Uncovering the Camouflaged Daughter

27

"We'll go to the palace first po, sumunod na lang po kayo sa sinasakyan namin." I told the driver before I ended the call.

Khai was really focused while driving, he was very careful. Halos hindi na siya nakipagsabayan sa ibang mga sasakyan sa kalsada para maiwasan ang aksidente. He looks so tensed.

"Hey," I called him.

He hummed as an answer but still focusing at the road.

"You look so tensed, chill ka lang nga..." saway ko.

"If I won't focus, Ellie, baka may mangyaring aksidente. Lagot ako sa buong pamilya mo pag may nangyaring masama," he said.

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Stop overthinking nga, it'll be fine."

He just let out a breath and forced himself to chill. Now he looks a bit loosened up. He glances at me from time to time.

"Uhm.. by the way, care to share why were you crying last night?" He concernedly asked.

I licked my lower lip before telling me the incident yesterday. I also told him what I heard from my parents yesterday night. He looked so shocked and sorry for me.

"So yun nga... I'm shocked nga na very casual sila kanina... parang walang nangyari." I fidgeted my fingers.

"If I may ask... do you believe what you heard from your mom?" Sumulyap siya sa akin at ibinalik ang tingin sa daan.

I honestly don't know. Naguguluhan ako. Parang gusto kong maniwala pero may parte sa akin na ayaw maniwala.

Malungkot akong nagkibit-balikat. "I don't know. I'm too confused... I trust my Dad so much," bumuntong hininga ako. "But I can't neglect what my Mom notices on him too,"

Naramdaman ko ang tingin niya. It was red light already, so he has a short moment to stare at me. Ibinaling ko ang tingin ko sa kanya.

"But do you notice something off with your Dad?" he asked.

I bit my lip and slowly nodded. "When I dropped by to the company to bring him lunch that Mom cooked, he wasn't in his office. And... that's so unusual. Kilala ko si Daddy... ayaw niyang lumabas pag lunch break niya, he would always rather eat in his office. Parang iba yung pakiramdam ko nun."

He looks like he was trying to balance the situation. Parang gusto niya akong kampihan pero mukhang tinitimbang din niya yung kay Daddy.

"Maybe he went outside for meeting?"

I snorted. "He'd be mad pag may schedule siya during lunch break, that's too impossible."

"Anything else that you find unusual these days?" Tanong niya ulit.

"Sometimes I would catch him talking with someone in the middle of the night on his phone. He would be talking with someone at the living room or at our backyard. I mean.. who would he call in the middle of the night, right? That's not office hours anymore." sabi ko at napasapo sa noo.

Nagmaneho na ulit si Khai at sinabing, "Yeah, that's suspicious too. I mean, I'm not adding anything for you to overthink.. but I find that suspicious."

"Oo nga eh. I don't know.. I'll just find a way to answer these questions, myself," I pursed my lip.

While I was looking at the window, I felt his other hand holding my hand. I shockingly looked at him and he glanced at me.

"I'm always here... I'm your one call away, lagi." He assured me at marahang ngumiti.

Unti unti akong tumango at ngumiti rin. "Thank you, I wish I could say the same... but being the presidential niece and as an only girl in the family is stopping me. I can't be a one call away and would just randomly sneak out, guards are always around." I joked. He chuckled.