"Forget the file and go back to my office," muling sambit niya mula sa kabilang linya.

That document seems important then he'll tell me to go back to his office? But then, he already gave his order, so what can I do.

I sighed as I continue driving towards the Fonacier Enterprise. "Alright, in your office, then-- damn!" I cursed when a bullet went inside my car. It passed through the window from the passenger's seat. Kitang kita ko ang pagdaan ng bala ng baril sa aking harapan kasabay ang pagkabasag ng salamin sa aking gawi. Seriously, in a broad daylight?

Mabuti at hindi ako nasugatan dahil sa nabasag na salamin.

Agad akong napatingin sa pinanggalingan ng bala. I saw a man in a black Ducati Desmosedici near my passenger's seating, shooting my car.

"Fuck!" I heard Archer cursed over the phone. Of course he saw what happened. Nasa likod lang ng aking sasakyan ang kanyang kotse.

I stepped on the gas. Muling bumaril ang lalaki habang humahabol sa akin. Wala sa sariling nabitawan ko ang phone at hindi na narinig ang sinasabi ni Arch.

Bahagya akong yumuko nang muling tumapat sa aking kotse ang motor ng lalaki. Agad kong kinabig ang manibela patungo sa direksyon ng bumabaril sa akin. My car bumped on his motorcycle. Bahagyang gumewang iyon ngunit agad ring nakabawi.

Nahuli ko ang muling pagkawala sa balanse ng motor. I glanced at Archer's car and eyes widened when I saw half of his body outside the car while trying to shoot the motorcycle's wheel. He's now wearing a mask to cover his face. Kahit pa kalahati ng katawan niya ang nakalabas ay maayos pa rin ang takbo ng kanyang sasakyan. Matapos tamaan ang gulong ng motorsiklo ay ang sakay naman noon ang pinatamaan niya.

Nawala ang atensyon ng lalaki sa akin dahil sa ginawa ni Archer. I bit my lower lip when the man fired the gun while aiming for Archer. Ngunit hindi noon tinamaan si Arch. As I saw how the man held his gun and pulled the trigger, I already knew it won't hit Archer.

I can't help but gasped as the man fell on his motorcycle when a bullet pierced his heart.

Doon lang muling ipinasok ni Arch ang kalahati ng katawan sa loob ng kotse. Thats when I realized what he did.

Agad kong kinapa ang aking cellphone na kaninang nahulog sa lapag ng aking sasakyan. I dialed his number when I got it but his phone's busy.

I cursed. Siguro ay tumatawag siya ng magliligpit ng katawang iyon.

Why the fuck did he do that? Someone might saw what he did. Paano kung matandaan ang plaka ng sasakyan niya? Damn! I can't afford to think that his license will be revoked because of me. At posible pa siyang makulong dahil alam kong sa puso tumama ang bala ng baril kaya't nasisiguro kong patay na ang lalaki. Naiisip pa lang ang kaso na posibleng isampa sa kanya ay naninikip na ang aking dibdib.

I started dialing his number again on my phone. Palipat lipat sa daan at sa telepono ang aking tingin.

"Fuck this!" I cursed when the operator gave me the same answer. I can feel my hands shaking as I frustratedly threw my phone on the passenger's seat.

I bit my lower lip as I gasped when a sob came out of my mouth. I touched my cheek and felt tears on it. I harshly wiped it as my lips parted. Hindi ko namalayan na tumulo na pala ang aking mga luha.

I felt my chest tightened. I can't accept the fact that I can't do anything to help him when things worsened.

I glanced at Archer's car at the back of mine while wiping my tears. I eagerly stepped on the gas, eager to arrived at his office and see him.

I startled when a car honked at me. Mariin akong napapreno nang muntik ko ng mabangga ang kotseng patawid sa aking harapan. I heaved a deep, audible breath as I saw the driver lowered his window. Galit ako nitong sinermonan habang patawid ang kanyang sasakyan.

Natigilan ako at napahilamos sa mukha nang naguunahang tumulo ang aking mga luha. The fuck are you crying, Auriese? You're not weak!

I glanced at my back. Namilog ang aking mga mata nang makita kong nakatabi na ang kotse ni Archer at palabas na siya ng sasakyan. I don't know why but I immediately stepped on the gas, leaving him behind. Hell, I won't broke down in the middle of the road.

Ilang sandali lang ay natanaw ko na ang kompanya niya. I immediately entered the parking lot. I parked my car on the nearest before turning the engine off.

Mariin akong napapikit at pagdilat ay nakita ang mabilis na pagpark ng sasakyan ni Archer sa tabi ng aking kotse.

Nanginginig ang mga kamay na lumabas ako ng aking sasakyan. I immediately went towards Archer's direction who's now walking out of his car while I let my tears rolled down my cheeks. Saktong pagharap niya at ang paglapit ko.

"Aurie-" Naputol ang sasabihin niya nang walang pagaalinlangang ipinulupot ko sa kanya ang aking mga braso. Isiniksik ko ang aking mukha sa kanyang leeg. My arms were encircled in his nape as I let my tears fall.

My knees trembled as I felt him encircled his arm on my waist. Habang ang kabilang kamay niya ay marahang hinahagod ang aking likod. "I'm sorry. You're now safe, I'm sorry," he whispered on my ear, trying to calm me down.

I'm not thinking about me being safe. I'm thinking about him and the probable consequences of what he did. Hindi ko kaya. Hindi ko kakayanin.

Sinubukan kong pakalamahin ang sarili ngunit sa kalagitnaan ng aking sitwasyon ay hindi ko magawa.

"Shhh, I'm sorry." My eyes immediately shut closed when I felt his lips touched the top of my head. Ilang ulit ko pang naramdaman ang labi niya sa tuktok ng aking ulo habang humihingi siya ng tawad.

It took me a couple of minutes to finally calmed down. Nakatungo akong lumayo sa kanya. Marahang dumausdos ang kamay niya at hinayaan akong makalayo.

Hindi siya nagsalita. Inalalayan niya ako patungo sa elevator. There's a deafening silence between us as we rode the elevator.

Nang bumukas iyon ay nauna na akong lumabas at nanghihinang nagtungo sa aking cubicle. I can feel Shea's eyes on me but my body's too numb to mind it.

"Aurie," I heard Archer's voice at my back. I slowly turned to him as I lowered my head.

"About what happened..." I trailed off.

"Let's talk inside my office." He walked towards the door of his office and opened it. He turned to me as a smile crept in his face, urging me to enter.

Bahagya akong tumango at sinunod ang gusto niya.

Bago niya maisara ang pinto ay narinig ko pa ang inutos niya sa sekretarya. "Shea, water. Thank you."

Matapos ay iginiya niya ako sa sofa, malayo sa swivel chair niya ngunit hindi ako umupo.

He apologetically smiled at me. "I'm sorry about what happened. That was..." He trailed off. "Because of my work. Maybe they saw you're with me, that's why-"

I shook my head, stopping him. Clearly, I am the target. Even though he's a part of Cosmos or a lawyer, I know what happened is not because of him. "You don't have to apologize. S-someone wants to kill me."

Agad na dumilim ang ekspresyon niya sa narinig. "What?"

What does that mean? Na hindi nga Cosmos ang humahabol sa amin ng anak ko? Sino kung gano'n, Calvin's already dead. Though Salvia is still alive, I doubt if she can still order things to someone while mourning on her son's death.

"What is it, Aurie? Tell me?"

Agad kong pinagsisihan ang sinabi. How can I answer his question. I can't tell that they want me and my son dead or I don't know. I'm not scared to die but I'm scared for my son. I'm scared that he'll lose me. I'm scared that he will be left alone. There's only Prestin if I die. Hindi ko na alam. But I can't tell Archer about my Rye.

"Come on, don't be scared. I'll protect you, tell me," bakas ang pagaalala at pagsusumamo sa boses niya. I can feel how my heart overreacted in his words.

Can you really? Sinalubong ko ang mga mata niya. "C-Calvin-" I gasped, wasn't able to continue my words. I can't.

"San Sebastian? What did that fucker do?"

"He wanted to kill me 'cause I don't want to marry him. Now that he's already dead, I don't know who's behind all of these. M-maybe Salvia and Ro--" I bit my lower lip. "And the man in that mansion. I overheard him and Salvia talking about killing someone awhile ago." I lied on the last sentence.

"That fucker." His jaw clenched as his eyes darkened. "Then you went on that mansion, knowing that Salvia wants to kill you? Maybe she's still blaming you on her son's death. What are you doing there?" His eyes who's full of questions darted at me.

"I followed Salvia because I saw her with that man. I-I want to know if she's cheating on my dad."

I don't know if I should tell him that I want to know where do Salvia hid my mother.

"You risk your life-"

"They're hiding my mother," biglang sambit ko kaya naman naputol ang mga salita niya. "Help me," I whispered in an almost inaudible tone. I hope he can.

After I learned that my mom's alive, I became desperate. I can't just sit and wait knowing that my mother is not safe. Ganoon din si Prestin ngunit walang magawa dahil maaaring mapahamak si Mommy kung kakasuhan namin si Salvia at wala kaming sapat na ebidensya kung hindi ang aming mga salita.

Archer held both of my shoulders as he nodded. "I will, I'll help you. We'll find your mother, huh?"

Marahan akong tumango at sinalubong ang mga mata niya. "A-about what you did. You're a lawyer, you killed the man--" I bit my lower lip, refraining to continue.

Napatuwid siya ng tayo, tila ba ngayon lang naalala na may pinatay siya at nasaksihan ko iyon. "I--" he shook his head as he cutted his own words. "Are you scared of me?" Nananantyang tanong niya.

If only you knew. I'm used to it, seeing someone killed someone. Minsan pa ay ako mismo ang pumapatay. Mas natatakot pa ako na mawala ang lisensya mo at makulong ka kung may nakakita sa nangyari.

"Aurie?" He asked when I didn't answer.

I bit my lower lip as I decided to lie. "A bit. Kanina--" Mariin akong napapikit. Sinadya kong hindi ituloy ang sasabihin, na tila ba nahihirapan pa ring alalahanin ang nasaksihan.

Umigting ang kanyang panga. "I'm sorry. I'll--"

"A-and you have a gun?" I let my voice trembled, cutting his words. I know right now, fear is evident in my face.

"I'm a lawyer. I've been receiving threats, I need it for defense," marahan ngunit diretsong sambit niya. Of course, he won't tell.

"Then what about the man's body? Someone will surely see it! M-makukulong ka. "

I watched him as his hand found mine. He gently pulled me closer and I let him. I let my head rest on his chest as his arms encircled on my body.

"Don't worry about it. I already have someone cleaning it. I'll explain everything, huh?" Kusang bumagsak ang aking mga talukap nang maramdaman ang marahang paghagod niya sa aking buhok. I even feel him combing it using his hand.

"You'll be safe. I'll find your mother. I'll make her safe."

I know, I trust you, I always will. On the second thought, I felt like I need to cut my hair 'cause its already too long as he comb it while hugging me and whispering those words, even its length is just below my shoulder.

My God, Attorney! Anong ginagawa mo, para akong susuka ng mga rainbow!

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