COME BACK TO ME, SLAVEN | #Wattys2019

Chapter 35 - "Ladies and gentleman, my beautiful Filipina girl - Ella!"

Itinaas nito ang isang kamay para payapain ang paghihiyawan ng mga tao, he smiled at them. Natahimik nga ang mga fans pero hindi ang magulo at malakas na pintig ng puso niya. Her system is on haywire trouble and is going crazy. What is he doing? Hindi maganda ang kutob niya sa nagyayari. She wants to flee but she can't get herself to stand up and move. She just can't get herself to leave him and go over her whole life not seeing him again.

"You might have heard of 'rumors'. " he gestured a quote-unquote on the air. "running about one Filipina artist who will be singing with me on this stage. Yes, that was true. She was the lucky one who won the contest we had a few months back to celebrate my comeback."

Ella froze as the widescreen background in front showed the 'Come back to me' contest banner. Sinasabi na nga ba niya, Slaven's up to something and she's not gonna like it.

"The lucky contest winner is from the Philippines. The only one who caught my attention and later on – my heart." Napasinghap ang buong Araneta sa rebelasyon ng gwapo'ng Korean artist sa harapan nila. Naghiyawan naman ang ilan. Some claiming it's them or just simply crying out 'I love you Slaven!'.

"She's supposed to be here, singing with me the piece she has sang with all her heart and soul. But she didn't show up. She ran away from me, again."

Sa huling sinabi ni Slaven, doon na naglakas loob si Ella para tumayo at lisanin na ang lugar na iyon. It will break her heart but it will break her even more if she doesn't leave. Slaven's about to do something stupid and she can't let it happen. It would just lead to either another heartbreak or she will lose her soul, not just her heart, to him.

"Hey! Is she leaving?" Naka-focus ang isa sa mga camera nila sa mismo'ng kinaroroonan ni Ella. It's being feed to the monitoring-control room. So Leah was alert when she saw Ella getting up.

"She is! Damn! We can't let her leave tonight without her and Slaven getting back together! She has been running away too long and Slaven's been waiting too long. It's time they meet in the middle. Alert all possible exit points!" Shinye's almost in panic while giving commands.

The main security's head radioed to his subordinates the order. He sent the signal locking the GPS tracker Ella is wearing. She can't leave the venue unnoticed because the alarm on the necklace will set off.

"She's a really wonderful person, inside-out. She's very compassionate, full of life, loving to everyone around her. Her love for music and life warmed my heart and made me fall for her. You might be wondering now who she is -" he paused and look around to where he thought she's seating but he's not seeing her anymore. It might be a blur on the atmosphere that he can't see her clearly. But she's really not there, her seat is empty. He surveyed the whole place again. 'Where are you Ella?'

Her knees wobbled but her steps sure. As she wades her way through the exit doors of that aisle and VIP box area. She's nearing the double doors when the security people stopped her.

"Sorry, Ma'am. No one is allowed to go outside the venue while the concert's not yet through. Security head's order."

"B-But...T-Tapos na ho ang concert proper. Pakulo lang yan ng walang magawa'ng lalaking 'yan!" Dinuro niya ang kinaroroonan ni Slaven.

"Sorry talaga Ma'am. Just please go back to your assigned seat. Order is not one soul can go out this door no matter what-"

"What?! You can't locked me up here! I have to pee!" Halos hysterical na niyang tili dito.

"There's a comfort room just a few rows down the aisle to your right. I'm sure you can find your way. I can also let one of my people lead the way -"