#DS7Unbalanced #InoCent #SMCouple #DaggerSeries

CHAPTER FIVE: AGAIN

TIARA'S POV

"It's not a good idea for her to stay with you."

I was about to open the door of the hospital suite's bathroom when I heard a gruff voice. I let go of the door knob, backing away from it for a couple of steps.

It's been twenty-four hours since we were rescued from the crash site. I've been staying in the hospital with Domino because I refused to stay in a hotel or in the room Dagger Private Security and Investigation offered to provide me.

I just feel safer with him.

I asked if I could go home because if there's a place I would be more comfortable being at, it would be there, but they wouldn't allow it since that would mean I would be alone. My manager, Naomi Lavelle, and my personal assistant, Daria Ivanova, are both still in Moscow. I haven't talked to them mainly because I don't have my phone to contact them, and Domino said it wasn't a good idea for me to go online yet. One of his brothers informed them about what happened, and now they are coordinating with the authorities in Moscow.

My mother, who was in Prague for a vacation, is now on her way back to the Philippines. Though I wish she wouldn't have heard about my situation so she wouldn't hurry to go home.

I tried not to scoff at the word I used. Home. I feel like I'm the only one between us who feels that way when it comes to this country. She hated it here. That's why I can't understand why we moved here.

"Kuya Gun—"

"You're not thinking about this clearly. She's not a pet. You can't just keep her because you want to."

"She'll get hurt out there," Domino argued.

"And so are you. You're already in a hospital. You're injured."

"I'll heal in no time. Nothing hits any major organs. I'll be fine."

My heart sank. They don't want me to stay with him. That's understandable. I'm the reason their brother is in the hospital. Hindi naman siya dapat nadamay. Domino acted on instinct when he realized the danger looming around me that night. If he hadn't done what he did, I would probably be dead by now. Or worse.

If not for me, he wouldn't be injured. His brothers wouldn't need to handle the hassle I came with when they were forced to clear Domino's name, whose face is plastered on news channels as my kidnapper.

I couldn't help but think about Domino's sister and sisters-in-law. They were so kind and welcoming. Ilang beses silang nagpadala ng pagkain at sila rin ang bumili ng mga damit para sa akin. Kahit na ang mga nagbabantay sa amin sa labas ng hospital room ay maayos ang pakikitungo sa akin.

But maybe that's just how they are to everyone. They are clearly kind people. Domino, just like them, was just being kind. It doesn't mean anything.

My gaze went to the mirror, where I saw my reflection staring back at me. I'm wearing a pink hoodie and black leggings. My hair, as always, is in a neat bun.

I fixed the expression on my face, keeping it blank, before I turned to open the door.

The conversation outside halted, and everyone's attention went to me. Domino smiled at me in a way he often does that makes me feel like he's happy to see me.

His brothers didn't look angry or annoyed by my presence, but I'm sure they're just like me. They know how to lock everything away.

"I like you to meet everyone, doll." Nakangiting pinakilala sa akin ni Domino ang mga nakatatanda niyang kapatid. "And you met Kuya Thorn and Kuya Trace. They were the ones who rescued us."

"Dobroho dnya." I quickly amended my words when I realized that I unconsciously spoke Ukrainian. "Good afternoon."

The men mumbled their greetings, Trace's being livelier than the others. He's even waving at me with a beaming smile on his lips.

"They are here for the contract," Domino explained.

"Contract?"

"Just formalities regarding Dagger taking your case."

"Did the authorities in Moscow say anything about what happened?" I asked, ignoring what he said.

Bahagyang kumunot ang noo ni Domino. It's like he could feel that something was off with me. "They did. The private jet company is under investigation, but according to our contact, it's most likely that we know more than them. They were running a legitimate company, and they had been doing it for years. What happened with the co-pilot and the flight attendant was an isolated incident."

"Domino retrieved the co-pilot's phone, but he transacted with a person who knows how to bury his tracks." It was Domino's eldest brother, Thorn, who spoke. "I'm afraid it wouldn't be of use in this case."

"So no one really knows why someone is trying to kill me?"

Ignoring everyone else, I kept my eyes locked on Thorn, who met mine without problems. "For now, yes."

"The contract—"

I stopped Domino from finishing his sentence. "I'm sorry. I know that your company might be able to help me, and this is not me questioning your capability to protect me, but I think I would like to speak with my mother and my manager before making a decision." I looked away. I couldn't handle the heat of Domino's stare boring into me any longer. "I don't think I will be comfortable staying with a stranger for a long time considering that my situation might take awhile to resolve."

"You were fine staying here with my brother." Domino's brother, who I recall is called Pierce, looked at me with a knotted forehead. "You refused a hotel and the room in Dagger."

I didn't back down, though I could feel my hand shaking from his stare. "He's the only one I know here. He saved me, and I'm thankful for that. But technically, he's still a stranger. More than that, I have a life. I have commitments that I can't just abandon because of a simple threat."

"You can hardly call what happened to you merely a threat. They weren't just scaring you, Tiara," Domino said through gritted teeth. "And you said you wanted to stay with me."

I ignored the last part of what he said. "I'm not the first person who's in this kind of predicament. People whose lives are open to the public often suffer in this kind of situation. I'm not the first. I wouldn't be the last." I let a polite smile curve on my lips, and I directed it to the man that I hoped wouldn't see past my pretenses. "I'm really grateful. I wouldn't be able to repay you for what you did for the rest of my life, but if there's something I can do for you and your company, just tell me or my manager."

Domino looks like I struck him, and it takes a lot of strength from me to keep the expression on my face neutral. Fortunately, it was then that the door opened, revealing a woman who looks like she could be in some al fresco restaurant in Paris having a glass of wine rather than here in the hospital. She's even wearing a coat.

This is one of the rare times that seeing my mother gave me a sense of relief. Even my personal assistant always tries to find something else to do that will take her away from my mother's line of sight.

Yuliya Silvano is a difficult woman. She has a commanding presence, and she's not the kind of person who is easy to please. And that is an understatement. Kahit ako ay hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin magawa ang bagay na iyon para sa kaniya.

"Tiara!" She walked to me and gave me a quick hug. Hawak ako sa magkabilang-balikat na bahagya niya akong nilayo para tignan ang kabuuan ko. "Look at you. Why are you wearing rugs? What if a reporter took a picture of you?"

I wasn't even surprised that it was the first thing that came out of her mouth. But with the way the tension around me radiated, with the heaviest coming from Domino's direction, they clearly received her words differently than I did.

Not waiting for me to respond, my mother speaks again, "Everyone's talking about you." Her eyes are shining as if it's the greatest news of the century. "Moscow is even issuing a public apology."

"That's good," I mumbled.

As if it were the first time she noticed them, my mother's attention went to the men quietly watching us. Tumaas lang ang isang kilay niya. She's not the kind of woman to get affected by being in a room full of good-looking men. It's all just the same to her.

"They're the people who saved me," I explained. "They are from Dagger Private Security and Investigation—"

My mother waved her hand dismissively. "We wouldn't be needing their service. Moscow reached out to the authorities here, and the government will provide you with bodyguards. Moscow wanted to offer theirs, but they decided that you might not feel comfortable considering that everything started with them." She rolled her eyes. "And we're Ukrainian. I wouldn't be comfortable with them around even in different circumstances."

"Don't be like that," I said in Ukrainian.

"I'm just saying," she answered in the same language before reverting back to English. She reached for my hands and held on tighter. "This happens to famous people. You're a prima ballerina, and you were recognized as one in a lot of countries. I wouldn't be surprised if you get the title of assoluta soon."

"Mother—"

"We don't think this is just as simple as that."

My hands balled into a fist when my mother turned to look at the direction Domino's voice came from.

"There are a lot of things people can do out of envy." Her eyes lingered on him for a moment. I know she's sizing him up. "What's the alternative, then, if it's not the only reason? Tiara doesn't have enemies. Especially not one that will want her dead."

"Ma'am—"

My mother cut him off, her attention going back to me. "We're leaving, Tiara. I brought you clothes from Prague. And for goodness sake, put some makeup on. That plane crash didn't kill you, so there's no reason for you to look like a ghost."

I didn't dare look around me. I don't want to see the look on their faces. Most of all, I don't want them to see the embarrassment that I am feeling.

"Yes, Mother."

I MOVED my body in time to the music. I've been dancing for hours. I can feel my body starting to ache, but it's not something I'm allowed to dwell on. It's something I'm used to. It will always be part of ballet. Twisting your body and jumping on your tiptoes without showing your exhaustion for hours is my everyday life.

"Hold!"

I continued my turns without breaking the pace. Normal people will probably be on the floor by now, but I've been practicing spinning non-stop since I was four, and now it's just an ordinary day for me. Not that it's an easy feat.

Olena Samonte, my dance instructor, followed my movements. I could hear her clapping to the same beat as the music. "Grand jeté!"

I threw my body in the air, leaping with my legs extended.

"Again."

I did as I was told, and I landed it as gracefully as I could. She gave me a few more instructions, and I delivered without complaint. The relief was instant when I heard the music start to reach its conclusion. I ended the dance with one last pirouette.

"Vi zrobyly dobre," she said, telling me that I did well.

It was pure luck that my manager found her as a dance instructor for me. We didn't know that she was Ukrainian until we met her. Olena has been living in the Philippines for more than a decade. She married a Filipino businessman, but she was once a dancer, so she decided to teach ballet as a profession.

She raised an eyebrow in my direction. "Getting kidnapped and almost dying didn't slow you down."

I chuckled at her words. She has a dark sense of humor and that's what I like about her. She never held back from me, and the way she speaks to me didn't have the bite that I often felt when my manager or my mother were talking to me.

"Have they caught them?" Umiling lang ako bilang sagot dahilan para kumunot ang noo niya. "It's been two months."

I shrugged. "It seems like incompetency is prevalent in all countries."

She made a sound of agreement but didn't say more. I left her so I could shower, and when I was done, I found her sitting on a bench outside while drinking coffee.

"Bye, Coach."

I visited her studio twice or three times a week before the incident in Moscow. Sa ibang mga araw ay mag-isa na lang akong nag-e-ensayo. Ballet demands constant refinement for artistic development. No matter how good you think you are, you can't just stop training.

This is the third time this week that I've been in her studio after what happened. She offered to go to my condo in Makati, but I didn't want her to travel from Cavite to Manila just to coach me. Nasa Bacoor, Cavite, kasi ang studio niya. Isa pa ay may mga estudyante siya na kailangan niyang asikasuhin.

"That man."

I stopped in my tracks and looked at her. "Hmm?"

"The one who saved you in Moscow."

Nanigas ako sa kinatatayuan ko. It wasn't what I expected her to say. I wasn't prepared for it. Sa loob ng dalawang buwan ay inabala ko ang sarili ko para hindi siya maalala.

I didn't want to think about the guilt eating me inside out because of what happened to him. I didn't want to think about his brothers' disapproval. And I didn't want to remember my embarrassment from the way things ended when my mother and I left them.

"He can probably help you faster than the government could. You know how it is in almost every country. You'll be old and gray before you get an answer. Besides, he's nicer to look at than the..." She looked pointedly in the direction of the studio's exit, where my two bodyguards were waiting for me. "I have a feeling that your savior will do his job better than those two who kept ogling you and the other dancers."

"They're doing their job too," I said, defending them weakly. Her claims weren't exactly wrong. "Their job is to watch and protect me."

"The danger would be right in front of you before those two noticed it." She made a clicking sound with her tongue, and she shook her head. "And I know the difference between watching and ogling. If not for you, I wouldn't let them enter the studio."

I've got nothing to say about that. Gary and Boris both have skeevy vibes.

"You're just biased because..." I cleared my throat. "Because Domino is attractive."

She shrugged without denying what I said. "I also heard about his company. They're popular, you know? His brothers are married to famous people who were all in a similar situation as yours. That's basically their company's area of expertise. They're used to controversial people and cases."

I pressed my lips together. I didn't research them. I tried not to. But Coach Olena is probably right. Right now, it feels like nothing is being done about what happened to me. Alam kong hindi madaling maghanap ng taong obvious naman na nagtatago, pero ayoko namang maging buhay ang ganito. Iyong laging may nakasunod.

"My mother didn't think their service was necessary."

"It's not her who nearly died in a plane crash. It's not her decision." Tumayo siya at marahang tinapik niya ang balikat ko. "Give this old woman a chance to look at a handsome face whenever you come here. Just think about it. Zrozumilo?"

"I understand," I said, answering her question. "But I can't do anything about it. We already said no, and they're probably busy now." And they don't want me.

"Too bad."

I just gave her a small smile, and I repeated my goodbye. Naglakad ako palapit kay Gary at Boris na kaagad tumayo nang makita ako. They were both busy eyeing the group of girls that entered the studio.

My stomach turned sour at the thought. Girls. They were girls who are probably half their age. Both men look like they are in their early forties, and it shows on their faces. Kung itatabi sila sa mga nakatatandang kapatid ni Domino ay baka magmukha pa nilang anak ang mga iyon.

"Let's go," I said, my voice cold.

Gary walked in front of me while Boris stayed on my back. We took one step outside of the studio when I heard a loud sound getting near us.

I was frozen on my spot at the same time Gary collapsed like a tree in front of me. Wet hit my face, and I don't need to see it to know what it is. Not when half of Gary's face was missing when he fell to the ground.

I felt Boris move to step in front of me, but he was too late. Just like the other man, I felt his body topple down.

Two men with masks holding guns from the opened van stepped down on the concrete. I couldn't move. Even if I can, I know that they will catch me. Worse, they could shoot me.

One of the two got to me faster, but before he could grab me, his body did this weird movement, and he stepped back, red pooling on his chest. Narinig ko ang malakas na pagmumura ng isa pang lalaki na mabilis na umatras habang tila tinatakpan ang ulo niya. What came after that was the sickening sound of bullets hitting metal that seemed to be following the speeding van.

I was afraid to move even an inch. I was afraid that my knees would buckle and I would end up sprawled on the floor with the other lifeless bodies surrounding me.

The screaming around me felt distant. My throat also felt dry, and I could see spots in my vision. But everything came into focus when a familiar face went into my line of sight.

"Hey."

The black spots in my vision disappeared, but they were replaced by the cloud of tears that filled it. I bit my lower lip when I felt it start to quiver. I bit it so hard that I could almost taste blood.

Domino reached for my face, and I felt him touch my chin, pressing so gently so I would let go of my lip. With a gentle look on his face, he wiped my cheek with the back of his hand.

"W-What are you doing here?" I whispered.

A grin spread across his face. It was as if we were not standing surrounded by splattered blood and remains. As if we weren't surrounded by chaos. "What else, doll? I'm kidnapping you again."