Dagger Series #5: Unbowed

Synopsis

SYNOPSIS

"Dear universe, ang unang lalaking lalapit sa akin ngayong gabi ay hahalikan ko."

People call me a lot of things. Sometimes it's the Huntress, Queen of Arrows, the Archeress, or the Lonely Wolf. Those I don't mind. After all, I'm Ember Nile Calderon, one of the most decorated archers of my time. I'm a two-time defending champion for Archery World Cup and World Archery Championships for recurve and compound, and I'm also a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

But lately, some of the names I'm being called are getting on my nerves. The NBSB, the frigid snob, the unlikable bitch, the passionless princess, the woman who'll end up marrying her arrow since it's the only "stick" that she will ever see in her life.

All my life, I exhausted everything I got in training so that I could achieve my dreams. I wanted to be the best at what I do, and I wanted to be recognized. Nagawa ko namang makuha ang mga bagay na gusto ko. Iyon nga lang hindi talaga maiiwasan na marami pa rin na masasabi ang ibang tao. Even if it's about things that shouldn't be relevant in the first place. Ano naman kasing kinalaman ng dating life ko sa career ko?

The media and the people keep branding me as an undesirable woman just because I don't date and maybe because they haven't seen me in gossip magazines. It's infuriating, but I don't care, however, my agent and my sponsors do.

Alcohol and frustration are not a good combination. In a poorly lit bar, with drinks that are too many to count, I found myself challenging destiny. Or to be exact, I found myself challenging a man to a game of darts with his lips as the winning prize.

It's just a game. Laro na sigurado ako na mananalo ako. It doesn't need to be complicated. It's just one night of fun, drinks, and a kiss with a man who should be on the encyclopedia as the perfect definition of a drop-dead gorgeous man. A person that I had no plans on meeting again except fate decided to target the both of us.

The man that I just met is bound to cross my path again. Even if we fight it tooth and nail, dirty and bloody, destiny will remain unbowed. Because apparently, Trace Dawson has his own deal with the universe.

"Dear universe, ang susunod na babaeng hahalikan ko ay si The One na."