That night changed everything for me. The moment I saw Hans being dragged away and beaten by the bodyguards, something inside me broke. The carefree girl who once believed in defying her father's strict rules and pursuing her own happiness was replaced by someone who had seen the harsh reality of the world she lived in. The sight of Hans, vulnerable and hurt, haunted me every night. Pareho kaming walang laban kay Dad at husto niyang ipinaramdam sa amin iyon.

My mother, true to her word, kept me updated about Hans. Every evening, she would slip into my room and tell me how he was doing. He had spent a week in the hospital, recovering from the injuries inflicted upon him. Knowing he was getting better was a relief, but it also brought a wave of guilt crashing down on me. Hans had been hurt because of me, and I couldn't let that happen again.

The days following the incident were a blur of compliance and careful planning. I no longer rebelled against my father's rules. The fire in me that once fought for freedom had dimmed, replaced by a cold determination to keep Hans safe. I stopped mentioning his name around the house, refusing to risk another violent outburst from my father. Any conversation about Hans was confined to the quiet of my room, whispered between my mother and me.

School became my refuge, a place where I could lose myself in studies and avoid thinking about the suffocating situation at home. The end of the school year was approaching, and I threw myself into my studies, using them as a distraction. My friends noticed the change in me, but they didn't press. They understood, in their own way, that something had shifted, and they respected my need for space. Halos wala na kasi akong kausapin, para na lang akong robot na kontrolado ni Daddy. I never thought I would live like this. Pero dahil ayaw ko nang si Hans na naman ang sumalo ng lahat ay susunod na lang ako. Isa pa, para rin ito sa plano ko.

I missed Hans terribly. The ache of his absence was a constant presence, a dull pain that never quite went away. But I couldn't bear the thought of him getting hurt again. The memory of him lying on the ground, beaten and bloodied, was a powerful deterrent. It wasn't just about my father's wrath; it was about protecting the person I loved most in the world.

I followed my father's instructions to the letter, arriving home immediately after school and staying within the confines of the house. The bodyguards were always there, a constant reminder of my father's control. But I endured it all silently, knowing it was the price I had to pay to keep Hans safe.

"Ako na lang ang pupunta," tahimik kong sabi nang mapag-usapan ang nalalapit na kaarawan ni Uncle Roy isang umaga habang nag-aalmusal kaming tatlo. "Nakakahiya naman kung wala sa atin ang dadalo."

Dad couldn't come, may business deal siyang kailangan na isarado sa Paris at sasamahan siya ni Mommy. Matagal na nila iyong plinano, hindi na puwedeng iurong sa ibang araw dahil iyon lang ang libreng oras ng CEO ng LVMH.

Puno ng pagdududa akong binalingan ni Daddy na siyang nagpa-ikot ng aking mga mata.

"What? Iniisip mong kikitain ko siya doon? Wala na akong balita sa kaniya, Dad. At sa totoo lang, ayaw ko ng makibalita. Hindi ko na gustong maulit pa ang nangyari sa kaniya last time." Mariin kong sabi. "Ang kaarawan ni Uncle Roy ang ipupunta ko doon at hindi kung ano pa."

Lie. I was lying through my teeth, hindi ko gawain iyon pero kailangan. Alam kong nasa rancho si Hans, bumalik sa trabaho niya doon nang magsimula ang bakasyon. Kade told me the last time we spoke. Hindi ko na kinailangan pang ipagmakaawa sa kaniya ang impormasyong iyon, siya na ang nagkusang ipaalam sa akin.

"Hayaan mo nang pumunta si Caice, Vince," pangungumbinsi ni Mommy na siyang ipinagpapasalamat ko. "Tama naman siya, hindi nga naman maganda kung lahat tayo ay wala. Isa pa, lagi naman nakasunod sa kaniya ang mga bodyguard na itinalaga mo. Bukod pa sa Soledad iyon, hindi mapapahamak ang anak mo doon. Pinahigpit pang lalo ni Red ang seguridad ng lahat ng propiedad ng pamilya, hindi ba?"

Isa pa 'yan sa hindi ko maintindihan. What was he so worried about? Totoong madalas sa aming magpipinsan ang kidnapping threats, hindi na bago iyon. Kabuntot na iyon ng pagiging De Salvo namin. Pero dito sa Palawan, protektado kami. Sa Manila pa ay maiintindihan ko kung mag-aalala siya ng husto.

"Kung talagang hindi puwede ay tatawagan ko na lang si Mama Nae mamaya, sasabihin kong hindi rin ako makakapunta." Sabi ko sa maliit na tinig. Reverse psychology worked on everyone, including Dad.

"Fine," he finally relented. "You can go, but I'm calling Roy to make sure your every move is monitored while you're there."

Hindi ko na iyon kinagalitan dahil expected ko naman na. "Thank you, Dad."

"Don't think I'm doing this because I trust you never to see that boy again," he added sternly. "I'm doing it because I know you need to see your cousins occasionally. But make no mistake, Caice. One misstep and this privilege is gone."

"I understand, Dad. I won't disappoint you." Pilit na pilit kong sinabi ang mga salita na alam kong gusto niyang marining.

"You'd better not," he muttered before turning his attention back to his food.

Buo na ang pasya ko. I had been thinking about this for weeks, and now I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I was going to elope with Hans. Alam kong malaking gulo ang gagawin ko. Dad would raise hell. Pero hindi ko papayagan na tuluyan niya na lang kaming paghiwalayin ni Hans. I would fight with every fiber of my being.

I planned it over and over in my head. The idea of escaping the suffocating grasp of my father was the only thing that kept me sane. I replayed the scenario in my mind countless times: finding Hans, telling him everything, and running away together. It was what I wanted more than anything else. I needed to be free, to be with Hans without fear or restraint.

The ranch was one of the few places my father hadn't blacklisted. He believed it was safe, a place where I couldn't possibly be with Hans. But he was wrong. Hindi ba't doon ko nga nakilalang maigi si Hans. It was the perfect spot, secluded and far enough from prying eyes.

I imagined the moment vividly: I would seek Hans out at the ranch and ask him to take me away from everything and anything. It didn't matter where he'd take me; I would go with him. The details of our escape didn't concern me as much as the freedom I longed for. Hans was my sanctuary, and I trusted him completely. Hindi na baleng wala ang lahat ng ito sa akin, basta kasama ko si Hans at ayos kami ay alam kong mabubuhay ako.

I would pack only the essentials—clothes, a little money, and the keepsakes that meant the most to me. I would leave behind my phone and anything that could be tracked. My heart pounded at the idea.

Dumating ang araw na husto kong pinaghandaan. Katulad ng napagkasunduan ay hanggang sa rancho kasama ko ang dalawang tauhan ni Dad. Good thing was, hindi sila pinapasok ni Uncle Roy sa ancestral villa.

"Hindi ko alam kung anong utos sa inyo ni Vince, pero pamamahay ko ito." Mariin silang tinignan ni Uncle Roy matapos harangin sa akmang pagsunod sa akin nang makapasok ako sa loob. "Hindi ako basta-bastang nagpapapasok ng hindi ko pinagkakatiwalaan. You could stay outside, o doon sa quarters sa kabila, pero hindi dito."

Hindi ko naman kinakitaan ng pagprotesta ang dalawa, tumango lamang sila kay Uncle Roy at hindi na nagpilit pang makapasok.

"Oh, finally!" Pagod kong ibinagsak ang kalahati ng aking katawa sa couch at ninamnam ang pagkakaalis ng buntot ko, kahit man lang sa sandaling panahon. "They would follow me around, sa bawat pagkakataon! Kahit sa loob ng bahay! Kapag nasa loob ako ng aking silid ay may isang naiiwan sa labas ng pinto. Pakiramdam ko'y nasa maximum security prison ako!"

Naupo si Uncle Roy sa pang-isahang couch at mataman akong pinagmasdan. "Mukhang lumalala na ang away niyong mag-ama. Hindi maganda 'yan, Caice. I admit, madalas ay hindi ako sang-ayon sa mga pasya ni Vince pero daddy mo pa rin iyon. Hindi ako naniniwalang hindi niya isasang-alang-alang ang ikabubuti mo sa bawat desisyong gagawin niya."

Alam ko naman iyon. Nauunawaan ko ang sinasabi ni Uncle Roy at gusto ko rin iyong paniwalaan. Pero habang tumatagal ay parang mas na humihirap para sa akin na bilhin iyon. Parang mas madaling isipin na Dad would do everything to make me suffer.

"I know, Uncle Roy. Hindi ko lang talaga maintindihan kung bakit kailangan niya akong kontrolin ng ganito. Hindi na ako makahinga."

Tumango si Uncle Roy, tila nauunawaan naman ang pinanggagalingan ko. "Hindi madali ang sitwasyon mo ngayon. But you need to understand something, Hans is a good man. I know that, and he wouldn't deliberately hurt you. But so is your dad. He's a good man too, even if it doesn't feel like it right now."

Alam ko na hindi talaga masama ang intensyon ni Dad, pero hindi niya naiintindihan kung gaano ako nasasakal sa mga ginagawa niya.

"Uncle Roy, I just... I don't know what to do anymore. Lahat ng paraan para magkausap kami ni Hans, pinutol na ni Dad. Bakit ba parang kasalanan para sa kaniya nag pagiging mahirap ni Hans?"

Sighing, Uncle Roy leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Maging siya ay hindi alam ang sagot sa tanong kong iyon. "Caice, whatever it is that you're planning to do, lagi mong tatandaan that your dad was the first man to ever love you. Huwag mong babalewalain 'yun dahil nasisiguro ko sa'yo na hindi lang kayo ni Hans ang nasasaktan sa mga nangyayari, maging siya ay ganoon din. Kaya pag-isipan mong mabuti ang anumang mga magiging desisyon mo. Alam mong tutulong ako hangga't kaya ko, pero sa ngayon mukhang ang tanging magagawa ko lang ay payuhan ka, hindi ko ipipilit sa'yong pakinggan mo ko. But darling, I wish you no harm."

Naramdaman ko ang bigat ng mga salitang iyon. Alam kong mahal ako ni Dad, at kahit gaano kahirap ang mga ginagawa niya, alam kong iniisip niya na para iyon sa ikabubuti ko. Pero hindi pa rin maalis sa akin ang pakiramdam na parang hindi niya ako kilala o naiintindihan.

It was suffocating to say the least.

"I just wish he would listen to me, Uncle Roy. I wish he could see how much I care for Hans."

"Your dad is a stubborn man, Caice. He believes he knows what's best for you because he's seen more of the world. But that doesn't mean he can't change his mind. It might take time, and a lot of patience, but I believe he can."

Tumingin ako kay Uncle Roy, nakikita ko sa kaniyang mga mata ang pag-aalala at pagmamahal. Siya na ang nagsilbing tagapamagitan sa amin ni Dad at alam kong mahirap din ito para sa kaniya.

"Thank you, Uncle Roy," I knew I could count on him.

"You're stronger than you think, Caice. And you're not alone. We're all here for you, even if it doesn't always feel like it. Just promise me one thing—whatever you decide, think it through. Don't let anger or frustration drive your actions. You have a good head on your shoulders. Use it."

Nang gabing iyon ay agad kong nakita si Hans sa villa. Doon siya naghapunan, kasama siya ni Kade na umuwi matapos ang buong araw nag pagttrabaho sa rancho. Gustong gusto ko siyang takbuhin, lapitan at yakapin because God knew how much I missed him. But I held back.

"Maghugas ka na ng kamay mo, Hans! Sumalo ka na sa amin ng hapunan." Sabi ni Mama Nae bago magpatiuna sa komedor.

Tumango si Hans pero hindi agad na sumunod, nanatili lamang siyang nakatingin sa akin habang ako naman ay nabitin ang akmang pagbaba ko ng hagdan. Kung ako ang masusunod ay tatakbuhin ko siya at yayakapin ng husto, hahalikan ko siya hanggang sa maubusan na kami ng hininga. But in order for my plan to work, it had to be effective and convincing.

Nagtuluy-tuloy ako pababa, bukas ang malalaking pinto at mula sa labas ay tanaw ko ang dalawang bodyguards na itinalaga sa akin ni Dad. Naroon sila at nakabantay sa akin, hindi kasi sila puwedeng pumasok sa loob. Muli ay naalala ko ang ginawa nila kay Hans noong nakaraan, gusto kong magalit pero hindi iyon ang kailangan kong gawin ngayon.

"Hi," bati sa akin ni Hans nang makababa ako, nag-aalangan niya akong pinagmasdan.

Hindi na kami muling nagkausap pa simula nang gabing iyon kaya hindi namin alam pareho ang itinatakbo ng isip ng bawat isa.

But I knew I had to show these bastards na wala na akong balak pang lapitan si Hans, baka mamaya ay bugbugin na naman nila, eh!

Imbes na pansinin ay nilagpasan ko siya. It broke my heart too, pero hindi na bale. Babawi na lang ako sa kaniya once my plan worked. Tinawag ko ang nakasalubong na kasambahay at sinabing akyatan na lang ako ng dinner, sa silid na ako maghahapunan. Sadya kong nilakasan iyon para marinig ng mga tauhan sa labas. Hm, i-report niyo 'yan kay Dad, sige.

Kinabukasan ay binalak kong kausapin si Hans. Sumama ako kay Kade paakyat ng rancho, iritado pa nga ito dahil pirming nakabuntot sa amin ang jeep ng dalawang bodyguards ko.

"Bakit pa ba kailangan ng mga 'yan?" Sinulyapan niya ang nakasunod na jeep sa amin sa rearview mirror. "Wala namang mangyayaring masama sa'yo dito sa loob ng rancho. Kalokohan!"

"Sabihin mo kay Dad 'yan," I rolled my eyes, lahat ng nasa paligid ko ay nakikitang walang saysay ang pagdadala ng bodyguard dito sa Soledad. Dalawa pa talaga! Ewan ko ba kay Dad!

I hated how the ranch now felt like a cage, with my every move being monitored by my father's hired men. Well, kaunting tiis na lang naman.

Avoiding any chance of being caught was paramount to the success of my plan. I couldn't risk alerting my dad's goons to my intentions. So, when we reached the stable, I made sure to keep a low profile. Kunwari hindi si Hans ang ipinunta ko rito.

Si Dumas ang agad kong nakita sa labas ng stable, kumunot ang noo niya habang pinagmamasdan akong maglakad papalapit ngunit agad rin namang ngumiti.

"Caice! Napasyal ka. Kumusta?" Tanong niya, ang mga mata ay nalipat sa jeep na pumarada sa di kalayuan bago muling nagbaba ng tingin sa akin. "Nasa loob."

Hindi ko na kailangan pang itanong, alam niya na agad kung sino ang pakay ko. Pakiramdam ko'y alam na rin naman ng buong rancho ang relasyon namin ni Hans, ganoon rin ang mahigpit na pagtutol ni Daddy sa amin.

"Salamat, Dumas," I gave him a tight and appreciative smile.

"Sige lang," tumango siya. "Ako ang bahala. Kapag lumapit ay haharangin ko. Hindi ko papapasukin."

I nodded at Dumas, grateful for his understanding and support, before making my way inside the stable. The familiar scent of hay and horses enveloped me as I searched for Hans. I found him at the cornermost stall, meticulously cleaning it with the hose, his back turned to me.

Grabe, sobrang miss ko siya!

I approached him slowly, my heart pounding in my chest. His aloofness stung, a silent reminder of the tension that had grown between us after our last encounter. But I was determined to make things right.

"Hans," I called softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

He turned to me, his expression guarded, before quickly returning his attention to the task at hand. Sabi na, eh. Magtatampo siya sa hindi ko pagpansin sa kaniya kagabi.

I closed the distance between us, stopping just a few feet away from him. "Hans, can we talk?"

Hindi niya ako pinansin kaya hinarang ko na ang sarili ko sa ginagawa niya, wala na akong pakialam kung mabasa ako. But damn! Ang lamig ng tubig, huh!

Bigla niyang iniwas ang hose sa akin at pagod akong niyuko ng tingin, hindi pa rin nagsasalita. Ang guwapo ni Hans at miss na miss ko talaga siya!

"I'm sorry kung hindi kita pinansin kagabi..."

He didn't respond, his silence speaking volumes. I sighed, feeling the weight of the distance between us. Hinaplos ko ang kaniyang pisngi bago bahagyang tumingkayad para dampian ng halik ang kaniyang mga labi, hindi naman siya umatras o ano, nagpaubaya lang.

"Ayaw ko lang na mahuli nila tayo at saktan ka na naman nila," I whispered softly, sinamantala ko ang pananahimik niya. "Pero hindi iyan ang pinunta ko dito, Hans. Nandito ako para sabihin sayo na sasama ako. Sasama ako sa'yo kahit saan mo ako dalhin. Sa birthday party ni Tito Roy, bukas ng gabi, habang abala ang lahat at nagkakasiyahan ay kunin mo ko sa villa. Wala na akong pakialam kung saan tayo pupunta pag tapos, basta isama mo na ako sa'yo."

Hans's brow furrowed, his expression a mixture of concern and apprehension. I could see the turmoil in his eyes, the weight of my words sinking in.

"Caice, delikado 'yang sinasabi mo."

Para akong nabuhusan ng malamig na tubig sa naging sagot niya sa akin, kulang na lang ay itutok niyang muli sa akin ang hose para damang dama ko. Ayaw niya ba? Ayaw niya bang kami na lang dalawa?

"You know how your dad feels about us being together. If he finds out—"

I cut him off, desperation creeping into my voice. "I don't care, Hans. I don't care about the risks. I just want to be with you. Anong mangyayari sa ating dalawa kung lagi na lang tayong matatakot kay Dad?"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I pleaded with him, my heart pounding with fear and longing. I couldn't bear the thought of being separated from him any longer, of living in constant fear of my father's wrath.

"Hans, please," I begged, reaching out to grasp his hand. "May pagkakataon na tayong gawin ito..."

He hesitated, his gaze searching mine for reassurance. I could see the internal struggle playing out in his mind, the weight of our precarious situation bearing down on him.

"Tapos ano? Ano ang magiging buhay mo sa akin, Caice?" Halos bulong na lumabas ang mga salitang iyon sa kaniyang mga labi. "Mahihirapan ka lang, hihilahin lang kitang pababa—"

"Ano bang akala mo, Hans? Hindi ako nahihirapan sa buhay ko with Dad?" Putol ko sa anumang sasabihin niya. "Kakayanin natin! Lalabanan natin siyang pareho, at gagawin natin iyon ng magkasama. Please?"

"I can't lose you, Caice," he whispered, his voice barely audible above the rush of blood in my ears. "I can't bear the thought of something happening to you because of me."

I shook my head vehemently, refusing to accept his refusal. "You won't lose me, Hans. I won't let that happen. We'll find a way to make this work, I promise."

Matagal niya akong pinagmasdan na tila pinag-iisipan ng husto ang aking sinasabi. Nawawalan na ako ng pag-asa na mapapayag siya sa gusto kong mangyari, but damn! Ipagpipilitan ko.

"Take me with you, Hans," I begged. "Takasan na natin ang lahat ng 'to."