"Get your stuff and we'll come back for the rest of it tomorrow," wika niya kay Vanessa.
She wasn't finish picking up the papers. Napakaraming papel ang nagkalat. Sana lang ay walang nakuhang importanteng dokumento ang mga nanloob. Ang driver na sumundo sa kanila ay katatawag lang at sinabing aakyat na para dalhin ang bagahe nang pigilan niya. He used the washroom earlier kaya hindi kaagad ito nakasunod. He's now waiting for them at the parking lot.
"Ha?" Tumigil si Vanessa sa ginagawa at hinarap siya.
"We can't stay here tonight and I need to keep you safe." Napailing si Vanessa. "Can we please not argue about this? You need to put this place up for sale too. Who's your realtor?"
Napahilot si Vanessa sa sentido. "Teka nga. Bakit napunta na sa bentahan? I can't just sell this place."
"Why? Sentimental reasons na naman?" He didn't mean to sound like an arrogant asshole pero ganito na siya kahit noon pa. He is not afraid to hurt her feelings kung totoo naman ang sinasabi niya. "Did Damien sleep here? Is that the reason why you do not want to sell it?"
She gasped. "Are you serious right now? I'm not even going to justify that with an answer. Jerk!" Padaskol nitong pinulot ang mga natitirang papel at isinilid sa drawer.
Nagdiretso si Vanessa sa silid nito at tumambad sa kanila ang magulong kwarto. Binaligtag ang kama at nakakalat lahat ng laman ng drawer. Ang mga damit sa closet ay natanggal na sa hanger at ang maayos na pagkakasalansan ng ibang damit ay nasa sahig na.
"That's weird. Walang nawala sa mga alahas ko. Even the money is here."
Lalong tumindi ang sapantahan ni Kons na hindi basta panloloob ang nangyari. The bad guys didn't want money or jewelry. They want something else. At kung hindi nila makita 'yon dito, ang sunod nilang paghahanapan ay—
"Does your father live nearby?" pagkaraan ay tanong niya. Pilipino ang ama ni Vanessa at may iba na itong pamilya.
"They live in Batangas. My stepmom is from there. Why?" kunot noong tanong nito sa kaniya.
"Nothing. Please pack your stuff and let's go." He booked a suite at bukas na bukas ay maghahanap sila ng pwedeng lipatan. A place where Vanessa can be safe. He cancelled his previous reservation after Vanessa decided to fly with him.
"Pwede namang ayusin na lang ang—"
"Please. Just do it. I'm tired and I want to get some sleep." Gustuhin man niyang tumuloy sa bahay ni Cam ay ayaw niyang dalhin ang gulo roon. Maliliit pa ang mga pamangkin niya.
Vanessa drew a loud breath at nagsimulang maglagay ng mga gamit sa isang overnight bag. Nasulyapan pa niya ang paglalagay nito ng silk panties sa bag kaya mabilis siyang tumalikod. Fucking temptress. Matapos lang ang gulong ito ay pakakasalan niya talaga si Vanessa at ito na ang magmamakaawa sa kaniyang may mangyari sa kanila. Fifteen minutes later, she was done.
Malalaki ang hakbang ni Kons at kapit niya si Vanessa sa kamay habang nasa kabilang kamay naman ang overnight bag nito.
"Slow down. Ang bilis mong maglakad. Daig mo pa ang hinahabol ng sampung demonyo," reklamo ni Vanessa.
Nilingon niya ng bahagya si Vanessa at nakita niya kung paano hingalin ito. They don't have much time so he picked her up at isinampay niya sa balikat. Napatili ito at pinalo siya sa likod.
"Konstantin! Put me down!"
Nagpapasag si Vanessa pero hindi niya pinansin. He pressed the elevator button to go down at iningatan ang ulo nito na mauntog nang bumukas ang pinto. Saka niya lang ito ibinaba nang nasa loob na sila.
"Why did you have to do that?! Nakakainis ka talaga!"
Hinampas siya nito sa braso. Vanessa is not the type to hurt anyone physically pero hindi rin siya weakling. And the fact that he's not giving her any attention right now, lalo itong naiinis sa kaniya. Hindi naman siya nasaktan kaya hindi niya pinansin ang babae. Sa ngayon ay mas nakafocus ang isip niya kay Damien.
They reached the lobby at kaagad nilang nakita ang mga reporters sa labas.
"Oh my God!" mahinang sambit ni Vanessa. "How did—"
"Miss De Luna, sorry for your loss. Pero sino ang lalaking kasama mo sa airport?" tanong ng isang reporter.
"Vanessa! Vanessa! Break na ba kayo ni Damien?" Another one chimed in.
"Sino 'yang kasama mo, Vanessa? Siya ba ang ipinalit mo kay Damien?" Hindi nagpahuli ang isa sa bandang kaliwa at nagtanong rin.
Kons doesn't understand what is so nice about being famous. Being constantly harrassed everywhere you go and strangers taking random pictures— what if you're picking your nose at the time? There's no privacy.
The door is still closed at kailangan ng access pero naririnig niya ang mga tanong ng mga reporter. The walls are made of glass at kaniya-kaniyang focus ng camera ang mga ito. Mukhang walang balak umalis unless tumawag sila ng pulis. It will draw more attention at ayaw niya na mangyari 'yon.
"Let's head downstairs." Tinawagan ni Kons ang driver niya at sinabing pumunta sa underground parking.
Muli silang lumulan ng elevator at nagpunta sa basement parking. This time, hindi nagreklamo si Vanessa. The car managed to get in to the basement at sumakay silang dalawa. Nagpahatid sila sa Osaka. The security is a little tighter than most hotels kaya doon niya piniling magpalipas ng gabi. He will try to contact Lucian once more. Alam niyang sa Spain ito unang nagtungo pero muli itong tumawag para sabihin na papunta na sa Pilipinas dahil naroon si Georgina. Truth be told, Kons doesn't know if having women in their life is a curse.
Nang tumigil ang sasakyan sa harap ng hotel ay pinigilan niya si Vanessa sa pagbaba.
"Wear this baseball hat." Kinuha niya 'yon kanina sa kaniyang carryon. Walang imik na tumango si Vanessa at isinuot ang ibinigay nito.
Kons went out first followed by Vanessa. Inalalayan niya ito saka iginiya paloob sa lobby. They checked in and were given access cards to their suite. Ang mga bag nila ay inilagay sa trolley at dadalhin sa kanilang silid ng isang staff.
"Are you hungry?" tanong ni Kons kay Vanessa bago sila lumulan sa elevator.
"A little, but can we just have food delivered to the room? I don't want to be around people right now." Nakauunawang tumango si Kons. He pulled her close to his side.
***
He ordered food for once they were inside the suite. Vanessa went to the bathroom to take a shower. Kahit siya ay naiinitan at nanlalagkit. Kung walang gulo sa condo nito kanina ay nagpapahinga na sana sila ngayon. But they had to deal with the mess at dumagdag pa ang mga reporters sa labas. They can't stay in the same hotel for a long time either. Dapat ay makalipat na sila bukas sa ibang hotel. He plans to buy a house at dahil foreigner siya ay si Vanessa ang magiging buyer. The area has to be secured with guards and— mukhang hindi siya matutulog buong gabi.
The food came at Vanessa came out of the bathroom right on time. Her hair is wrapped on a towel at nakasuot ng roba. She looked heavenly.
"Eat while I make another phone call." Tumango si Vanessa at naupo. He ordered the the ones she would like. Maliliit na portion lang 'yon dahil kapag madami ay nakasusuyang tingnan.
Kons tried calling Lucian. Ang sabi ng operator ay cannot be reached. He waited for another five minutes and called him again but there was no luck. Alam niyang hindi niya dapat gambalain si Georgina but he has no choice. Sana lang ay magkasama na ang dalawa ngayon para makausap niya si Lucian.
He sent a quick email to Georgina and a few seconds later, Kons received a call from an unknown number.
"KK, what do you want? You're interrupting our private moment." It's Georgina on the other line. KK ang palayaw nito sa kaniya minsan which meant Konstantin Kozlov.
"Gross. I need Lucian."
Tumawa si Georgina. "I'm kidding. Maka-gross ka naman akala mo hindi ka marunong lumandi."
"Tsk! Wait. You are with Lucian, right? Not some other dude?" Ang sabi nito ay private moment pero walang sinabi kung sino ang kasama.
Georgina snorted. "Remind me not to break your nose when I see you. Of course I'm with Lucian! I will give him the phone now."
Finally, there is hope.
When Vanessa woke up, Kons was nowhere in sight but he left a note. May pupuntahan lang daw itong importante. Kabilin-bilinan nito na huwag s'yang lalabas ng hotel dahil delikado. Wala naman s'yang balak gumala pagkatapos ng nangyari sa condo niya kagabi. Hindi niya alam kung uunahin ang pagligo o pagkakape. Sa huli ay pinili niyang maligo muna. That would wake her up the same way. She enjoyed her shower and looked for something to wear. White shirt and denim jeans. Bukod sa relo at pares ng hikaw ay wala na s'yang suot na iba pang alahas. Wala s'yang pupuntahan kaya pinili niya ang casual wear at sneakers saka nagtimpla ng kape. It tasted like crap. Siguro naman ay hindi magagalit si Kons kung bumaba s'ya at magpunta sa cafe. She's not leaving the premises anyway. She left the room and walked towards the elevator. Lumulan s'ya roon nang bumukas at nakasabay niya ang isang lalaki at babae. They looked like a married couple dahil lambingan ng lambingan. Sana all may happy ending.
Saglit lang niyang iniwan si Vanessa at tiwala s'yang hindi ito lalabas, pero heto at muntik pa itong mapahamak. He was scared shitless nang hindi ito makita sa silid. Mukhang nagkasalisi sila. Ang una niyang binalikan ay ang coffee shop dahil siguradong magkakape ito pagkagising. When he didn't find her there, nagtanong s'ya sa front desk kung nakita itong lumabas pero hindi raw. Nagkataon na fan ni Vanessa ang isa sa staff at sinabi nitong nakita niyang lumulan ito ng elevator. That's when he started to get worried. Kaagad niyang tinawagan ang mga tao niya at pinakalat niya sa premises para hanapin si Vanessa. He only had three men with him at the moment. It's not enough but soon, he will have more help with him. "Are you okay?" kaagad niyang tinanggal ang busal sa bibig nito at nakaramdam s'ya ng habag. She sobbed in his arms while his men took care of the man who tried to kidnap Vanessa. He will be taken for questioning and if he doesn't give the information, he's going to die. A
He knew it’s no longer safe for them to stay in the same place. They need a house. It would be better kung sa isang village na may mahigpit na security ang mabibili nila. It's what Vanessa needs pero kapos na sila sa oras. How fast is it to look for a house in a certain location and buy one? Isa pang problema ay ang citizenship niya. He's pure Russian and the only property he's able to purchase is a condo— nothing on land. Vanessa would have to buy it, pero siya ang magbibigay ng pera. Hindi niya ito pagagastahin.Dalawang araw lang ang ibinigay niyang palugit sa sarili para bumili ng bahay. And in those two days, hindi siya aalis sa tabi ni Vanessa. Ngayon na himbing ito na natutulog at may ilang tao siya na nagbabantay sa paligid ay hindi pa rin siya mapakali. Akala niya ay mawawala na ito sa kaniya kanina. Kung nahuli siya ng ilang minuto ay siguradong napahamak na ito and what then? Ininom niya ang natitirang whiskey sa baso at pagkaraan ay tumayo sa silya at naglakad papunta sa
“Do you realize that you could die?” He looked at Vanessa with boredom. “If you think this is a game, it’s not. Don’t feel obligated just because you agreed to marry me for the will.” “I don’t feel obligated.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s not too late to back out.” “I am not backing out. I already gave you my word.” “You did the same years ago and we both know exactly what happened. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Konstantin.” Naputol ang pag-uusap nila nang makarinig ng katok sa pinto. He was the one who got up from the chair and went to see who it was. It turned out to be one of his men at dala nito ang pagkain nila. Kinuha niya ‘yon at inihain sa maliit na mesa. “As I was saying, we need to move by the end of today. I am going to call a few agents to see whether they have.” “I have an agent,” sagot ni Vanessa sa kaniya. “Was it the same agent you and Damien used to buy your shitty place?” “It is not a shitty place—“ “Okay. If you say so.” Vanessa turned red in anger, but
Hindi mapagkit ang ngiti niya at gumaan ang pakiramdam niya habang namimili sila kung alin ang bibilhin nilang bahay. Vanessa was awfully quiet at kung minsan ay nahuhuli niyang nakatingin sa kaniya. After checking out the houses, it has come down to the top three choices. "Which one do you want?" "The one with the master bedroom at the back facing the courtyard," sagot ni Vanessa sa kaniya. Iyon din naman ang gusto niya. Maaliwalas ang pakiramdam niya sa bahay na 'yon. The walls have been painted in neutral colors and the interior is modern. It was the perfect size just like what Vanessa wanted. Pinag-usapan nila ang presyo pati na ang papeles and later that afternoon, they moved in. They were asked if they wanted to keep the furnitures. Bago pa ang mga 'yon pati na ang kama. May plastik pa nang bahagyang angatin ang beddings. The only thing they have to buy at the moment are new sheets. Pwede naman bumili ng bago si Vanessa at idisenyo ang bahay na naaayon sa preferences nito.
Natulog sila sa magkaibang silid ni Vanessa at iniwan siya nito sa master bedroom. Ganoon na lang ang irit nito nang magising na magkatabi na sila noong umaga."Konstantin!" "Jeez, woman. I think I've gone deaf." Dumapa siya at nagtaklob ng unan. Ang aga-aga ay yamot na naman sa kaniya si Vanessa.He insisted that they stay in the same room because it's their first night in their house. Kaya lang, ayaw nitong pumayag dahil iisa raw ang kama. It's not like they've never slept in the same bed kaya hindi niya mainitindihan kung bakit ayaw nito. Isa pa, for safety na rin. Mas kampante siya kung nasa iisang silid sila dahil mararamdamanan niya kung may magtangkang pumasok sa bahay. The security in Albarracin is tight, pero mas mabuti na rin 'yong nag-iingat.Hinigit nito ang unan na itinaklob niya sa ulo at inihampas sa kaniya kaya wala siyang choice kung hindi agawin 'yon. She didn't stop there and reached for her own pillow so he didn't have any choice but to pin her down in bed."Get o
It was almost like playing tug of war. However, no one wants to lose so they keep dancing around each other hoping the fire would burn out itself. But as the days passed by, their feelings for each other gets stronger. Sinilip niya si Vanessa sa silid at tulog pa ito. He couldn’t sleep last night. Naisip niya ang kalagayan ng ama. Habang tumatagal ito sa kulungan ay lalong nanganganib ang buhay nito. He has to move fast and find a way to get him out. Ngayong safe sila sa village ay malaya niyang napapakilos ang iilang tao niya. Alam niyang nasa movie industry si Damien at wala sa hitsura nito ang gagawa ng malaking krimen, but he cannot shake off the feeling that something is off with him. Pinabantayan niya ito at ang ikinalat ang iba para sa ibang gawain.Before he cooked breakfast, it has been his routine to pick up his newspaper in the morning. Pero ngayong umaga, hindi lang diyaryo ang naroon. May isang itim na envelope uli siyang natanggap at kapareho ‘yon ng dati. His steps w
Humahangos siya na pinuntahan ang dalawa. Damien has a temper and Kons is the same. Ang pagkakaiba ng dalawa, Kons would tear Damien in snap. Bukod doon ay magaling pa itong mang-asar kaya lalong nagagalit ang kaaway.“What was he saying, Vanessa?” galit na tanong sa kaniya ni Damien. Ang dalawang technician pati ang babaeng nag-assist sa kanila ay nakaramdam na kailangan nila ng privacy. Naiwan silang tatlo sa maliit na silid. Lalo iyong lumiit sa presensiya ni Kons. He dominated the room without trying. Hindi niya sinagot si Damien. “What are you doing here?”“He was telling the tech guys to stop playing a song for you so he can talk to you.” “Hindi ikaw ang kausap niya!” singhal ni Damien kay Kons. She gave Kons a look. Sa hitsura nito ay mukhang hindi naman mananakit. Mapang-asar lang talaga. She appreciated the fact that he wasn’t trying to hold her. Nanatili ito sa gilid niya. “Damien, stop. I came here with him. You have no right to treat my guest like that.”“Excuse me— I