Chapter 35

Kai Pov

I'm still on shock of what happened. My hands and knees are still shaking. Even if I hold it, it still does trembled. Afraid, yes I am. I'm afraid of Jia. I'm afraid of what she can do, now that she learned that I am pregnant. Now that she knew that I'm a bearer.

I'm crying for no reason. I don't know the root cause why am I crying. Why tears keep falling like I don't have the guts in stopping it from falling. Crying because I'm glad that Jia finally left and nothing's happen to me and my child but she carried the thoughts and truth that I'm conceiving Priam's child? Or, crying because what if my stepsister tell the world who am I. It's just my tears keeps falling from my eyes.

I shook my head as if it helps to lashed away the negative thoughts in my head. As if it helps to make my mind think straight. The six months of hiding in this island, hiding my pregnancy was just ruined in less than an hour. Jia escape. She's away from island carrying the news and fact that I'm a bearer and the world silent wanted for a long time. The doctors, scientists, most precious specimen.

"Kai," Nelanie called me out.

I lifted my eyes on her. She's still angry, her eyes are still enrage. Nakulangan pa siya sa pares ng sampal na binigay niya kay Jia. She's also trembling like me but with a different reasons. She's trembling because of so much wrath.

I form my thoughts before opening my mouth. "I'm... I'm okay, Nel." I told her.

"You are not, Kai." She corrected me. "Let me call Priam." She refused to believed me. This is the argument we were talking after Jia left and did not found in the whole island of Viste. Nelanie informed his men to look for Jia but they failed to find her. That's why I concluded that she left, that she escaped. And only god knows where. We were arguing to tell Priam or not. Nelanie wants Priam to know about what happened but I, on the other hand, don't want Priam to know.

Priam is already carrying so much. He's been doing so much in there. He's been facing a big dilemma of his company and I don't want pile it up with another problem. I'm sure Nelanie and I can solve this on our own while Priam is doing his own in Manila, too.

"Nel, no. Wag mong sabihin. Ayaw ko na itong idagdag pa sa mga iisipin at poproblemahin ni Priam." Sabi ko sa kanya.

Her hands find mine and bring it on her lap.

"But Kai... that fucking bitch of stepsister you have..." she halts. "I don't want to think about it but I think she escaped and that insane woman might do something more worse than what happened earlier."

"I know that."

"Then let's call Priam."

"No," matigas kong tanggi. "Nelanie, I trust you. Priam trust you. Kaya naman natin ito dito, diba? We can handle this until Priam solve the problem on his company. Isa pa nagdagdag ka na rin naman nga mga tauhan dito sa paligid. I'm sure. Sapat na iyon."

"You are really a damn stubborn, too, Kai. If you have a choice, no one can bend it. You have your own stand in life. Is this one of the asset that you have to capture my cousin's heart?" Nelanie said incredulously before casting her eyes on our intertwining hands on her lap.

"I- I don't know..." I blushed.

She let my hand go and exhaled.

"Okay, hindi natin sasabihin."

Napangiti ako.

"Thank you, Nel... and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for causing you trouble. Sorry for making you worry. I know it's not your duty to look for me. It's not your responsibility to here. You have a life too but you are here look after me."

She look up and find my vision. "Psh! Such a pussy, Kai. I'm here because Priam asked for it but it's my will to come over here. I can reject Priam's favor but I'm here because I want it too. So, don't think about it. I'm also glad that I can look for you and for my soon niece." She smiled, dropping her eyes on my swelling belly.

We still don't have any idea what is the gender of our baby. We refused to have a ultrasound examination since our OB is uncle Rain lang din naman. I want it at first but it's Priam's decision to not to know until the baby is out.

"You rest Kai. May gagawin lang ako pero di naman na ako aalis. Dito lang ako sa salas." Mayamaya ay sabi niya sa akin.

"Hmm, sige." Ako saka tumayo  at pumunta sa silid ko.

Priam Pov

"What you heard and what you read and saw from the news..." I started. Staring at hundreds people in front of me. Speaking in front of numerous microphone and flashing cameras around the room. The whole room filled with people with phones, recorder, laptops, and microphone on their hands. They are recording and taking down every bits words I'll said right now. Eager to hear my opinion. Eager to know the truth.

The flashing cameras in front of me is like I'm a sort of famous artist who march in a grandiose gallas or taking my walk to claim my award in famas. But above all that has mentioned I'm sitting here in front of them neither of the mentioned.

"... it was all true. I'm dating a man." Right after I finished my sentence the people inside the room filled with audible whispers yet uncomprehensible words. "The news said that I'm hiding my man. I'm hiding my true identity. Yes... before. Before I hide my identity using women. I dated women to hide my true color but that doesn't mean I see women as an object that I can used to. I respect women. I respect them as I respect my mother. My whole life dating with different women in almost every single week. The was all contractual and agreed by both parties. I didn't forced them to be with me. I didn't forced to go out with me. They do and did it on their own will. Some of them was just a friendly date. Others are just my friend. I usually go out with my friend it's just the media, the people are being suspicious and started to talk about it. They put malice on simple dinner or lunch with my friends."

I breathe out. Staring at the people's shock expressions.

"And again, I'm not hiding my boyfriend. It's just that..." i need to lie. I know it's not right but this is the only way i can protect my family. I can protect Kai and our baby. I clenched my jaw before resuming. "he's not yet ready. He is not ready in my world. And I respected it. I don't mind people watching us with their brows elevates. But just don't spread rumours about us." I breathe again. "The purpose of this press conference was to clear my name because my company has been affected so much but I just wanna say something to those people, to my executives and shareholders who lost their trust and faith in me because of my true color, that I will not beg and ask for your trust. I will not ask for it. If you want to leave in my company, please do leave. I will not constrain you to stay. I will only accept those people who's going to stay with me. I don't need closed-minded and judgemental people who lacks of understanding. As a matter of fact the important thung to me right now is my family  (pertaining to Kai and our baby) and the people who believe me. Thank you." I said and lift my ass on the upholstered chair before bending my head a bit as a sign of respect before leaving.

Agad akong umalis bago pa dumami ang taong lalapit sa akin. Tama ako nang umalis agad ako doon dahil sumugod kaagad sila sa akin. Asking for more information. Asking follow-up questions but my secretary already brief them before the press conference started that I won't allow any follow-up questions. I will just answer the necessary and important questions. And what I said just now was enough.

"That was suicide Priam." Erris said, I look at him before resuming our pace to exit. We are covered with bodyguards and security guards.

I was silent until we get in to his van. Right after the bodyguard closed the door. Erris sit beside me.

"I knew." Saka lang ako umimik nang makasakay na kami sa sasakyan ni Erris.

"Hindi ka ba natatakot na mawala lahat ng mga pinaghirapan mo?"

Niluwagan ko ang necktie ko. "I already anticipated it. I already foresee this thing coming before. Pero hindi ko pa alam na bearer si Kai noon. Mas madali sana kung hindi siya bearer kasi ang iintindihan lang namin ang kalagayan ng kompany. Ngayon pati kaligtasan niya ay inuuna ko. Ang kaligtasan niya at nang anak namin. I don't want to hide them. But I need to until our baby is born. I loss my calculations when Kai is pregnant."

"And your company?" He insisted.

I throw my eyes on my cousin. "You knew I start from scratch Erris. Mababawi ko rin ang lahat pagkatapos nito. I find another investors. I can find another alliance, you, Nel, and my mom. I will used all of you." The last thing I said was a joke. He laughed and so am I.

On that day, the tv news loaded with my press conference. 

The next day I thought many of my employees will file a resignations. I even readied my hands to sign, to grant their resignation but only few. I just lost less than one hundred people to my thousands of employee all over the country. My secretary whom is pregnant too like Kai, is delighted when reporting me that there are still a lot of people who left in me. There are still many people trust me and my company. I lost money but I can recover it up. My company can still stand in the midst of this ordeal.

When my phone rings, masaya akong sinagot ang tawag ni Kai. Last night lang siya tumawag sa akin at nasasabik na ako sa kanya. I'm excited to tell him the good news. But when I hear Nelanie's shaking and hoarse voice which I suspected that she's been crying. I dropped my phone to the words that came out from her. The phone bounce on the floor for a couple of times. My happy and seems to be a great day. Immediately gloss with dark and gloomy clouds. Goddammit!

Kai is missing!