"You didn't expect me to be here?" Those were my first words after attempting to shut the door but I failed.

Hinarang niya ang kamay niya habang igting ang panga at mariin ang mga titig sa akin. Napaatras na lamang ako nang tuluyang bumukas ang pinto. "You expect me to be somewhere far?" I tilted my head and mockingly eyed him. "How's your around the world tour?" A smirk is at the edge of my lips.

I've changed. Something inside me changed a bit. But not totally. Kahit ilang taon pa siguro ang lumipas, hindi magbabago ang tabas ng dila ko. As well as my sarcasm. It feels like I am not Marcia when I'm not like this.

"Must be great, it took you five years, huh?" I am shaking my head while telling those, taunting him more, assuming he's been out of the country because he's finding me. To finally sue me.

He closed the door behind him when he took a step forward. He's finally inside our apartment. "Hmm. Was it fun fooling me? Must be amusing, huh? Pleasurable." His jaw moved as his last word.

I exhaled loudly, na para bang bahagyang kumawala ang pinipigilang tawa. "When you said, fooling you, what do you mean by that? When I pretended to be your fiancee or when I staged a plan to lead you somewhere? Which one of those?" I asked.

Bago pa siya makasagot ay agad nang naantala ang aming pag-uusap.

"Mam...ma!"

My head hastily turned to Faye who's now walking near us with her lollipops, nearly crying.

I innocently looked at Chaos who's now looking at the kid nearing our direction. My lips formed an oval. "Or maybe both," I muttered and closed my mouth as I felt a taunting smile forming at the corner of my lips before averting my eyes away from him.

I faced Faye and kneeled in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"Pap...pa," she cried as sobs came out of her mouth.

I held her hands. "Shhh, he'll be here in a while, huh? Papa will be here with your food so don't cry." A genuine smile naturally formed in my lips to assure her but her shoulders' were still shaking as she's crying.

I pulled her closer her and enveloped my arms around her to carry her. Tumayo ako habang nasa bisig siya. "Come on, baby. Stop crying."

"Pap...pa," she whined while still holding her lollipop.

My eyes landed at Chaos and saw him staring at the kid in my arms, dumbfounded. Questions are evident in his eyes but nothing came out of his mouth.

"I know why you're here. Leave first. I'll come with you but let me wait for Flavio," I stated while Faye's still looking for her father.

Ngunit hindi gumalaw si Chaos sa kanyang kinatatayuan. His eyes darkened at the mention of Flavio's name.

Mariin akong napapikit nang lalong lumakas ang iyak ni Faye at hindi pa rin natitinag si Chaos. I faced him while caressing Faye's back. "Are you deaf? I said leave, Chaos. Leave!" I shouted as I felt my remaining patience vanished.

I let out a mocking breath. "You rented the apartment in front of this one, right?" I concluded. Sa tapat noon nakahinto ang sasakyan niya at ilang segundo lang ako nalingat ay nawala na siya. Kaya't hindi mahirap isipin na nirentahan niya ang apartment na iyon. "You don't have to worry, I'll go there later. I won't escape. I'll just talk to Flavio."

Hindi ko inakala na mapapaalis ko nga si Chaos matapos naming magkita makalipas ang limang taong pagtatago.

He left without saying anything like his mind is somewhere else though the only thing I can see in his eyes are questions.

I mean what I said earlier. That I won't escape and I'll come with him. Kung gusto niya akong bantayan habang gumugulong ang kaso para lang masigurong hindi ako makakawala, sige lang.

And I really have no plans to escape. Dahil kung nagawa niya akong hanapin ngayon, magagawa niya ulit 'yon. Mahahanap niya ako, ano man ang gawin ko.

"May bagong tenant ang landlady. We have a new neighbor," Flavio stated while arranging the canned goods he bought.

We're in the kitchen and Flavio arrived a few minutes earlier.

I'm sitting in the chair in front of his daughter. Faye's now peacefully eating her lollipop while playing with her toys on the table.

I nodded my head even though I'm facing Flavio's back as he's busy arranging the groceries he bought. I tightly pressed my lips as I coldly stared at his back. "Hmm. Don't you think it's time for you to live on your own with your daughter?" I ruthlessly started.

I know he won't leave when I simply ask him. He won't leave when he knew that Chaos found us and I'm surrendering myself. He won't let me.

Hindi siya aalis kung hindi ko gagawin 'to.

Natigilan siya at marahang napaharap sa direksyon ko at ng kanyang anak.

Binitawan niya ang mga pinamili at naglakad palapit sa aking kinauupuan. "What did you say? I don't think I heard it right." He tilted his eyes, looking for expression in my eyes.

I remained looking at him without any emotion. "It's not easy to live with..." I swallowed. "The both of you."

His eyes scrutinizingly narrowed at me.

"You need to leave. Leave with your daughter," malamig na sambit ko bago tumayo sa kinauupuan at tinalikuran siya.

I took a step forward but he instantly caught my arm. Pinihit niya ako paharap sa kanya. "What's wrong?" kunot noong tanong niya.

"Faye is too loud." I nonchalantly shook my head. "I just realized that living with..." I paused a bit and glanced at Faye and Flavio. "The both of you is not worth it. I'm tired of it."

Lalong kumunot ang noo niya. "Putangina, anong sinasabi mo, Marcia?" mahina ngunit mariing mura niya.

Marahas kong inalis ang kamay niya na nakahawak sa aking braso. Hindi naman mahirap gawin iyon dahil hindi mahigpit ang hawak niya. "Hindi mo ba narinig?" sarkastikong sambit ko. "Or maybe you can't understand? Ang sabi ko, umalis na kayo!" I ordered as I firmly pointed the door.

Nang hindi siya natinag sa kinatatayuan ay muli ko siyang tinalikuran at naglakad patungo sa aming silid.

I opened the door and was about to go inside the room when Flavio blocked my way. "What's the problem?"

I pressed my lips while trying to calm myself. I exasperatedly sighed. "Paulit-ulit na lang tayo. Sinabi ko na kanina!"

"I don't believe you." He shook his head as he smirked with no humor. "We're living together for years already. I know how sharp your words are but I know how to differentiate the truth and your lies."

I chuckled. "Really?" I asked with full of mockery.

"You can say bad things against me but not to Faye. For years you treated her as your own daughter. I saw how genuine you are when you're with her." He slowly shook his head. "You can't fool me with that stunt of yours."

I let the handle of the door go and shifted my body towards him.

"Tell me what's the problem?"

Umiling ako. "Not-"

"Marcia!" he aggressively cutted my words.

"Chaos found us!" I shouted. "We can't escape."

Doon siya natigilan. Seems like he's about to say something but the words suddenly vanish.

We can escape, before. We have a choice before if ever we're found. To hide again or let them sue us.

If it's just Flavio and I, there's no problem. We can surrender even if it's too hard to accept. Or we can run.

But right now, we can't just escape. Flavio has Faye and the authorities surely won't stop finding him if the Zaldivar and the Serrano become desperate.

Someone needs to take all the blame for this to stop. I will. So they won't run after Flavio and his daughter. Hindi siya pwedeng makulong.

"Leave. Umalis na kayo ni Faye. I'll fix everything." I smirked to assure him. Ngunit para bang hindi sapat iyon para matinag siya. Or he simply find my idea ridiculous.

"Anong gagawin mo?" His forehead is now twisted. "Marcia, I'm at fault too. Even if you surrender, they'll still find me! And do you really think I'll let you do that?"

"I'll tell them it's all my fault." I intensely stared at him. "And I don't need your permission, Flavio. I'll do it no matter what and you can't do anything but to agree."

"You're not my fucking hero, stop acting like one!" he frustratedly spat.

My lips parted as I mockingly let out a deep breath. "Of course not! What are you? Afucking damsel in distress?" nanunuyang sambit ko. I can't help but sarcastically chuckled that made his jaw clenched.

"I will help you. No one need-"

I cursed to cut his words. "For Pete's sake, Flavio! You want to help? You want to help me? The thing you can do is leave and don't fucking complicate everything! That's how you can help."

I felt like that's the last string of my patience and now I'm done. "I will do this for your daughter and not for you so don't even disagree!" I shouted.

I turned my back on him and tightly pressed my lips. I tried to calm myself by slowly heaving for air.

Nang pakiramdam ko ay bahagya na akong kalmado, muli kong hinarap si Flavio. "I was the one who put you in this situation. I surely can get you out of here. I just need you to cooperate."

My decision is final as I pushed the door of the room. I instantly grabbed my personal things and place it in a small bag. Nilagay ko lang ang mga kakasya roon. Matapos ay agad akong lumabas ng silid.

Ngunit agad kong tumigil nang nakita si Flavio sa labas ng silid. He's leaning on the wall while his eyes were closed. Agad siyang dumilat nang maramdaman ang aking presensya.

"Marcia..." He called. Napatuwid siya ng tayo. There's still something in his eyes that's telling me he doesn't want me to go.

But I just tilted my head. "I'm leaving. You should leave too. Cooperate, Flavio. This is for your daughter."

I won't do this if not for Faye.

"Why do you look so down?" I smirked when he didn't answer. "We'll still see each other, come on! Probably when Faye's already in college... or after?" I chuckled to hide my eyes that's burning with tears.

"I'll go ahead," I stated as I turned my back on him.

I didn't glance at him while walking towards the front door of the apartment. At nang tuluyang makalabas ay agad kong sinarado ang pinto at napasandal doon.

The suppressed tears at the side of my eyes bursted as it cascaded down my cheeks. I chew my lower lip and shut my eyes off. Marahas kong pinalis ang mga luhang naglandas sa aking pisngi.

I shouldn't cry. Ginusto ko 'to. I kidnapped Chaos's fiancee and stole money from him so why the hell am I crying?

Ayaw kong makulong at sino bang may gusto noon? Wala. No one wants it. But I have to pay for everything I did for this to stop. Una pa lang, alam ko na ang kahihinatnan ko kung sakaling gawin ko ang pinaplano ko. And I did it. Why am I even crying right now that I'm about to face the consequences of what I did?

I managed to escape for five years, so I shouldn't be crying like a dumb bitch.

Mariin akong pumikit habang tinutuyo ang aking pisngi. I shifted my weight as I started walking towards the apartment in front of where we're staying.

Isang sulyap ang iginawad ko sa kotse ni Chaos bago tuluyang dumiretso sa pinto ng apartment niya.

I was about to knock on the door when it opened. Bumungad sa akin ang bulto ni Chaos na papalabas ng apartment.

He stopped on his track as our eyes met but he instantly averted his gaze. "We're leavin-" Akmang lalagpasan niya ako nang napahinto siya at muling hinanap ang aking mga mata.

"You cried," he stated after a few seconds of staring at my eyes.

Instead of answering, I decided to tell him everything that's in my mind. "I blackmailed Flavio. I spent all the money I stole from you, alone..." I paused a bit as my voice remained devoid of any emotion.

"It is my idea to abduct your fiancee. Flavio doesn't want it but I blackmailed him. He's left with no choice, reason why he did those things. If you want to sue someone, it should be me. Alone," I declared without tearing my eyes on him.

Dahilan kung bakit kitang-kita ko ang pagbabago ng emosyon sa mga mata niya.

A frown formed in his forehead while listening as I continued and his lips parted at my last phrase. "The fuck are you talking about?" he asked like he's too stunned at my words 'cause maybe, he's not expecting it.

I tilted my head as I shifted my body to fully face him. "Sue me and I'll rot in jail. I won't escape this time. Ako lang ang kasuhan mo at huwag nang idamay si Flavio. I'll plea guilty in every case that you'll file against me," mariing sambit ko ngunit lalo lang lumalim ang kunot ng kanyang noo.

"You think I roamed around the world to find you just to fucking sue you, huh?" marahan ngunit may diin ang bawat salitang binitawan niya na para bang pilit ipinaiintindi sa akin ang mga iyon.

His mouth opened as his jaw clenched. "Damn, if I want you to pay for everything you did, I won't think twice to throw millions as a bounty for your head and I won't give a fuck if you're dead or alive, Marcia."

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