#DS7Unbalanced #InoCent #SMCouple #DaggerSeries
A/N: Sa mga nagtatanong regarding sa Patreon, I posted the second account on my profile here on Wattpad. Just scroll down and look for the link <3
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: FIRST PART
DOMINO'S POV
I didn't even flinch when Harrison Radley grabbed me by the collar, his furious face inches away from mine. His enraged movements triggered a swift chain of events. In a split second, my brothers rallied by my side to restrain him, and as expected, the senator's bodyguards stepped in to protect him.
"Where is she?!" he roared.
I stared at him blankly. I wanted to laugh at him. He's good at pretending. But maybe there's some truth behind his anger. Not because he's concerned about Tiara, but because he's worried about his own ass. After all, he just lost the daughter of a very powerful man.
"Should you really be asking me that, Senator?" I kept my tone neutral, but I know none of them were oblivious to the boiling anger inside me. "She was perfectly fine in my care until you took her away. You were confident that you could protect her, right?"
He looks caught off guard by my question. He swallowed nervously, and he pulled on his tie. The weight of the observing eyes bore down on him, making his discomfort obvious. Hindi ko kailangan alamin kung kaninong atensyon ang mas nakakapagpakaba sa kaniya.
Thomas Salazar is just within a few distance, watching everything with his piercing, hostile gaze.
He came to the party late. Just at the perfect moment when everything was resolved and the masked men who weren't injured or received a fatal injury scuttled away like they're mindless minions being summoned away.
"Let go of my brother, or we're going to have problems, Senator." There's no mistaking the promise in my older brother's Thorn's voice.
Gumihit ang ngiti sa mga labi ni Kuya Gun. Although he's smiling, which is not common for him, the one he has on now is downright frightening. "Wala pa ba?"
Marahas na binitawan ako ng senator. His bodyguards remained alert, looking at us as if they were ready to take us down the moment we made one wrong move. What a joke. As if we'll make it that easy for them.
I turned to my brothers. "We need to find, Tiara." I brush my hair up in a frustrated way. "We'll get statements from the perpetrators who survived and examine those who didn't."
"No," Harrison Radley said through gritted teeth. "This is a family matter. We'll handle this on our own."
I scoffed. "Look where that got you."
"Be careful on how you talk to my father, Dawson," singit ni Emeric sa usapan. "I see you as a friend, but I can't have you disrespecting our family in our own house." Nagpakawala siya ng malalim na hininga. "And my father's right. We have capable people that can help us find her. The police will take care of the investigation."
"If that's your definition of capable, then it's not a wonder why we're always so busy," sabi ni Kuya Pierce na walang kangiti-ngiting pinagmamasdan sila. "Kami lagi ang tagasalo ng mga hindi niyo magawang ayusin."
"She was shot at when she was with you!" Harrison hissed.
I could almost see it. The way he will slump unconscious to the floor once I'm through with him. I don't care if any of his bodyguards get a good hit on me, as long as I can hit him once.
That accident wasn't supposed to happen. We made sure of Tiara's safety. But because of the leak, not just Tiara's life was put in danger. I don't need someone like Harrison Radley reminding me of that. Not when he's one of the reasons why the shooting happened in the first place.
"And yet she's still breathing." I stepped closer to him, and he moved back on instinct. Even the most foolish man on the planet can understand and feel the anger that is vibrating around me. "And yet, she wasn't missing. She's not somewhere out there, scared of what's about to happen to her. She's not out there wondering if anyone will save her. Until you made sure of all of that, because you couldn't protect her!"
"You—"
"I'm going to find her, and when I do, I will never let anyone of you take her away."
Out of these pretensions, this is the one thing that is true. There is no way I will let her out of my sight. There's no way in hell that I'm letting her go again. The world will need to be split in two, and the ocean needs to drown all the land on Earth before I will let anyone separate us again.
"You need to get out." Emeric glanced at their guards. "What are you all waiting for? Get them out."
I pretended to struggle as they dragged us out of the house. I could easily escape from their hold, but I let them do what they needed to do. Until I saw one of them holding Luna roughly that she's stumbling on her feet.
The grip of the two guards holding me was firm, but I managed to maneuver myself out of their hold. I heard one of them grunt when I used my elbow to hit one of his pressure points. Nang makakawala ako sa kanila ay kaagad na lumapit ako sa kinaroroonan ni Luna.
I could hear commotion behind me, and I know that my brothers have noticed what I have seen. Sa malalaking hakbang ay narating ko ang kinaroroonan nila pero bago pa ako lubos na makalapit ay nangibabaw sa paligid ang malakas na sigaw ng lalaki nang iangat ni Luna ang paa niya at idiniin niya ang matulis niyang takong sa paa niyon.
I watched as Luna dove under the man's arm, and then she drove her elbow into his solar plexus. Walang nagawa ang lalaki kundi pakawalan siya. Pero hindi pa ro'n nakuntento si Luna dahil bigla na lang umigkas ang paa niya at tumama iyon sa pagitan ng mga hita ng lalaki.
I couldn't help the wince that came out of me. I wasn't alone because I could hear reactions coming from behind me as well. I may not like these people, but as a man, it's hard to watch what she just did without imaging the excruciating pain he's in. Hindi na nakakapagtakang napatiklop sa sahig ang lalaki habang sapo ang hinaharap niya.
Luna flipped her hair off her shoulders. Pagkatapos niyon ay pinapagpag ang mga kamay na bumaling siya sa akin. "Tara na kuya. I don't want to be here any longer. Ang papangit ng mga tao dito."
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing. Naiiling na hinila ko siya palapit sa akin at iginaya ko siya sa kinaroroonan ng mga kapatid namin. Inihatid ko siya hanggang makarating kami sa sasakyan na dala ni Kuya Trace na siyang kasabay niya kanina.
"Are you hurt?" Wala ang kalimitang masayahing ekspresyon sa mukha ni Kuya Trace. He raised Luna's arm a bit as if to inspect her.
"Hindi naman. Mas nasaktan ang isang 'yon," sabi ng babae at matalim ang tingin na nilingon ang nakahiga pa rin sa semento na lalaki.
Naiiling na dinutdot ng kapatid namin ang noo niya bago tumalikod para pumasok na sa sasakyan. I opened the door for Luna and helped her inside. "Go home." I gave her a small smile. "And thank you."
Her eyes twinkled. Something passed between us. Something that shouldn't be discussed yet. Not now, and especially not here.
She patted my shoulders. "Anything for my brother na baliw na baliw sa pag-ibig."
I just grinned, not denying what she said. If being crazy means all I could think about was Tiara from the moment I first met her, then yes, I am crazy. If it means I would rather be shot a hundred times than to see her cry, then yes, I am insane.
If it means having my ring on her finger and my name at the end of hers before this year ends, then yes, I am long gone.
It wasn't just my sanity that vanished into nothing at the mere sight of her. She took my heart a long time ago, and I have no intention of having it back. I want something else from her. Something that only she can give me.
It's time for my doll to make it clear that her heart is mine to have.
TIARA'S POV
I'm not sure what woke me up. But when I did, when my lids fluttered open, I immediately knew that I wasn't alone. Instead of fear, I felt an unexpected feeling of familiarity—an embrace of reassurance that I don't always have.
At least not in these past few weeks.
Alam kong naramdaman niya ng gising na ako dahil mas lalong humigpit ang pagkakayakap niya sa akin. A thrilling current ran down my spine when I felt his lips touch the soft skin of my shoulder. Hindi pa siya nakuntento dahil umakyat iyon at lumapat sa leeg ko.
I turned my head, my eyes meeting Domino's familiar, warm eyes.
"You're here," I whispered.
"Where else would I be?"
"But Damian said you need to stay—"
"I did. I stayed with them and made the play at the party. I went back to Dagger, and we created another play in front of the mole so that he knows that none of us have any idea where you are."
Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "So there's really a mole."
"He's not the one who provided the information that led to the incident on the day you taught ballet lessons to those kids. That was classified information, and though we trust our employees, there are things that my brothers and I kept for ourselves and those we decided we trusted the most in regards to your case. The mole was a new employee. There's no way we'll give him important access this early."
"Then who leaked it?"
"I'll tell you all about it soon. Everything is still in motion." Marahang sinapo niya ang pisngi ko. "I need you to keep holding on tight for now, doll."
Nang tumango ako ay may ngiti sa mga labi na nanatili lang siyang pinagmamasdan ako. It's like he's taking all of me in. Something that he hasn't had the chance to do for awhile now.
Suddenly, I was hit by the fact that it's been a long time since we've been this close. It's been a long time since I felt this secure and at ease. Dahil ako ang nagdesisyon na mawala ang mga iyon sa akin. Because I forced him to let me go.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered, my eyes instantly clouding with tears. "I didn't want... I was scared. I feel guilty for everything, and I... I was scared about everything that was happening between us."
"Tiara—"
"I know I hurt you. I know that you feel betrayed and disappointed." Kinagat ko ang nanginginig ko na labi. Tuluyan ng kumawala ang mga luha ko at naglandas iyon sa magkabila kong pisngi. "I didn't want to fall in love. I told myself that I wouldn't ever be that foolish. I didn't want to get hurt. Natatakot akong masaktan pero sa huli iyon pa rin ang naramdaman ko. And I didn't know what to do with it. I thought that if I'm the one that walks away, then it would hurt less than when the time comes that it would be you that will turn your back on me."
Marahang ipinunas niya ang mga daliri niya sa pisngi ko. He didn't say anything else. He just watched me with his soft, gentle eyes, as if he knew that's what I needed.
"Sabi ko masaya na ako na naranasan kong makasama ka. Kahit sandali lang. That I would be okay with just that. That I could go back to the life that I had before. But then I saw you with that woman." My heart clenched, remembering that night. "It hurt so much knowing that even if she won't be the one who stays with you for a long time, there will still be someone out there who will end up being with you in a way that I couldn't. Just like the one that your siblings have found, you will also find yours, and it wouldn't be me."
"Wait. Hold up, baby." He knifed from the bed, and he pulled me with him so that we were both in sitting positions. "What woman are you talking about?"
Lumuluhang nagbaba ako ng tingin sa magkasalikop ko na mga palad. "You don't need to pretend, Dom. I saw you with her."
"With whom? And when?"
My eyes snapped back at him, annoyed at him for trying to deny it. Pero kaagad nalusaw ang inis ko nang makita ko ang ekspresyon sa mukha ng lalaki. He looks really confused and lost at what I'm talking about.
"You went to watch my performance."
He nodded. "Of course I did. I told you, remember? I'm your number one fan." Inipit niya ang buhok ko sa likod ng tenga ko. "And you're my sweet doll. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Even if you pissed me off by leaving me."
I ignored the last thing he said and I crossed my arms in front of me. "You brought a date."
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did," I insisted.
"I would have known if I did, and I didn't."
"You did! I saw you backstage!"
Nagsalubong ang mga kilay niya. He looks like he's racking his brain so hard to remember what I'm talking about. Since I have my attention on him, it was visible to me the moment that his face cleared and his eyes turned bright.
"Seriously, doll, what am I going to do to you?" Nangingiting nilaro niya ang buhok ko. "I wasn't on a date. Nakabanggaan ko lang ang babae na tinutukoy mo at tinulungan ko siyang makaayos ng tayo. She's tiny compared to me, and she would have been on the floor if I hadn't caught her."
"But..." I chewed on my lip. "You were standing so close with her and..."
"Yeah. Her husband thought so too. I would have gone home with a black eye if the woman hadn't hurriedly explained to him the situation." He placed a kiss on my forehead, chuckling at himself. "How could you think that I can move on that fast from you and date someone else? Haven't I shown you enough how addicted I am to you? How I crave nothing but you? I am intoxicated by your presence alone. If you're a drug, I don't care if having you kills me, I'll die knowing that you're what consumed me until the very end."
My heart thudded in admission. His gaze holds so much weight, so much intensity, revealing his unmistakable emotions that leave me breathless. One that tells me that he meant every word he said when he told me that he loved me. Something that I should have known because all his actions, all his words, and even the way he looks at me have always told me the exact same thing. The only difference was that before, I had convinced myself to keep my eyes shut close. But this time they're open... this time they could see so much more.
He placed another kiss on my forehead. "You were given a day of fun in an amusement park that was cut short when you were little, I gave you a memory that will last for a long time by giving you the whole theme park without leaving your side, unlike when he vanished on you that day." He touched his lips on the tip of my nose. "Then the next, your father gave you a doll house. What I wanted was to give you a home. And I did, even though you didn't know it yet. Anywhere you look in that house, there's a trace of you." I couldn't help but grip on his shoulder tight when, this time, his lips brushed my lips. "Then he gave you a crown necklace... while I gave you a ring."
Nanlalaki ang mga matang napatingin ako sa kamay ko. Air left my lungs when I caught sight of a ring that I didn't know I was wearing. It glimmers on my finger, holding the weight of what feels like a million promises.
The diamond in the middle was shaped like an upside-down teardrop, and the band has the regal aesthetic of a crown. There's a smaller diamond embedded in each curl of the intricate designs around the ring.
"Dom..."
"I'm not going to ask." He grinned, tugging my chin so I could meet his eyes. "And you're not allowed to refuse. You just need to show up at the wedding."
Hindi makapaniwalang napakurap ako sa kanya. "W-What? Dom!" Bumibilis ang taas-baba ng dibdib na ipinilig ko ang ulo ko. I feel like I'm dreaming. "You can't just decide we're going to get married without asking me!"
"Are you planning to say no?"
"T-That's..." Do I even want to? I admit. It's not like the fear that I carried for years just melted away. It's still in me. But this time, I have experienced what's more painful. What's far scarier than the fears that I had before. "That's not the point! You're supposed to ask first!"
"Consider it as the first part of your punishment."
"First part?" My eyebrows furrowed. "Punishment?"
"I told you, remember? You're going to get punished, and I'm going to deliver it to you." He toyed with the ribbon of the night dress that I'm wearing. I gasped when he pulled on it, revealing more of my skin to him. "The first part of your punishment is that you can't refuse to spend the rest of your life with me. And for the second part... it's something that you can look forward to from this day on."
An involuntary moan fell from my lips when his tongue flicked out, tasting the skin just right above my breast.
"I can tell you all about it, but it's best just to show you, right?"
_______________________End of Chapter 33.