Kabanata 3

"Come with me," Linden said, full of authority. "We'll tend to your wound."

​"Sabi nang huwag mo akong hawakan—Linden!" Nagpumiglas ako, ngunit ganoon na lamang ang gulat ko nang bigla niya akong buhatin na parang isang sako ng bigas.

My world tilted as he threw me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing.

​I kept screaming while we were in the elevator, punching his back with all my might, but he didn't budge. He was like a wall of granite. Pagdating sa parking lot, halos ibagsak niya ako sa passenger seat at mabilis akong sinetbelt-an.

​Sinubukan kong tumakas at buksan ang pinto, pero mabilis niya itong na-lock. May nakakita sa aming guard na nagtataka sa gulo, pero bago pa ito makalapit—

​"She's my wife, don't bother! May away lang kami," malakas na sabi ni Linden sa guard.

​Wife? Nahihibang na ba talaga siya? Does he really think he can just claim me like that? Napaka-ano niya!

​"Linden, ano ba! Let me go! I’m not your wife!" sigaw ko, sinusubukang kalasin ang seatbelt.

​"Sorry to do this, Lellah, but you’re not listening..." Hindi ko na alam ang mga sumunod na nangyari.

I felt a sharp, sudden pressure on my neck—a specialized pinch that made my vision swim. Within seconds, everything went black.

​Paggising ko, nasa isang malawak na penthouse na ako, nakahiga sa isang mamahaling leather couch sa sala. Napabalikwas ako at agad na napahawak sa aking pisngi. Wala na ang hapdi, at naramdaman ko ang texture ng isang band-aid.

​Siya ba ang gumawa nito? Did he really patch me up after being such a monster?

​Mabilis akong tumayo, ang tanging nasa isip ay ang tumakas, pero bago pa ako makahakbang paalis ng sala ay nahuli na niya ako. His hand gripped my waist, pulling me back to the sofa.

​"Let me go, Linden! Kidnapping na 'tong ginagawa mo!" I screamed, hitting his chest. My heart was racing from a mix of fear and a strange, unbidden adrenaline.

​"Kumain ka muna. I won't let you leave this place with an empty stomach and a half-baked design," he said, ignoring my tantrum.

Nilapag niya ang isang tray ng pagkain sa lamesa, isang mainit na soup at steak na mukhang galing pa sa five-star restaurant.

​"I’m not eating! I want to go home!"

​"This is your home for now," he countered, his voice dropping to that dangerous, bedroom-floor pitch.

He sat beside me, but instead of touching me, he pulled my portfolio from the table. Hindi ko alam paano 'yon napunta sa kanya.

"Sit down, Lellah. If you want to leave, show me you're a designer first. Prove to me that I didn't make a mistake in choosing you."

​Doon ako natigilan. My pride as a designer was the only thing I had left. Labag man sa loob ko, naupo ako at kumuha ng isang pirasong tinapay habang masama ang tingin sa kanya.

​"Look at this line," he started, pointing at the shoulder silhouette of my latest sketch.

He didn't look like a kidnapper or a tormentor at that moment, he looked like a master of his craft.

"You’re overthinking the symmetry. Minimalism isn't about being empty, it's about the intention behind every curve."

​Kinuha niya ang lapis ko at dahan-dahang binago ang bagsak ng tela sa drawing.

"Dito... let the fabric breathe. Follow the flow of the body, not the rules your parents forced into your head. You're designing for a woman, Lellah, not for a mannequin."

​Napako ang tingin ko sa kamay niya. Ngayon ko lang napansin ang ganda no'n. Habang tinuturuan niya ako kung paano i-enhance ang details—ang tamang pag-shading sa folds at ang pagpili ng accent colors, unti-unting nawala ang galit ko, napalitan ng pagkamangha.

Ang galing niya mag-sketch.

​"Bakit ang dami mong alam?" tanong ko sa mahinang boses. "I mean, ang galing mo."

​He paused, the pencil stopping mid-stroke. He looked at me, his glasses finally off, revealing deep, soul-piercing eyes that seemed to hold a thousand secrets.

"Because I spent years building this empire from scratch, while you were busy being a puppet."

​He leaned closer, his breath fanning my skin. "Your work is raw, Lellah. Just like you. You just need the right person to... mold you."

Hindi ko alam kung insulto 'yon, but I'll take that as a lesson, and compliment?

​The way he said mold made my skin tingle. It wasn't just about the design. It was about me.

​"Finish your food. Then redo the collar. I'll stay here until you get it right," he commanded, returning to the sketches.

​Isang oras kaming tahimik na nagtatrabaho. He was strict, but for the first time in years, someone was actually teaching me how to be better, instead of just telling me I was wrong. Pero sa likod ng utak ko, nandoon pa rin ang takot.

​Why is he doing this? Is this part of his living hell, or is he playing a much more dangerous game?

​"Linden," tawag ko habang tinititigan ang halos perpekto na naming gawa. "If I finish this... will you let me go?"

​He looked up, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. "You can leave the penthouse, Lellah. But you can never leave me. Remember that."