped back some more when I hit someone. Gosh! Agad ko itong nilingon. Nang makita ko ang hitsura nito, my eyes widened. He... he has the same earpiece as the other guy! I looked around... may dalawa pang lumapit na mukhang kasama nila. What is this?! "Miss Ty, if you're alone now, would you like to come with us?" the guy earlier asked while looking at me. That sly look on his face! Anong sasabihin ko? Think Daliah, think! Argh! "So what if I'm alone? I don't need you..." I answered back. "A lady shouldn't be saying that. Especially in front of strangers..." he mumbled. Ngayon ay nakapalibot na sila sa akin. Gosh... I tried to keep my chin up and my chest out. I'm not going down on y'all! "What do you want?" "You need to be escorted back, miss Ty. To a proper custody. Especially now that you are alone." he answered again. Escorted? Saan? Anong custody? I'm a freaking adult! Wait nga. "Is... is this from my family? My dad?" I asked once more. Sila ata yung men na from uncle. So that day... siya yun? Anyways... Please, dad... take me home... kahit hindi pa kita makita madalas... just please... explain things to me. "Indeed, Mr. Ty asked for you." There's something inside me that felt so good I could hug these guys now... something like butterflies in the stomach? "Okay... so where is he?" I asked looking at them. Tahimik lang sila. "That is beyond--" "Gosh! Is this even true?!" I shouted while pulling his collar towards me. In an instant, my hopes crumbled down. They are still not telling me anything... Am I suppossed to be left in the dark all my life?! "I'm sorry miss, but--" "Bring me to him! Right now! It's dad who ordered you right? Where is he?" I screamed. For sure my dad and my uncle are on this. Pero bakit? Kung hindi stepmom ko nagpasimuno ng kung ano... Napatingin ako sa paligid. Wala na yung mga couples kanina? The guy at my back held both my hands. What-- "Get off of me!" I shouted. This is not going right! Saan naman nila ako dadalhin? No one's answering me! "Get your freaking hands off of me, I--mmff!" my mouth is covered by a handkerchief? They are four in total... how am I suppossed to do this? Pilit ko silang pinagsisisipa dahil ayaw pa rin nila akong bitiwan. "Mmff!" "There's the van, chief." one of them said. Van? V-van?! Hala! Kidnap? Dad! Is this really from you?! Somebody... What the hell is happening right now? Bumukas na yung door ng van sa harap ko at pilit nila akong ipinapasok doon. Great, dalawa na lang nakahawak sa akin dahil naupo na sa loob yung isa. Papagitnaan ako? Nang maipasok na ako sa loob ay napatingin ako sa kaniya. Siya talaga yung lalaki... now he dares to sit beside me? Magkadikit kami sa upuan dahil nakaakbay siya sa balikat ko to keep me in place. Maya-maya pa ay may inilabas siya kaya napatingin ako roon. My heart dropped at the sight of it. Ngayon ay nararamdaman ko na ang malamig at matigas na metal nito na nakadikit sa kaliwang tagiliran ko. "You know what will happen, miss." he said with a straight face. Hell no... just the sight of him makes my stomach sick! I can't believe this. Ngayon, I doubt they are form my dad! Ilang minuto pa ay may kumalabog sa labas. The whole van shook dahil sa force from outside. Tatlo lang kami sa loob. The driver sitting at the front tapos kami nung guy sa middle part. Tinted yung mga salamin kaya hindi namin makita ng maayos kung ano man yung nasa labas. Gosh... ano ba naman ito? Dad... if these people is from you, you won't let me die right? For the second time the van was shaken. "What the actual hell is happening there, Gio?" the guy besides me whispers firmly while holding unto his earpiece... hindi parin niya inaalis yung gun... "Okay." he looked at me. "There is some commotion outside. Stay here or else..." he trailed off. He caresses my cheek. I looked away. Ganito ba lagi ginagawa nila?! Yuck! "You know it already miss." he finishes while walking out of the van. He closed the door so now I'm left here with the driver. Anong nangyayari sa labas? I want to look but... gosh. Atleast wala na yung gun. Pinagpapawisan na pala ako... "Huh? Hello? C-chief!" Napatingin ako sa harapan. The driver... He went out and closed the door. What the hell was that? Tumayo ako at inabot yung mga buttons sa may driver's seat to open the window on my right. "There!" I said as I look out of the window. Naupo ako sa puwesto ko kanina. Ha? Wala namang tao-- "Ah!" I screamed nang may katawan na lumipad sa baba ng window na sinisilipan ko. Kaagad akong napausog palayo sa window. What was that?! Kasama ba ako sa papatayin?! Anong klase naman pala 'tong mga 'to! May naaninag akong figure na naglalakad palapit rito. Lumapit din ako sa bintana to look at his face... A guy... WHAT-- The familiar ocean blue eyes of him... I cannot... I cannot... this heavy feeling! He looked away from me and went to the guy. He is wearing... a white t-shirt... Gosh! It's hot in here! Nilakasan ko mun ayung aircon ng van. Max na. Inayos ko na ang upo ko at humarap sa harapan ng van. What should I do? Bakit siya nandito? "Ah!" I shouted nang bumukas yung door sa right ko at bumungad siya. He comes near me, enclosing me in my place by putting his arms on either side of me. Sa sandalan ng harap na seat and nung sa akin. Right now, I'm being trapped... his eyes alone are powerful enough to stop my world. Those dark ocean blue eyes of his... I can't... stop myself now. He is panting, face inches from me. "I told you... Daliah. Come on!" he commanded while trying to pull me from my seat. This eyes of mine! Nakafocus lang sa pawis niya... sa mata niya... Argh! STOP THIS NONSENSE ALREADY Daliah! "One," he is counting? But... I can't... "...three. Tsk," He carried me out of the van. Why is he carrying me like a sack of rice?! Ngayong nasa labas na ako, nakita ko yung mga lalaki kanina, yung mga body guards na sinend daw ni dad... they're all unconcious on the ground! What happened... "Who are those, Daliah?" he asked while still carrying me. I can still hear his grunts from the weight of carrying me. Ayaw pa kasi akong ibaba! Who are they...? From dad? Did he really want to see me? Anong custody yung sinasabi nila? I sighed heavily. "...from my dad. I think." He stopped walking. "A father... can he..." Yes Marcus, I'm wondering the same thing. Will he really come for me to save me? Or what?