Why Not Me (why can't it be me?) [Vini & Dalilah]

Kabanata 26

Before Vini could say a word, my phone vibrated and rang inside my office slacks. Reluctantly tearing my gaze away from him, I reached in with a trembling hand, retrieved the device, and answered the seemed persistent call.

“Hello—”

“Ms. St. Pierre!” dinig kong tinig ng assistant ko sa kabilang linya.

“Why did you call? Is there a problem?” tanong ko dahil kung makatawag naman siya sa akin ay para bang may nangyari nang kung ano.

“The childcare center called to me that they’ve been unable to reach you. They’ve mentioned that your daughter is crying. Hindi raw nila mapatahan si Dahlia, Miss,” sagot niya na nagpasikip naman bigla sa dibdib ko.

“What? Why?” I asked as I panicked. And when I looked up at Vini again, I saw his forehead furrowing, looking curious at what the call was about. “A-ano raw ang nangyari kay Dahlia?” sa nanginginig na tinig ay tanong ko.

“They said a man claiming to be your fiancé and her father showed up, demanding she come with him, but your daughter refused and then he started yelling at her,” the assistant explained, leaving me weak at the knees.

Hindi na ako sumagot pa at pinatay na agad ang tawag, saka dali-daling tinungo ang pintuan para puntahan si Dahlia.

Damn you, Ellis!

Not my daughter!

As I passed by Vini and reached for the door handle, he grabbed my arm, stopping me from going out.

“What’s going on? What’s the matter?” he worriedly asked, gripping both of my arms tightly, forcing me to look at his eyes as I trembled in fear.

Crying, I broke down. “The childcare center where I left Dahlia, they, they called my assistant. They said Ellis suddenly showed up there, and now she is crying—”

I had not even finished speaking when he suddenly took off running. I quickly followed him, but I could not keep up because he was lightning fast. I watched as Vini nearly smacked the button to open the lift in his hurry. While I rushed to squeeze through the closing doors, but they shut before I could make it. Nakita ko pang napasuntok siya sa pader ng lift bago ito nagsara sa paningin ko.

I gasped for breath, my chest throbbing from the relentless pounding of my heart as I rode the elevator down to the floor where the childcare center was located. Finally reaching it, I felt like choking as my heart lumped in my throat upon seeing a commotion there. The childcare staff, all seemed panicking, were busy sending the children away, and Ellis was being restrained by the security guards as he attempted to approach Vini, who was carrying Dahlia in his arms.

“Give me my daughter, you fucking asshole!” Ellis yelled, struggling against the security guards.

“Not a chance, you sickhead!” Vini responded through gritted teeth and controlled voice, seemingly wanting to shout but he was holding Dahlia and did not want to scare her more. He held my daughter close and gently wiped her tear-soaked cheeks. “Shh, sweetheart, don’t cry. I’m here. You’re safe. He cannot touch you again.”