My Billionaire Bodyguard

Chapter 28

Elijah

"How is she?"

Just as I stepped out of Pristine's room, I heard Kio ask with worry in his voice about my baby. He came back here with me but stayed outside the mansion instead of coming in. If Pristine hadn't warned me, I might have given him a harsh look for asking that question. Hindi ko pa rin gusto na malapit siya sa baby ko.

"She's fine. She was asleep before I came out."

I didn't even look at him when I answered. He was leaning against the wall in front of me, with a serious expression on his face, clearly disappointed. Hindi ko siya masisisi kung bakit ganito ang nararamdaman niya ngayon. I know Kio also wants to make Pristine's grandfather pay for his wrongdoings, but we can't act solely based on our emotions. I was disappointed too with what happened earlier before we left the headquarters, but I got my mother's point after she explained it to me.

"Follow me."

Nagsimula akong maglakad at tahimik naman siyang sumunod sa akin. He was waiting for me because he wanted to talk about what happened earlier. Pagkatapos ng nangyari sa torture chamber ay ipinatawag ako ng aking ina para kausapin at hindi naging maayos ang pag-uusap na 'yon dahil inutusan ako nito na huwag sabihin ang nangyari sa kahit sino--kahit pa kay Pierre Vera Esperanza. Hindi ko 'yon naunawaan noong una pero nang ipaliwanag nito sa akin ang maaaring mangyari ay saka rin ako naliwanagan.

"Gusto ko sanang kausapin mismo si Ma'am Kamila, pero mukhang hindi na maganda ang mood niya dahil sa nangyari." Pagkarating namin sa likod ay hindi na rin nakapagpigil si Kil at nagsalita na tungkol sa nangyari kanina.

I nod. Nauunawaan ko naman siya.

Hindi naman talaga, hindi rin inaasahan ng aking ina ang ginawa na 'yon ni Halyago. Pero nabanggit rin niya sa akin na maaari nga 'yon na mangyari lalo pa at sanay na itong saktan si Pristine, na ito naman ang gagamitin para mapaalis ako dahil sa galit ng matandang 'yon sa akin.

That fcking old man. I can't wait to get back at him for everything he's done and for all the pain he's caused Pristine.

"We better follow her orders. Mas ang head ang nakakaalam ng kung ano ang dapat gawin," pagkasabi ko non ay napatingin sa akin si Kio. He doesn't know about my real identity. That our head is my mother.

"Pero, bakit..." mahinang boses niya na tugon.

That's when I started to tell him kung ano ang napag-usapan namin kanina ng aking ina.

"Don't tell this to anyone. Sabihan mo rin si Kio."

Kamila Kirovskaya Regalonte--my mother and our head said that and deleted the video on Kio's phone after transferring it to her own.

I was still enraged after learning the truth—that Halyago didn't care if his granddaughter's life was at risk, as long as I was removed from their lives. Ganoon siya ka-threatened sa akin.

But many questions formed in my mind. Did that old man really have to go to such extremes just to kill me and remove from Pristine's life? Would he risk her safety for that? What's the reason? Just because he doesn't like me? Hindi ko alam na ganito ito kagalit sa akin.

I shook my head. That old man is crazy. Maybe he just can't stand that he couldn't get rid of me. He tried countless times, at tingin ko ay nasagad ko ang pasensiya niya nitong huli kaya rin siya humantong sa ganitong desisyon.

"What do you mean? We have proof, Ma'am. The video doesn't lie. Ang tauhan na mismo na inutusan niya itong nagsalita. Paanong hindi paniniwalaan?" salubong ang mga kilay na tanong ko. Sumagot muna siya ng malalim na buntong hininga, habang nanatili pa rin ang atensyon niya sa sariling cellphone dahil doon na niya ngayon pinanonood ang pag-amin ng lalakeng kanina.