DOS

Nang makarating sila sa bahay ng lola niya, tahimik siyang lumabas sa sasakyan bago nagpasalamat sa driver. Pagkaalis nito ay tsaka naman siya pumasok sa loob.

Nakita niya ang lola niya na nasa garden at nagdidilig ng mga halaman. Agad naman siya nitong napansin at nakangiting idinipa ang mga braso, senyales na gusto siya nitong yakapin.

Nakangiti siyang tumakbo palapit dito at masaya itong niyakap. "Lola…"

"Ay naku..." Natatawa nitong hinaplos ang ulo niya bago sila naghiwalay. "Tingnan mo nga 'yang itsura mo... Halika sa loob, ininit ko 'yong niluto ko kahapon."

Bigla naman siyang nakonsensya nang marinig ito. "Pasensya na po talaga, Lola, hindi na mauulit," aniya.

"Ano ka ba, ayos lang 'yon. Ang mahalaga ay nandito ka na," nakangiting sabi ng kaniyang lola habang inaakay siya pumasok sa sala. "Pero bago tayo kumain, may ibibigay muna ako sa 'yo."

Umupo sila sa antigong kahoy na sofa. Sandaling umalis ang kaniyang lola at pagbalik ay may hawak na itong isang maliit ngunit eleganteng velvet box na kulay ginto. Umupo ito sa tabi niya at banayad na inilagay ang kahon sa mga palad ni Mila.

"Happy 19th birthday, aking paboritong apo," malambing na sabi nito, habang may konting lungkot at pangungulila sa mga mata. "Iyan ang huling regalong iniwan ng mommy mo para sa 'yo bago siya nawala. Sinabi niya sa akin na ibigay ko lang ito sa 'yo kapag sumapit ka na sa sapat na gulang."

Biglang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ni Mila. Nanginginig ang kaniyang mga daliri habang dahan-dahang binubuksan ang velvet box.

Inside the box was a breathtaking, vintage platinum necklace with a rare, teardrop-shaped sapphire pendant that sparkled beautifully under the living room lights. Pero ang mas nakakuha ng atensyon niya ay ang maliit na sulat-kamay na papel na nakatiklop sa ilalim ng kuwintas. It was her late mother's handwriting.

Kinuha niya ang nakatiklop na papel at dahan-dahang binuksan ito. Ang kaniyang mga mata ay napuno agad ng luha nang makita ang pamilyar at eleganteng penmanship ng kaniyang mommy. Huminga siya nang malalim at sinimulang basahin ang nakasulat.

"My dearest Anastasia,

If you are reading this, it means you are now nineteen, and I am no longer by your side. I am so sorry I couldn’t watch you grow into the beautiful woman I know you’ve become. Please know that every single day I was alive, you were my greatest joy.

Anastasia, I need you to listen to me carefully. Do not trust your father entirely, and protect yourself from the woman he brings into your life. My accident... it wasn't a simple mistake. If things ever get dangerous for you at home, look for the only family that can protect you from the Zaitseva name.

Find the head of the Orlov family. They owe me my life, and they will keep you safe.

I love you forever, Mommy."

Napasinghap si Mila at mabilis na tinakpan ang kaniyang bibig gamit ang kaniyang kamay. Ang kaniyang buong katawan ay nanginig sa matinding takot at gulat. Her mother’s accident was arranged?! At sino ang Orlov family?

"Lola..." bulong niya, laking-gulat ang nakarehistro sa kaniyang mukha. "Anong ibig sabihin nito? Sino ang tinutukoy na sinasabi ni Mommy?"

Tumingin sa kaniya ang kaniyang lola na may lungkot at seryosong mukha. "Sila ang pinakamakapangyarihang pamilya na may hawak ng halos kalahati ng mga negosyo sa bansa, Mila. At ang balita ko, ang batang pinalit bilang bagong pinuno ng pamilya nila ay kakarating lang galing Amerika..."

"Ano po bang nangyayari?"

Napayuko siya at hindi alam ang gagawin. Hindi niya alam kung sino ang paniniwalaan.

"Bago namatay ang mommy mo, naisugod pa siya sa ospital…" malungkot na tumingala ang kaniyang lola. "May binanggit siyang pangalan sa akin, pero hindi ko na matandaan… basta ang sabi niya, P-protektahan ka raw nito."

"Teka, ibig mo bang sabihin may kinalaman si Daddy dito at ang babae niya?"

"Yan ang hindi ako sigurado. Walang tumuturo na ebidensya na may kinalaman siya sa pagkamatay ng anak ko…" Lumapit ito sa kaniya at marahang hinaplos ang kaniyang mukha. "Pero patuloy pa rin akong umaasa na sana hindi."

"Si Dad, matagal na ba siyang may relasyon sa babaeng 'yon?" aniya.

"Nang mamatay ang mommy mo, ilang buwan lang… dinala niya agad ito sa bahay, at nalaman na buntis ito. Wala akong magawa, kaya nangako akong P-protektahan kita."

Napasapo ang dalaga sa mukha. "What should I do? Hindi ko alam kung sino ang pagkakatiwalaan ko sa bahay, Lola."

"Apo, nandito pa ako. Hindi ka pababayaan ni Lola."

Namuo ang luha sa mga mata ng dalaga at agad na niyakap ang kaniyang lola.

Her grandma was her only savior whenever she felt the waves were about to drown her. She didn't know what to do, but there was only one thing she needed to complete—find the man her mother was talking about.

Hindi siya lumaki sa mundong ito nang walang alam. She's the daughter of a business tycoon, and she will use that to gather information. She is not a Zaitseva for no reason, after all.

Her happy day ends when it's time to go back home—if she can even call that place a home.

Nang makarating sa bahay, agad niyang nakita ang mag-ina na magkatabi sa sofa. Agad naman siyang napansin ni Jessica at nakangising lumapit sa kaniya.

"You know what, Mila? Instead of studying, wala kang ibang ginawa kundi maglakwatsa," anito.

She smirks. She won't back down easily, especially when this girl has no right in the first place.

"Talking to yourself, Jessica? Alam mo, baligtarin man ang mundo at kahit hindi ako mag-aral, my future is already secure."

"Mila, stop that kind of attitude!" Agad na depensa nito sa kaniyang anak—si Elena, ang epokrita niyang madrasta.

"What attitude? Siya naman ang nagsimula."

"Nonsense. Your sister is just worried about you." Napaikot siya ng mata at humalukipkip.

"Worried, my ass."

"Alam mo, sumusobra ka na. Hintayin mong bumalik ang daddy mo—"

"And then what?" she asks, slightly steeping a step. "Tell me, ano bang magagawa mo sa akin, Elena?"

"Mila, boundaries! Napakabastos mo talaga!" Elena’s voice raised, mapping out her frustration. "You forget that I am the lady of this house now! Konting respeto naman sa akin at sa anak ko."

She let out a dry, mocking laugh. "Lady of the house? Copy that. Pero paalala lang din, Elena. This house? Ang perang ginagastos niyo? Kay Mommy lahat 'yan. You are just a replacement, so don't act like you own the place."

"How dare you!" Susugod sana si Jessica pero pinigilan ito ng kaniyang ina, habang si Elena naman ay nanginginig na sa galit.

"Mila, hindi dahil pinalalampas ng daddy mo ang ugali mo ay may karapatan ka nang tratuhin kami nang ganyan! You don't know what I am capable of," Elena threatened, her voice dropping into a dangerous, low whisper.

She stepped closer, looking straight into Elena’s eyes with pure coldness. Her mother’s warning letter flashed in her mind, fueling her confidence.

"Try me, Elena. Galingan mo, dahil hindi ako kagaya ng mommy ko na basta-basta niyo lang nauto," makahulugan niyang sagot na tuluyang nagpatahimik sa dalawa.

Without waiting for a response, she turned her back on them. She confidently walked up the grand staircase, leaving her stepmother and stepsister fuming in the living room. The moment she reached her bedroom door, she locked it from the inside and finally let out a heavy breath.

Mila slid down against the cold wood of the door, her knees weak. Her fierce facade completely vanished, replaced by the crushing weight of the secrets she was now carrying. She reached inside her bag and pulled out the golden velvet box, clutching it tightly against her chest.

"Mommy, I'm scared…" she whispered into the empty, quiet room. Tears finally spilled over her lashes, hot and fast.

She felt completely isolated in her own home, surrounded by people who might have had a hand in her mother’s death. But as she stared at the vintage platinum necklace glinting in her hands, her sorrow slowly hardened into a fierce resolve. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and stood up.

"Hindi ako pwedeng umiyak lang dito," she muttered to herself, walking over to her desk. "I need answers."

She opened her laptop and typed the name that was supposed to be her shield.

Orlov.

Pero walang lumabas. Dalawang beses niya itong inulit pero parehong sagot pa rin ang nakukuha niya.

Results not found...

She closed the laptop out of frustration. How the hell was she going to find that person if they didn't even exist on the internet?

Napahilig siya sa kaniyang upuan at napahilot sa kaniyang sentido. It made sense. Kung ang Orlov family nga ang pinakamakapangyarihang pamilya na humahawak sa kalahati ng mga negosyo sa bansa tulad ng sabi ng lola niya, they would have the power to wipe their identity clean from the public eye. Deep web? Underground registry?

She needed a different approach. Hindi sapat ang simpleng G****e search para sa mga ganitong klase ng tao.

Naalala niya ang sinabi ng kaniyang ina sa sulat: "Look for the only family that can protect you from the Zaitseva name."

Kung gagamitin niya ang kaniyang koneksyon bilang isang Zaitseva, baka may mahanap siyang bakas sa database ng kumpanya ng kaniyang ama o kaya ay sa mga darating na business gala na madalas nilang dinaluhan.

She opened her laptop again, realizing she couldn't do this alone. She needed someone who could bypass the surface web and dig into restricted databases.

She picked up her phone and dialed a private number. After three rings, a sleepy but sharp voice answered.

"Mila? This better be life or death. It’s past midnight," her hacker friend groaned on the other end.

"I need you to run a deep-dive search for me," She straight-to-the-point replied, her voice low. "Look into old aristocratic registries and high-security defense profiles. Find the head of the Orlov family."

Rinig niya ang mahinang mura nito sa kabilang linya, and a few minutes of heavy keyboard clicking filled the silence before her friend gasped.

"Holy shit, Mila. What did you get yourself into? This family's public footprint is entirely wiped. I had to use a backdoor through an international defense server just to get a hit."

"Did you find him? Anong nakita mo" she asked, her heart hammering against her ribs.

"Yeah. The newly appointed head of the family is named Axel Mikhailovich Orlov," her friend read from the screen. "His parents are Viktor and Katarina Orlov, both old-money elites who passed away years ago. Here's the kicker, Mila—Axel isn't just some rich businessman. He’s a Captain in the Air Force, an elite military pilot who just returned from a special deployment in America. But his profile has no photo attached. High-level security encryption."

Mila stared blankly at her bedroom wall. Axel Mikhailovich Orlov. She now had a name and a rank, but no face. She knew who he was on paper, but the deepest, darkest secrets of why her mother trusted his family remained hidden in the shadows.

"Mila? Are you still there?" her friend asked, sounding genuinely worried. "Be careful. People with this kind of security clearance don't like being looked up."

"I know. Thanks," Mila whispered before hanging up.

She leaned back in her chair, clutching her mother's sapphire necklace. A Captain in the Air Force and the head of the most powerful underground family in the country. Now, she just needed to find a way to meet him.