When we got off the car, we were immediately greeted by the bodyguards that Dad sent for my protection. I noticed that they were not wearing the uniforms that they wore every day in the mansion. They were all undercover to not draw too much attention to the tourists and customers of the resort.
"Your private room is ready Ma'am and Sir Fortalejo strictly orders us that you cannot go outside without Sir Marc for three days." A tall brunette bodyguard with a firm physique informed us with no pinch of emotions.
"Wa-wait, you mean I'll be sticking around with him for the whole 3 days?" I clarified because I think I've gone deaf after recovering from that terrifying ride. Unknown men will chase you and won't stop until they catch you. It's really good and my adrenaline was overflowing earlier, I didn't think I could drive that fast. With a wavering focus and nervousness, I caught the meter that reached 120 km/hr.
"Why? Don't you want that? We'll be together longer. ” I heard Marc whisper behind me so I looked at him with raised eyebrows. He quickly looked up as if he was looking for something, it was obvious that he wanted it too. Tss.
"Yes Ma'am, you are not allowed to leave the room and you are NOT allowed to go anywhere in the resort without Marc and the bodyguards." In other words, Marc is also my bodyguard. He is no different from the bodyguards anyway, only that he is the highest rank because he is with me all the time.
"Seriously?! I am really stuck inside a room like a prisoner. Is that what you're trying to say?" I sum up what he said with my knitting brows in the middle of my forehead because I'm not a guest here at all plus my room and the whole resort are literally guarded.
"You're in the safe house so you're just resting, you're not going to be locked up behind bars." Marc snapped back behind me even though he wasn't the one being asked. He also has a point but it's still annoying.
"I'm sorry Ma'am, we're just following Sir Fortalejo's orders." I raised my palm to sign that I'm fine after all this is for my safety. He bowed his head and then took us to the waiting area after talking in a low tone in his black earpiece.
"Ahm Kuya, how many bodyguards will guard me here?" After ensuring that the area is clear, more bodyguards showed up and led the way in the secret pathway of the hotel heading to my room and my jaw dropped when a mushroom house greeted me. I've never been into one and somehow being in danger still brings a good experience like staying in a mushroom safe house.
"30 to be exact, ma'am," Kuya answered sparingly. I don't know his name as long as his face is familiar because I see him always stationed at the entrance before the living room and there are too many of them to memorize the name which I doubt because I'm not always there in the mansion. I can't remember all the names of our maids, how much more 30-plus guards surrounded the mansion.
Marc and I entered the safehouse together with two helpers. A cook and a cleaner, I noticed that the mushroom safe house was also far away from the main hotel. It's a bungalow type and the ambiance when I entered the front porch was warmly welcoming and tranquil at the same time. While the maids were arranging my things and food, I leaned against the big window to enjoy the evening air. I could see the happy family bathing in the sea while the others were going back to the hotel. I miss Dad, how is he? There's so much I don't know or they're just hiding a lot from me.
I hope that he's okay tho and for that to happen, I need to be safe for him to solve this. Who is blackmailing Dad and why they are targeting me? I'm getting agitated. I badly want to know who is the mastermind of all this.
"Why do you look like that? Do you really not want to be with me? It's only 3 days." Marc pouted and I find his acting silly forcing me to chuckle.
"No. I'm just worried and a lot is going on in my mind," I said while leaning my head on his shoulder.
"So you want me-"
"YES," I cut him off leaving him speechless, almost stopped breathing like a little kid stunned by his crush until Manang Melay called us for dinner. Marc was the only one with me at the table after Manang returned to the kitchen and the guards were like statues stationed outside the house while the others were like police patrolling outside. The only thing I could hear was the cold wind blowing while Marc and I were eating and I noticed that he was just watching my every move and not moving his food on the plate.
"Don't you like the shrimp soup? It's good." I slurped and closed my eyes like I'm in the clouds as I tasted the creamy soup. I added broth to his rice and then mixed it with shrimp and then raised the spoon for him to eat. I think he still hasn't recovered from my answer earlier and he opened his mouth and took a bite of rice. He accidentally got some cream on the side of his lips so I immediately took a tissue and cleaned it like a child learning to eat.
"Sorry I'm floating again, your father entrusted you to me, and then... I'm still like this," he shyly took the spoon from my hand and we both enjoyed the food. He volunteered to clean the table and wash the dishes while I stayed in my room answering Marz's call in our gc. They were worried sick of me as I told them the whole insane story and asked, "How I am?" “Where is my location?” but I refused to state the complete address for their safety as well. We never know the probability of how the brain of those mad guys works.
Good thing that we haven't been in gunshot scenes earlier but still it shook my whole nerves that some bad guys were chasing for our lives. Eventually, the twins were teary-eyed when they heard the story but when they heard a loud knock and Marc appeared on the door, all of them screamed in the call that I removed my headset immediately because I'll be deaf in an instant because of their piercing squeals in the video call.
"Your Dad wants to talk to you." I quickly informed my friends that we are going to continue the remaining chika later to avoid many questions they have about me and Marc and above all this call is very important. I really need an answer to all of my questions now.
I adjusted the bedsheet and then moved the mini table next to me to place the phone. Dad is on a video call with his forehead wrinkled and he looks aging fast because of the stress he's facing right now. I started to get nervous again when Marc put his phone on the table and then put the headset in my ear. I read that his eyes were trying to tell me that everything will be fine then he excused himself to give us privacy. My heart beat even stronger when Dad started asking, “My dear, how are you there? Does anything hurt? Tell me so that I can send our family doctor right away.” Apparently, his mind is full of concern right now.
"Dad, I'm fine. Don't worry about me okay? I should be the one asking you if you're okay." Dad exhaled a large amount of air, so heavy that I'm bracing myself more for the next thing that he was going to say.
"I'm fine dear as long as you are safe, that's what matters. I don't know how long I will keep you there at the safe house, but I want you to understand that I'm doing all of this to protect you." In his eyes, I know that this is not just a simple blackmailing scheme of unidentified bad men. When I was in high school, we also received threats because of business but my parents successfully resolved previous encounters through legal methods. This time, it's entirely different and I can feel that there is so much more I have to know.
"Dad, who are these people? Do you know them? Are they rivals of the business? What do they want from you? From us? Have you coordinated with the police already?" I tried my best to calm down, but I flooded Dad with questions. My brain has been full for a while now, I feel like it's going to explode if I don't let it out.
"My dear, as for now I really don't know these people. I just received a call last week that they have information about…” I saw how Dad shifted on his seat uncomfortably, clasped his fingers on the table, and closed his eyes as a pause.
"Is it abo-ut me, Dad?" I managed to complete my sentence and Dad let out a deep-seated sigh before nodding slowly.
"Yes, dear and I promise, I will tell you the whole truth after I fix this dilemma, and everything is settled. I love you dear and no matter what happens, you are my daughter, and I will take care of you.” I immediately wiped the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes because I felt the depths of my father's love for me that no one can fathom. I looked down nodding, missing his voice, resisting the urge to hug him right now but I can't because it's virtual.
"I promised your Mom that at the right time, I will give you the peace of mind that you deserve but this is not yet the right time so please wait for Daddy. I hope you understand my dear.” At that time, I was speechless because all I know is that I am so lucky to have parents that loved me so much. A father who is willing to risk his life for me. I don't even know what happened to my biological parents. I don't know what they looked like and why did they abandon me? After all these years, I never asked myself these questions. I never searched for them because I am grateful and contented with the parents I lived with.
Back then, I have no interest in knowing even the background of my biological parents because my adopted parents never let me feel that I am different. They treated me as their own and they never let me feel even an inch of regret that I came.
"Anyway, I have to contact your Uncle Michael and ask for help with this case. I will call you every now and then to check on you and update you, okay? Stay safe my dear. I love you.” I nodded and mouthed I love you Dad. After everything that happened, it seems like my energy drained to an almost empty battery and I badly need a rest. The call ended and I decided to change into comfortable sleeping wear as fast as I could. I threw my dress on the small basket near the door and slipped on the fresh undergarments and pink pajamas that I found inside the small cabinet near my bedside table. I unhooked my bra lazily and threw it on the basket. I was about to wear the pink cotton sleeveless and a pair of pajamas when the door suddenly opened.
"Jess, I ne-" My astounded face can be painted on a blank canvas forgetting that the upper part of my body was still uncovered because my whole body immediately panicked when I heard his voice at the door. We both widened our eyes, he gaped and stared at my glorious feature while I quickly covered my body and turned away from him. I heard the door close and quickly grabbed the new bra that I had no plans to wear instead because I don't really wear bras at night because it interferes with my sleep.
Because of what happened I was forced to wear it. ARGH! What a fool! He saw it again. I pulled myself together after putting on the sleeveless then threw myself on the bed in great annoyance.
I don't want to go out, I don't want to see him because it's embarrassing, VERY EMBARASSING!
I was about to go to sleep when Marc's phone suddenly rang so I immediately turned around on the bed to see who was calling. My eyes widened again when I saw "Honey" on the screen and it turned out that she had 10 missed calls this morning. Who is this? She calls a lot as if she's the girlfriend, is she? I ended the call but she called again so I ended up storming out of the living room to give Marc his phone. This woman might be very important so she can't stop calling him.
Marc immediately stood up when he saw me and I caught myself how his eyes went down to my chest. In my annoyance, I put the screen of the caller Honey on his face. So close I almost laughed because he pulled back and came back to his senses. It doesn't mean that he has seen the size of my globes and he has permission to look again. How lucky of him! I raised my eyebrows and put the phone away from him when he was about to take it from my hand.
"Who's Honey?" Crossing my hands below my chest I asked him.
"My Boss' daughter." He wet his lips and stepped closer to me and tried to get the phone, but I ran away to the side not giving his phone back not until he told me the truth.
"How will I know that you're telling the truth and only the truth?" I asked him bluntly and he continued to chase me while I moved away from him.
"You don't have to be jealous Jess because that's my boss' daughter and I'm waiting for her call because I've extended my stay here," he persuaded but I still kept on running away from him while the guards are outside, and the maids are cooking meals for the guards later. I didn't give him the phone, my eyes narrowing, trying to figure out if he was really telling the truth and that Honey doesn't want anything from him or else...
"Jess, stop running in circles please." He pouted his lips as if a kid who wants cotton candy, but his Mommy can't give it to him. I flayed him like a child and he suddenly chased me so I screamed and ran out of the room. I was about to close the door but he had already entered and caught up with me. I put the phone down and picked it up again, he was actively reaching for it from behind me but I didn't let him. He was being stubborn to get the phone from me and I refused to give it to him. I backed away so much that my leg hit the bed causing me to lose my balance. In my desire not to fall, I snagged his arm so we both fell.
My eyes automatically closed as I felt my back on the soft mattress and his weight on top of me but then my eyes widened when I felt a weight on my sternum.
"I'm sorry." I looked away when I realized that he fell into my chest by accident. This is so awkward. Undoubtedly, he has no plan in making the first move. I'm just waiting for him to remove himself on top of me but instead, we remained in that position. My eyes were still on the side looking at the relaxing light green wall, my heart beating like a drum, and my breathing became erratic. Enough of the waiting, this is uncomfortable so I decided to push his chest away from me, but he caught my wrist smoothly and pinned me back on the bed. My rapid breathing became more obvious to him as our eyes met. I'm trying to decipher what lies behind those deep stares of him to me that make me feel this way.
In my mind I'm almost hoarse to scream to tell him how I feel, how much I like him, I want him to tell me whatever he wants to say but because the strength of my heartbeat and the speed of my breathing prevail I couldn't open my mouth as if my tongue had been cut off and I couldn't speak.
"Do you want to do something?" I stammered and he nodded. I grasped for my breathing when he leaned his face closer to me and ran the tip of his nose on the bridge of my nose. His eyes were staring at my lips, and I can hear our hearts pounding like a banging percussion inside our ribcage. I was almost out of breath when he intertwined our fingers sending a thousand bolts of electricity to my system and he warmly whispered, "I love you."
I blinked twice assuring that I heard him right and replied, "I love you too." that made his eyes widen in glee and curved a half-smile, clearly not believing what I just said. Before he could ask me to reiterate, I quickly brought my chin forward and brushed my lips to his. He didn't respond to my kiss, but I stayed still then he slowly pulled away.
I averted his eyes and bit my lips in embarrassment. That was impulsive. I tried to unclasp my hands from him to get away and run away but his grip grew tighter that I couldn't get up. In a heartbeat, he brought his face forward again to mine and angled his face, and before I could move, I felt his lips brushing gently against mine. At first, it was slow and romantic then his kisses weakened me, so weak as he goes deeper into my mouth owning it. I closed my eyes to feel the moment and try to go with the flow. He slowly pulled away when we were out of breath and angled his face again at the other side when we still haven't got enough air yet then I felt his lips again tasting every corner of my lips. I moaned when I felt his tongue invading my mouth, I let him in savoring every second that I am uncontrollably in love with this man.
Suddenly, he stopped when his phone rang interrupting our moment but instead of looking for it, he stared at me deeply then gently released my hands and kissed my forehead. Honestly, I still want more... I still want it longer. Now, do I sound selfish?
I was about to protest when he placed his index finger on my lips and whispered, "Good night, Heart." He cupped my chin softly and planted a kiss on my forehead as he reached for his phone that is covered by my pillow above my head then left the room with a charming smile curved on his lips.