Pagkalabas ng Ate Lena ay saka ko napagtanto na hindi ako ipinatawag ng lolo tungkol sa pag-uusap sa susuotin na damit sa Charity gala. Naramdaman ko ang panlalamig ng mga kamay ko nang tumingin ito sa akin. Pero sandali lang dahil mas matagal ang naging atensyon niya kay Elijah."I thought you were working on a special case in Karmona?"He knew? Akala ko ay sa papa lang nagsabi si Eli. Pero sabagay rin walang nakakalampas na balita sa lolo. Lahat dito ay nalalaman niya. He has eyes and ears inside this mansion."I'm done with my work, sir.""Three weeks, and you're done with barely a single day completed?" sagot ng lolo habang napapailing. Hindi kumbinsido sa sagot ni Eli.Hindi naman na niya tinuloy ang pagtatanong dahil na sa akin na ulit ang pansin niya. Ang nanlilisik na mga mata. Umayos ako ng tayo at nakatingin lang rin sa lolo. He doesn't like it when he's talking to me and I'm not looking at him."Gael will no longer be your fiancé, Pristine. If he ever talks to you or shows
I know Elijah isn't afraid of lolo, but that doesn't mean he should be talking back right now! Lolo Yago is still mad, and the reaction I see in him makes me think of the cruel things he might do to Eli for speaking up. Kita ko rin ang gulat, ang galit sa mukha pagkatapos habang nakatingin ito sa amin."How dare you speak to me like that?" bawat salita ay may diiin nang marinig ko 'yon sa lolo. I bit my lower lip and felt so much fear when I heard his footsteps coming to us.Ang bilis ng ginawa kong paghawak sa kamay ni Elijah kahit na alam ko na hindi siya padadaig ngayon sa galit. He's not looking at me, diretso rin ang tingin niya sa lolo habang nanlilisik ang mga mata."You're nothing but a damn bodyguard—how dare you question me about my granddaughter!"Dumagundong ang malakas na boses ng Lolo Yago sa buong silid na ikinanginig ko pang lalo sa takot. I pushed Elijah hard but he was standing firm like he was ready of anything that might happen to him.Nang masiguro ko na hindi tal
Elijah Clementine Kirovsky Regalonte"Ma'am," I greeted, bowing my head in front of the co-owner of Regalontes, the private security company where I work."I don't remember asking you to come back home, Clementine."Home.Tumaas ang sulok ng mga labi ko sa sinagot nito.It wasn't an order but a reminder to come back every time I heard she would be in the country. Not because I needed to report to her about work, but because I knew the chaos that would happen at home whenever she returned.She and my father would play their usual game—a dangerous game of life and death.I walked towards her.Sitting on the couch was my mother, Elena Kamila Kirovskaya, 56, a retired Russian assassin. She is the co-owner of the private security company owned by my father, where I was a bodyguard.And the reason why I work as a bodyguard after resigning as a navy seal is because of their plans for me—which I never questioned because I trust them. They told me that in order for me to be the next head, I ne
"Clementine."I looked at my mother again. Tumuwid ako ng pagkakatayo nang makita ang nanunuri niyang mga mata. Hindi ko rin namalayan na kuyom na naman ang mga kamay ko. Napagtanto ko lang nang tumingin siya doon."She's... fine.""You took a long time to answer. No threats?""There are still a few. Last week, she was being followed, but it was handled quietly."Tumango siya sa sagot ko. Hindi nauubos ang mga tao na gustong makuha bilang hostage si Pristine dahil sa lolo niya, she's not just aware of it because I made sure that even before she noticed, those assholes were already deeply buried."I received the photos you sent me last week about her. Thank you for that. Anything that I need to know? Si Pierre? May sinasabi ba siya sa 'yo tungkol sa pagbabantay mo sa anak niya?"Umiling ako. "He's satisfied with our service.""Good. Keep what you are doing. Don't make a mistake that will make him fire you, Clementine.""Yes, ma'am."Do we need the Vera Esperanzas that much? Siguro. Lal
PristineI already expected Elijah to let go of me, but not so quickly. After I asked him if that was part of how he treated me as his 'little sister,' he did not only moved away. Pagkabitaw ay walang salita na lumabas siya ng silid ko na ikinakunot ko ng noo. Umalis na hindi ako sinagot."After hugging me so tight like that?" hindi makapaniwala na tanong ko.I can't help but to smile. Nailapat ko ang palad ko sa leeg ko kung saan ko naramdaman ang mukha niya kanina. That was the first time he did that. Inaamoy niya ako when he noticed that I smell different--or if I am wearing perfumes but not that close."And his arms were so huge..." I whispered. Napahimas ako sa mga braso ko dahil kulong na kulong ako kanina sa mga bisig ni Elijah.How am I going to forgot this feeling if he's being like this? Like a possessive brother who doesn't want his little sister to get married? Napaka unfair naman sa parte ko, dahil kung si Eli ay ang tingin sa akin nakababatang kapatid kaya mas lumalapit
After all the things that I've said, I have no intention to deny it from Kio. Dahil wala naman rin ibang ibig sabihin ang mga sinabi ko na hindi ko kaya nang wala si Elijah. It's not about me safety anymore...Dahan-dahan ako na tumango kay Kio at sinundan rin 'yon ng pagsagot."I-I like him... but he only sees me as a little sister, Kio," sabi ko sa kaniya."Ohh..." namilog naman ang mga labi niya at tumango-tango siya. Napahimas na naman siya sa noo niya at pagkatapos ay sa batok. Mukhang hindi niya alam kung ano ang sasabihin sa akin."I am aware of the age difference, Kio. He's thirty, and I am eighteen—a huge difference. But one day I realized that I like Eli, not just because he can protect me from Grandpa, but because he makes me feel special in every way. How he takes care of me, how he treats me—everything. And he's so gentle when it comes to me."Napangiti naman siya at napatango sa akin."Can you imagine how stern he is, but he's sweet and gentle to me?""Hindi ko nga ma-im
Since last night, Elijah has been looking at Kio and me with suspicion in his eyes. Lalo na nang sabihin ko sa kaniya na nagpadala na ako ng message kay papa na manatili si Kio bilang bodyguard ko r in which I immediately get a response that he agreed.At ang mga tingin na ito ni Eli ay hindi ko nagugustuhan lalo pa at ang sungit-sungit niya pagdating kay Kio. Parang pinag-iinitan. Kaninang umaga nang nasa hapagkainan kami at nagbe-breakfast ay ilang beses niya na inutusan si Kio para kumuha ng tubig. I mean, we have maids to do that, pero ito talaga ang inutusan niya.Tapos when Kio gave him water, he said that he wanted it warm.When the latter went back to the kitchen to get warm water, Eli said that it was too hot for him. Nang makabalik na ulit si Kio at may dala nang hindi ganoon kainit ay sinabi naman niya na ang gusto na daw niya ay malamig na tubig.Tapos pwede naman na sa iisang sasakyan kami sumakay pero sinabi niya na sa likod daw namin si Kio at magbantay.I mean! Why is h
Ang unang pumasok sa isipan ko nang makita ko ang galit sa mukha ni Elijah ay harapin siya at ilayo agad kay Sebastian but the hand of the latter was holding me so tight that I can't even step-forward para makalapit ulit kay Eli."What do you think you are doing, Ynares?" tanong ko pero wala sa akin ang atensyon niya.Pareho sila ni Elijah na nakatingin sa isa't-isa at walang kumukurap. Walang gusto na magbaba ng tingin dahil ayaw nilang magpatalo.Ugh. T-These two! I felt like they've known each other to act like this! Ang isura ni Sebastian ay nang-aasar at pakiramdam ko ang nakakuyom na kamay ni Eli ay malapit nang umangat at suntukin ang mukha ng kaharap.We will be in trouble if that happens!Muli ko na sinubukan na bawiin ang kamay ko at doon na napatingin sa akin si Sebastian. And when I glared at him, his smiled became wide as if he's enjoying what's happening."Shouldn't you be at my side, Pristine? I suppose nagkausap na kayo ng lolo mo.""Nagkausap pero hindi ibig sabihin n