The Empire Series 5: Vanna Lei Shrewd

Chapter 26: Savior

Ni hindi na yata sumasayad ang gulong ng kotse sa semento sa bilis ng pagpapatakbo ni Vanna.

Her heart's racing fast as she tried to shut off everything that happened a while back. Nagpaikot-ikot siya sa kung saan-saan. It is her way of releasing all her pent up emotions.

Over the years she learned to ignore that part of her life. Ang totoong rason kung bakit wala na siyang magustuhang lalaki.

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"Dad, what exactly did you tell Klein Rich?" diretso niyang tanong sa ama pagpasok sa working room nito sa third floor ng bahay nila. It is where his dad works most of the time.

Wala noong ibang nakapapasok sa silid na iyon maliban sa mommy nila pero habang lumalaki siya ay unti-unti niyang pinag-aralan kung paano iyon i-hack para makapasok. She loves the place because it spoke of high technology.

Ilang beses na siyang nakalalabas-masok noon bago nadiskubre ng ama na naha-hack niya ang passcode ng silid. Her father wasn't able to detect it right away because she hacked the surveillance cameras first. She was sixteen, then.

She was nine when she learned how open all the doors inside their house except their father's work area. Well, that was a year after seeing Von Liam opening all the doors inside their house without their father's handprint. Na-challenge siya kaya gumawa rin siya ng paraan kung paano i-hack ang mga 'yon.

Hindi naman nagalit ang ama noong nadiskubre iyon. Humanga pa nga ito. Sinabihan lang siya na irespeto ang privacy ng ibang tao at gamitin ang abilidad na iyon para sa tama.

Since then, she didn't barge in to any of the rooms inside their house without permission. Ngayon na lang ulit.

Napalingon ang mga magulang na parehong nakaupo sa couch at nakatingin sa dokumentong naka-flash sa pader. Her dad immediately minimized the document using a hand gesture.

She went straight to them and sat on the edge of the semi-circle couch. Humarap siya sa ama.

"What were you asking?" nanunuri nitong tanong nang makaupo siya.

Huminga siya ng malalim. Matapos ang dalawang araw na pagmumukmok ay naisipan niyang kausapin na si Klein at tanungin kung bakit hindi ito nagpakita sa lugar na napag-usapan nila. Inamin naman nito na kinausap ito ng ama niya kaya hindi na ito tumuloy. According to Klein, her father told him that they're both too young to enter a relationship so he should not expect her father to agree with it if ever, not verbatim.

Eversince the world begun, she doesn't want anyone manipulating her life. Kaya naiinis siya sa ginawang pangingialam ng ama sa love life niya.

"Dad you said I could have a boyfriend at 22. Bakit naman gano'n ang sinabi mo kay Klein?" Napasimangot siya sa ama. Her father's creased forehead straigtened.

"Oh, is he courting you?" natatawa nitong balik-tanong. Her mom laughed softly. Tinapik pa nito sa braso ang ama.

"Dad naman eh," reklamo niya sa ama. Tumawa naman ito ng mahina pero sumeryoso rin pagkatapos.

"Well, he asked if he could have your hand to be his," her father started. Pakiramdam niya ay pinamulahan pa siya sa sinabi ng ama.

Vaughn inhaled deeply before continuing.

"...and like any normal father I had to give him a word," he told her. She wasn't able to speak.

Huminga ito ng malalim bago muling nagsalita.

"Kinu-question mo ba ang pagiging ama ko sa 'yo?" seryoso nitong tanong.

Her forehead creased at her father's tone.