#DS7Unbalanced #InoCent #SMCouple #DaggerSeries
A/N: This book is officially completed in Patreon but as of now hindi na ako tumatanggap ng new subscribers dahil ayoko sanang ma-charge ang current members na naka-monthly membership kaya naka-pause ang account ko. I will announce just in case I'll create another Patreon for those who want to read this in full ♡
PS: Kalmahan niyo kay Tiara. Ang masasabi ko lang, nakabawi na si Domino sa chapter 43 #PunishmentNiDomDomino ;)
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: LOCK
TIARA'S POV
"Easy."
Napakurap na nilingon ko ang pinanggalingan ng boses. I found Adrien standing at the now-open door of the van. Nakataas ang mga kamay niya tanda ng pagsuko. Sa likod niya ay nakatayo ang dalawang malaking lalaki habang ang isa pa na kasama ko sa loob ng van ay nakahawak na sa baril niya.
Kung sa ibang pagkakataon siguro ay baka natawa ako sa kaniya. The expression on his face seems almost comical. His eyes are wide like saucers, as if he's been startled out of his wits.
"I forgot that you're more precious than the Mona Lisa," he joked before throwing a look at the men behind him. "Sorry. I won't do it again."
"You're lucky you didn't get shot." Shaking my head, I hop off the van. I looked at my three bodyguards. Sila lang ang kasama ko dahil nagawa kong kumbinsihin ang ama ko na hindi ko kailangan na isama ang iba pa. "It's okay. That man wouldn't hurt anyone. He once set up a wake for the grasshopper he accidentally stepped on when we were in the ballet academy. I doubt he has the stomach to kill a person."
Nalukot ang mukha ni Adrien. I didn't mention that he was drunk at that time. Nag-effort pa siyang maghanap ng gagawing kabaong para tipaklong at ang posporo na nakita niya noon ang napagtripan niya. He even lit scented candles for the insect that he murdered. Then he called me to tell me all about it.
"Do you have stuff to donate?" he asked.
"They're in the back."
He nodded, giving my bodyguards a quick look before he walked to the back of the van.
Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga at sandaling ipinikit ko ang mga mata ko. I'd arrived earlier than Adrien, but instead of going out, I stayed inside the van to wait for him. There's a huge part of me that wants to make an excuse, so I won't need to come today. Hindi ko lang talaga magawa. I can't do that to them. Not when they've been so great to me.
So here I am. Putting on my big girl pants and sucking in the ball of protest that I could feel in my stomach.
"Let's go."
Pinasadahan ko ng tingin si Adrien. Bukod sa box ko ng mga gamit ay wala siyang ibang dala. "You're not going to donate?"
"You know I don't have a lot of things." He winked at me. "But I have a lot of money."
I scoffed. He wasn't lying, though. Marami siyang pera pero wala siya masyadong gamit. Halos every month may pinagbibigyan siya ng mga bagong damit na nakukuha niya mula sa mga sponsor niya o mga nireregalo sa kaniya. Like me, he rarely wears the same thing twice publicly. Kaya nga naiipon lang ang mga iyon.
"So what play are we going to do here?"
Kumunot ang noo ko. "What do you mean?"
"I arrived, and I was here for thirty minutes already. I've been messaging you, but you weren't answering. When I saw you, you looked like you wanted to bolt out of here." He gave me a knowing look. "I want to know what you want me to do so I can prepare myself."
"What if I need you to pretend that we need to go because you pooped your pants?" I joked.
Laughter burst out of him. He bumped his hips against mine since his hands were occupied. "Sure. If that's what you want."
Napailing na lang ako. Of course, he'd be willing to do it. Hindi ata uso ang hiya nang pinanganak siya. "There's no play."
"Sure?"
Tumango lang ako bilang sagot. We walked along the long row of tents without saying a word. Hindi nagtagal ay natanaw na namin ang booth kung saan naroon ang mga babaeng Dawson.
A sense of relief hit me when I saw that only Coal, Pierce, and Thorn were with them. He's not here.
I really have no clue what I would do if he were here. I didn't see him again after I hid from him that night. It's been four days since. Iniiwasan ko rin na mag-online kaya kapag tinatawagan lang ako ni Lucienne at saka ako may nakakausap sa kanila. She never mentioned anything about Domino, and there was no talk about any girl as well.
"Tiara!" Lucienne called out to me when she caught sight of me. "Gusto mo ng neon balls?"
Trust Lucienne to say the weirdest thing. "Neon balls?"
"Kwek kwek pero pinasosyal. Gawa ni Lia." Inginuso niya ang mga nakahilerong kraft container. May mga drawing iyon ng iba't ibang klase ng hayop. Sa loob niyon ay may iba't ibang mga kulay ng bilog na pagkain. And they're really neon-colored. "Para sa mga bagets."
Bukod sa neon balls ay may iba ring mga pagkain na nakahanda na. Even I, who don't have any appetite, find them mouthwatering.
"Iyong desserts gawa ni Mireia. Iyon namang mga gulay si Ember ang nagluto." She gestured the food with her hand. "At ako ang gumawa ng packaging."
"Huwag kang nagpapaniwala riyan. Siya lang ang umorder," sabi ni Trace na kakadating lang. "Hi, Tiara. Kamusta ang buhay bilang first daughter?"
"I don't think you can call a senator's daughter that. That's reserved for the president's daughter," I said with a chuckle.
"Ang unfair naman." Binalingan niya ang mga bodyguard ko at sumaludo siya. "Hello, dudes."
My bodyguards mumbled their greetings back. Unlike my first two bodyguards, Gary and Boris, they take their jobs seriously. Maybe too seriously. Lahat na lang ata ng gawin ko ay nirereport nila sa ama ko.
Itinuro ko isa-isa ang tatlong lalaki. "James, Jason, Jace."
"Wow." Nagpalipat-lipat sa kanila ang mga mata ni Lucienne. "That's a lot of J's. Ayoko pa naman sa mga J ang pangalan. Kadalasan mga red flag 'yan. O bitter lang ako kasi may kilala rin akong J na sa sobrang red flag, siya na iyong flag pole." Nakangising tinaasan niya ng kilay ang mga lalaki. "Red flag ba kayo?"
Halos sabay-sabay silang umiling. The way they look at her is familiar to me since everyone who meets Lucienne for the first time has the same expression. Iyong parang nakakita ng unicorn.
"Hi ballerina dude," Lucienne said when he turned to Adrien. "Are those donations?"
"Yes, cutie—" Hindi naituloy ng lalaki ang sasabihin nang mapatingin siya kay Thorn na kanina ay abala sa pagsasalansan ng mga nakatakip na pagkain. The look that the eldest Dawson is giving him has a challenge in it for him to continue what he was about to say. "Uhh..."
I cough to hide my laugh. Tinapik ko siya sa likod at inagaw ko sa kaniya ang kahon. Iyon nga lang ay hindi pa nagtatagal na buhay ko iyon ay kinuha na sa akin iyon ni Coal para isama sa kabilang booth kung saan nandoon ang mga gamit na ibebenta. Ember and Circe were in there.
"They're all married, so reign in your inner flirt, please," I told Adrien.
He pouted, but he didn't complain. Who would have at this point? Baka bigla na lang maglabas ng laser ang mga Dawson mula sa mga mata nila at gawin siyang abo.
"But I could flirt with you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Since you're not married?"
I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Kahit hindi ko lingunin sila Lucienne ay ramdam ko ang atensyon niya dahil kita ko sa gilid ng mga mata ko ang pagpapalipat-lipat ng tingin niya sa amin ni Adrien.
"When did you ever not flirt with me?" I asked.
"When did you break my heart?"
"Oooh. Deym."
Sabay kaming napabaling ni Adrien kay Lucienne. Siya kasi ang huling nagsalita na mukhang hindi niya napigil na hindi gawin. Thorn wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his big hand covering her mouth. He dragged her away and led her to the second booth.
Naiiling na tinapik ko ang dibdib ni Adrien. Our breakup was amicable, so I'm pretty sure he's just messing with me. "You need to move on, dude," I said, emphasizing the last word. "It's a good thing I like you enough to tolerate you, or you'll be a pain in my ass."
Dinutdot niya ang noo ko at nakaangil na pinalis ko ang kamay niya. "It's a good thing I love you, you cold-hearted witch."
I stuck out my tongue at him. Before he could move, I grabbed his wallet from his pocket. "Adrien didn't bring anything to donate, so he's going to donate his money by buying a lot today." Iwinagayway ko ang wallet. "Sinong gustong kumain?"
Sabay-sabay na sumagot ang mga babae at si Trace na nagtaas pa ng kamay. They're all dripping with money, but I could see that for them, free is free. Mas masarap nga naman ang libre.
I opened the wallet to take out some cash, but I stopped when I saw something inside. Gulat na napatingin ako kay Adrien. His lips still had a hint of his smile, but he was watching me closely and intently, as if he were waiting for my reaction.
"That's a nice picture."
Nanigas ang likod ko at nag-angat ako ng mukha. I felt like the air in my body evaporated when I saw who was standing behind me.
Domino's gaze went up from the wallet, where there's a picture of me sitting on the floor in my sugar plum costume, and I was gazing up at the camera with a small smile on my lips, and he met my eyes, his unreadable.
Blyat.
INABOT KO ANG hawak ko na mga paper bag na may laman na pagkain sa dalawang lalaki na nasa harapan ko. Napadaan sila sa booth ng mga Dawson at mukhang nagustuhan nila ang mga pagkain dahil talaga namang ang dami nilang binili.
"Thank you." I gestured to the second booth. "If you want to look for something to gift your family, friends, or special someone, you can try and browse through our second booth."
It's a line that I've been repeating since Lucienne put me to work. Kahit na madami kasi sila ay mukhang kailangan pa rin nila ng tulong. Ang dami kasi talagang dumadayo sa booth nila. It's not that surprising. They're all famous people.
"Single pa ako," malawak ang ngiti ng sabi ng isa sa mga lalaki. "I'm Johnny—"
"Ay nako!" malakas na sabi ni Lucienne na biglang sumulpot sa tabi ko. "Sure ka bang pangalan mo Johnny?"
"Umm... y-yes?"
The man looks like he's even doubting himself for a second. Sa paraan kasi ng pagtatanong ni Lucienne ay parang may malaki siyang kasalanan na nagawa.
Lucienne looked at the customer with narrowed eyes. "Do you think she's pretty?" she pointed at me.
Kaagad binalot ng init ang magkabila kong mga pisngi. "Lucienne—"
"Yes." Tumingin sa akin ang lalaki. His eyes were shining with hope. "In fact, I was wondering if she'd like to have cof—"
"Hindi siya nagkakape," singit ni Lia. She gave him a sweet smile so that her words didn't appear harsh. "Hi."
"Hi," he greeted back, and then he turned to me again. "Tea then—"
"She doesn't like tea," Ember said from the second booth while twirling a customized pointed pink arrow between her fingers. "Ako mahilig pero may asawa na ako eh."
"How about we just eat—"
"Hindi siya kumakain. May allergy siya..." Napakamot sa pisngi niya si Circe. "Sa pagkain."
Adrien, who was standing nearby, chuckled. He probably doesn't understand most of what we were talking about, but he can probably guess what it is. Lumapit siya sa amin at inakbayan niya ako. "Sorry, bro. She's taken."
The man took one look at Adrien's face and body, and he instantly decided that he had no chance of winning. Tahimik na nagpaalam siya dala ang ilan sa mga paperbag habang ang kasama niya ay natatawang tinapik siya sa balikat.
When they were gone, I elbowed Adrien in the stomach. He grunted, but there was humor on his face. "What an ungrateful midget. I just saved you."
"You're going to create a rumor about us again if you don't stop," I hissed.
"I said you were taken. I didn't say it was because of me."
The meaning of his words rendered me motionless. My gaze instinctively shifted to where Domino stood, and I saw that he also had his eyes on us. Specifically on Adrien's arm, which is on my shoulder.
"Adrien, the picture—"
"It's my lucky charm. You know that most of us have superstitions and quirks. Mine was that. Ever since you let me have that picture, I've won different competitions."
"Is that really all there's to it?" I asked, threading carefully. I don't want to hurt him. We might not have worked out, but that doesn't mean that I want him to hurt.
"Yes," he answered.
"Are you sure?"
"We didn't work out, but that doesn't mean I don't care for you, Tiara. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I love you."
My lips parted, and for a moment, I didn't know what to say. He rolled his eyes, and he tapped the tip of my nose in amusement. "I love you differently. As friends, but not as simple as it is. As a partner, but not like a life partner."
What he's saying makes sense. We are friends, but we're the kind that has a history, so it's more complex than it appears. We are partners who shared grueling hours together, but we don't have the kind of partnership that requires a romantic relationship.
"Like family," I murmured.
Nalukot ang ilong niya. "I guess we can say that. Like cousins who didn't know they're related and dated and shared kisses who only found out because she brought him to a family reunion."
It was my turn to cringe. So maybe not like family. Somewhere near it. "You should work with Lucienne. You both have great imagination." Inilapat ko sa matigas niyang dibdib ang isang libong papel na ibinayad sa akin kanina. "You man the registrar. Make sure to charge customers correctly, because if you don't, you're the one who's going to pay the Dawsons."
"Hey! I don't know the price list!"
Nginuso ko ang mga babae. "Ask them."
"They kind of scare me!"
The women giggled. We all know that he's not afraid of them. He's more afraid of their husbands. Unless si Lucienne ang pinag-uusapan. Sabi ni Trace may special talent daw si Lucienne sa pananakot.
"I'm going to take a walk. I need air," I told Jason.
"Yes, ma'am," Jace answered.
Mukhang aalma sana ang dalawa pero nang makita nilang nakasunod naman sa akin si Jace ay ginaya na rin nila ang lalaki. Jace agreed, but that doesn't mean that he will let me go alone. He's just giving me a wider berth than usual. Which I'm thankful for.
Jace is new to the team, according to Emeric. He was originally Emeric's bodyguard, but he gave him to me. He's the youngest on the team and is probably just a few years younger than me. Mireia whispered to me earlier that she thinks that Jace is Dagger material. Which means he has a good sense, he has a great body, he's hot, and he's handsome.
In a few minutes of walking, I felt Jace getting closer to me. So maybe his supposed good sense needs a little more polish and improvement.
Nang pakiramdam ko ay halos magkakadikit na kami sa lapit niya ay napapabuntong-hininga na huminto ako para lingunin siya.
"Jace, I really need you to move away—" I couldn't finish my sentence. Not when I realize that it wasn't Jace who was standing behind me.
My bodyguards are still with us, but it wasn't them that crossed the distance I prefer them to keep.
"Domino," I breathe out.
"Are you avoiding me?"
Napalunok ako. "W-What?"
"You don't answer my calls and messages."
"You haven't... you've never called," I said, confused.
"Before, I didn't, because I was pissed at the stunt you pulled. But after I couldn't find you after your show, I've been calling you nonstop."
"I... I was busy."
Nagsalubong ang mga kilay niya. "Sobrang busy na kahit isang "I'm fine" hindi mo maibigay sa akin habang paulit-ulit kitang kinakamusta? So busy that you wouldn't even say hello to me after not seeing each other for a long time?"
"It wasn't that long—"
"It is when we spent hours and hours almost breathing the same breath because space didn't factor for us then."
I let out a heavy sigh. "Awhile ago, you were annoyed—"
"Of course I was. Seeing you that close to him, his hands on you, and your picture on his wallet would do that to me."
"I didn't want to piss you off more—"
"I wouldn't if you would just stop acting like we're strangers."
"Will you stop cutting me off?!" I hissed.
He stepped closer to me, and he leaned forward. His eyes are blazing with fire, and yet I know that despite his obvious anger, he wouldn't hurt me. "Will you stop trying to cut me out of your life?" he growled.
My lips parted, and for a moment I struggled to find the right words. "Dom..."
"Don't deny it," he said, this time his voice nearly a whisper. "Just don't."
Napalunok ako at sa mahina ring boses ay nagsalita ako, "We agreed that I could go."
"I never agreed to anything, and you know that."
"You can't lock me in inside your castle, Domino."
His eyes searched my face, and in that one suspended time, it was like he's trying to take it all in. Take all of me in. "You choose not to see, but you know that it wasn't in the castle that I've locked you in." Inabot niya ang kamay ko at kaagad namasa ang mga mata ko nang inilapat niya iyon sa dibdib niya. "You've always been in here."
"Dom..."
"I've told you. I told you that I wanted you to come back on your own. I want you to come back. But I wasn't just talking about the house, Tiara." He leaned his head on my forehead, and he whispered, "I was talking about me."
_________________________End of Chapter 29.