No one acts more foolishly than a wise man in love.

THE ROZOVSKY HEIRS 7 | VOW TO THE PRINCE

PROLOGUE | SPEED AWAY

DAMIEN

I didn't mean it. I... I blacked out and...

"Why did you do it?"

Hindi ko tinapunan ng tingin si Saryna na siyang nagda-drive ng kotse ko. Everything was a mess right now. What we left behind was a fucking mess. I didn't know what happened. I didn't know why I did it.

"I-I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it, Saryna..."

Of course, I didn't mean it. I was not like that. I am not that kind of person.

"What do you mean, Damien? Why?! Just why?!"

Dama ko ang frustration sa boses ni Saryna. Iyon din naman ang laman ng isip ko. Paulit-ulit kong tanong sa sarili ko kung bakit ko nagawa iyon. Hindi ko napigil ang pagtulo ng luha ko at napapikit ako at patuloy na umiiling. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang panginginig ng buong katawan ko. Hindi ko na pansin kung gaano kabilis ang pagpapatakbo ni Saryna sa kotse ko. My fucking car that I never let her drive but right now, she was holding the wheel and she was driving fast above the city's speed limit.

Wala kaming kibuan ni Saryna habang nagmamaneho siya. Pareho kaming umiiyak. Pareho kaming natatakot. Pareho kaming tumatakas mula sa pinangyarihan ng gulo na sigurado akong kalat na kalat na sa lahat ng tao. All I ever wanted was to be on the sidelines. I didn't want people to see me. But with what happened, what I did, I knew for sure my face, my name would be on the spotlight.

Who could help us in this situation? I couldn't ask for my parent's help. No. Definitely not. I didn't want them know what I did. I didn't want them to see that I am a monster. I am not like that. I grew up a disciplined and calm person. That was not me. I couldn't even hurt a fucking fly.

I looked at my hands. It was shaking. The smell of the drying blood was assaulting my nose. I closed my eyes but I immediately opened it because all I could see was myself becoming a monster.

Then I heard Saryna screaming. "Shit! Shit!"

Lalo lang niyang binilisan ang pagpapatakbo ng sasakyan ko. Napapitlag ako nang makarinig ako ng sunod-sunod na tunog ng kung ano. Parang pumuputok. Napasigaw pa si Saryna nang biglang may lumusot sa windshield ng sasakyan mula sa likod. Nabutas iyon.

May bumabaril sa amin.

Lumingon ako at nakita kong may dalawang itim na SUV ang nakasunod sa amin. Nakadungaw mula sa bintana noon ang isang lalaki na may hawak na baril at pinapaputukan kami. Napapasigaw si Saryna sa tuwing makakarinig ng putok ng baril pero nanatiling nakahawak ang kamay sa manibela at lalong binilisan ang pagpapatakbo ng sasakyan. Hindi tumitigil ang pagpapaputok ng kung sino man na nasa likod namin.

I knew for sure that those men that were chasing us wanted me.

"S-Saryna, t-they are chasing us." Napapiyok pa ang boses ko sa sobrang kaba. "T-They're going to kill us, Saryna." Nakalingon pa rin ako sa humahabol sa amin. Kitang-kita ko sila dahil basag na ang rear windshield ng sasakyan ko. Ngayon ako nagsisi kung bakit hindi pa ako pumayag noon sa gusto ng mommy ko na ipa-bulletproof ang sasakyan ko.

"I know, Damien! I fucking know that! Fuck!" Ang lakas ng boses ni Saryna na nanatiling nakatutok ang paningin sa kalsada.

"Do something! Please, don't let them catch us. Please help me!" Punong-puno ng pakiusap ang boses ko. Sa pagkakataong ito, siya lang naman ang makakatulong sa akin.

Naramdaman kong lalong bumilis ang pagpapatakbo niya sa sasakyan. I knew Saryna was not a skilled driver, but this time, she was doing the best she could to sped away from those who were chasing us. And just seconds, those two black SUVs were not on our sight anymore. There were no one shooting at us but still, she kept on driving fast.

Wala na kaming kibuan na dalawa. Tingin ko ay nanlalabo na ang kalsadang dinadaanan namin. Hindi ko na nga alam kung saan kami papunta. Mayamaya ay naramdaman kong bumagal ang pagpapatakbo niya ng sasakyan at iniaabot niya ang telepono niya. Agad ko siyang pinigilan.

"Saryna, no. J-just drive please-"

Hindi ko alam kung sino ang tatawagan niya pero sigurado akong hihingi siya ng tulong. At wala siyang ibang puwedeng hingan ng tulong kundi ang magulang niya. Hindi puwede iyon. If her parents knew what was happening, definitely, my parents would know it too.

"Stop it, Damien. We are in danger and we need back up. Kailangan natin si Daddy at hindi ang mga rules mo pagdating sa kalsada!" Ramdam ko ang inis sa boses niya.

She thought that it was still about it? That I was telling her to stop using her phone because she was driving? Following the fucking road rules didn't matter anymore to me this time. There were so many traffic violations that we did when we were speeding away and now, she thought using her phone will matter to me?

"No! Please no. Don't call them! Please don't let them know!" Pakiusap ko.

"Damien-"

"Uncle Patek. Call Uncle Patek instead," putol ko sa sasabihin niya.

"Damien-"

Alam kong mangangatwiran pa si Saryna at ipipilit pa rin niyang tawagan ang Daddy niya pero hindi ko iyon mapapayagang mangyari. Kapag nalaman ng daddy niya at nalaman ng daddy at mommy ko, siguradong mas magkakagulo. Inagaw ko ang telepono sa kanya at nag-dial ako doon. I called the only person that I knew would understand what was happening to us right now.

"Damien?" narinig ko ang excitement sa boses ni Uncle Patek. "It's late. What do you need?"

Napalunok ako at hindi agad nakasagot. Lalo lang lumalakas ang kabog ng dibdib ko at hindi ko napigilan na hindi umiyak.

"I-I need you." Humahagulgol na sabi ko. "S-Saryna and I need you, Uncle Pats." Napapiyok pa ako. "Please, help us. Please help." Iyon na lang ang paulit-ulit kong nasabi at sige ako sa pag-iyak.

"Damien, what the hell is happening? Hey. Hey! Calm down. Calm down," kahit alam kong natataranta din ang boses ni Uncle Patek ay pilit niya akong pinapakalma. "Whatever is happening, it will be okay. Walang mangyayari sa'yo. Now tell me what is going on?"

Hindi agad ako nakasagot at napatingin lang ako kay Saryna. Hindi ko kayang sabihin kay Uncle Patek kung ano ang nagawa ko. Siguradong mag-iiba ang tingin niya sa akin. I knew I was Uncle Pat's favorite. He was there since I was small. He practically raised me with my parents. I trusted him so much but I didn't know if he could understand if I told him what I did.

"I-I can't tell, Uncle. C-can you just help us? W-we need a place to go."

"What? Why don't you go home? I will call your dad and-"

"No!" malakas na sigaw ko. Alam kong napatingin pa sa akin si Saryna pero hindi ko siya pinansin. "You cannot tell dad and especially Mom." Pinahid ko ang luha kong naglalandas sa mukha ko. "I-It's you. I need your help. We need your help. Just a place, Uncle Pat. Let us have a safe place to stay for this night then I will tell you everything."
Narinig kong napahinga ng malalim si Uncle Patek.

"All right. Where are you now?" Seryosong tanong ni Uncle.

Tumingin ako sa labas at naghanap ng mga signage na makikita ko kung nasaan na kami.

"Highway. SLEX. Pa-South. Bandang Alabang kami."

"Okay. I'll text you an address sa Laguna. It's a safe house and even your parents don't know about it. You and Saryna go there and wait for me. I'll call the caretaker that you two are coming. Hide the car."

Pagkasabi noon ni Uncle Patek ay naputol na ang usapan namin. Mayamaya ay naka-receive ako ng text. Address iyon. Tapos ay isa pang text galing kay Uncle Patek.

Don't use navigation apps. Turn off your GPS. If you are on the run, you don't leave crumbs for those who are chasing you. Find that safe house then we will talk. Turn off your phone.

Napalunok ako at kinabisado ko ang address na ibinigay ni Uncle Patek at ini-off ang phone na hawak ko. Sinabi ko kay Saryna ang address na pupuntahan namin at sinasabi niyang hindi niya alam ang papunta doon. Sinabi kong basta mag-drive siya at ako na ang bahala sa direksyon.

Napasandal ako sa kinauupuan ko at napahinga ng malalim. Uncle Patek was going to help us. He said I needed to calm down and I knew he would help me to get out from this mess. I could get away with this.

For sure, she would help me to get away with this.

Peyton would help me to set things straight and she would tell everyone what really happened.

After all, I did it for her.

I was in this mess because of my love for her.

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