Drowning Emotions (Isla Series #5)

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"Arrivederci, nonno!" Kie waved at her lolo.

"Take care. I'll visit you, amore." Dad kissed her cheek.

Lumipat kami ni Kie sa condo ni Marco habang nagpaplano pa kaming magpagawa ng bahay. We both just didn't see the point of living in different houses when everything was starting to fall in its proper places.

"Una na kayo ni Kie sa loob ng airport. I'll just meet you inside," I told Marco on the phone, walking to the parking lot. Galing akong firm. Kasama ko si Mikolai pero hindi ko alam kung bakit wala siya sa likuran ko.

[Hindi, hintayin na kita sa labas. Ingat sa pag-drive. Matagal pa naman ang flight.] Narinig kong nanghihingi ng licorice si Kie sa kaniya kaya nabaling ang atensyon niya roon.

Just as I ended the call, my phone tumbled to the ground as someone shoved me to the car, my back smashing against the door. I groaned when I felt the excruciating pain on my spine.

A man with a black mask stood in front of me, pointing a gun at me and strangling my neck. As I felt the chilly tip of the gun on my temple, coldness entered my system and my lips quivered slightly.

"Akin na iyong bidyo o ipuputok ko 'to," nakakatakot na banta niya. I was sure he'd do that without hesitation.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, refusing to give in even though my life was in danger. I knew precisely what he meant. Video. I wasn't going to give it away. Even if he manages to steal it from me, I've already copied a lot of it.

He yanked my shirt and threw me against the car, causing me to scream. He was infuriated. I tried to recognize him by looking at his face, just incase he'd run away.

"Sabing akin na iyong bidyo. Iyong ebidensya. Saan mo nilagay? Nasa cellphone mo? Nasa kotse? Ibigay mo." He pulled the slide of the gun and then pointed it deeper into my temple, choking me tighter. I immediately couldn't breathe. "Magsasalita ka o ipuputok ko 'to?" mariing banta niya.

Tanga! Paano ako magsasalita kung sinasakal niya ako?!

"Car..." pang-uuto ko noong lumawag ang hawak niya. Just like that, pushed my back to make me walk to wherever my car was. Tumakbo kaagad ako nang luminga siya saglit sa paligid noong may kumaluskos. Tumili ako noong nagpaputok siya kasabay ng pagtama ko sa isang sasakyan.

"Okay ka lang?" Mikolai asked, groaning.

"Gago! Ikaw ang nabaril! Bakit mo tinatanong kung okay ako?!" Hingal na hingal ako habang pinapanuod ang mukha niyang nalulukot. Humarang siya kaya hindi ako natamaan ng bala!

"Bulletproof, but it still fucking hurts like hell." He winced before pulling his gun at the same time he started dialing something on his radio. Then he looked at me. "Stay put. Don't move an inch. I'll be back."

Tinakpan ko ang tainga ko habang naririnig ang putukan, hindi mapakali. Biglang may sumulpot na mga lalake sa tapat ko kaya sumigaw ako sa takot.

"Kami 'to, Ma'am." My bodyguards raised their guns up. Nakahinga ako nang maluwag pero bigla silang tiningnan nang masama.

"Where the hell were all of you? I'm not paying you so you'd just chill around! You need to protect me!"

"Nasa order po na kailangan naming dumistansya, Ma'am." The other one sounded so apologetic. Right! They should act invisible for me to move around normally.

They caught the culprit. He was working for the Valmorida. Gosh! Hindi pa pala sila tapos sa akin?! I don't even handle any of their cases anymore! The man might've mistaken me as the other lawyer at the firm who was handling a Valmorida case.