This part is not edited and not polished. Hence, there will be lots of errors and track a little off, maybe. I'll try to get back again to fix this chapter or I may not :P . So, for now enjoy this half-cooked chapter😉

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"Okay, tell me about the little secret you are hiding from me" Diego came back with a coffee mug and took a seat on the recliner across her.

Diego had her paused her backstory earlier to quickly fetch a cup of coffee for himself just to make sure he doesn't doze off while she tells what's happening behind him. While she waited, Ella had settled down on the recliner at the balcony with the thought that the cool breeze might help her out to open up on the matter smoother than she could.

"Jerk! You could have brought a cup for me" she asked staring at him as he stared back at her.

"I'll make coffee for one whole week if you tell me what the hell is happening"

"Not a great reward. Try again"

As much as her inner voice was screaming to her to tell everything to him, Ella somehow wanted to buy some time. Weighing how much of the truth should she tell by mentally rehearsing, cutting and editing her content.

"Coffee for a month. Now, spill it" Diego was done with playing hide and seek. All he wanted to know was what were she doing there and does she have any idea on the attack that happened in the morning.

Fidgeting with her fingers and tapping her feet wasn't easing her anxiousness at all. She felt her heart might just leap out of her mouth anytime if she doesn't open up about these frantic attacks. Ella kept shifting her gaze from her legs to Diego and back to her legs.

A few deep breath in. Deep breath out.

"okay. . . . ., Let me clear this first, it has nothing to do with you or me. Everything that are happening lately goes back to the reason, why we entered into an alliance " beating around the bush. Ella hates herself for not telling the point straight.

"Meaning?"

"um... It all started — when we begin the search on Ara Agosti"

"Ara? What has she got to do with the attack this morning?" Diego asked unaware of the many similar incidents happened before this.

Taking it slow and steady, Ella had mapped out her content, making sure she doesn't leave any incident behind but she tried to consider which way to go first. Forward or backward.

"Ella? What is the connection between Ara and the attack?" he asked her again seeing her mind wondering off.

Instead of telling him how she ended up at the secluded building, Ella played the audio message sent by Lazaro two days ago. She tried to study Diego's reaction to the audio, meanwhile. The more he heard, the more tighter his grip were on the poor mug. There were tension building up in the air already.

She was asked to play the audio again for three more times before he sat leaning back on the recliner. Extracting information from the thirty-five seconds audio and trying to calm himself, not wanting to lash out to Ella for not telling him earlier. 

A part in Ella wanted nothing but to get swallowed by the earth because for all reasons, she was freaking out from within. Diego's facial expression wasn't giving any positive feel either, it was screaming danger to her.

'Doomed'

"So, it was not an attempt to robbery just as I figured." He spoke after a very long silence.

"I'm afraid so"

"And you knew it?"

"It would be lie if I said no but there is a reason why I did not tell you" Ella looked everywhere except to his intense gaze. She could feel they were shooting bullets on her head right now.

"And the reason is?"

"I'll pass that one"

"Fine. Tell me what I need to know and I'll leave"

Alright, she had officially made him upset with her and that she wasn't happy about it. In fact it actually ached her to see him that way. 

And without much time wasting, she recalled the talk that happened with Lazaro and how she knew him from the military school.

Diego listened to her attentively, his eyes glued to hers from the start, in a way intimidating her.

"So, all these were an attempt for us to stop looking for Ara? I guess they are doing it for the company Uncle D owned. Who could it be? Shareholder? Director?" he muttered softly walking to the railing as he looked down at the vast lawn.

"They used you as a pawn?" He turned around and had his gaze fixed back to hers. Worry visible in his eyes as he scanned her top to toe. 

 "I'm afraid so" she said.  

"They tried to threaten and hurt you so that I'll stop the search? And you didn't have the courtesy to tell me what's going on."

Her bruises and wounds were all because of his silly idea of searching for someone who he might not even find at all, he thought. It hurt him, had he not brought her into this search mission neither would she have gone through all these threatening nor would she had to endure the wounds that might leave a mark on her forever.

There were no exchange of words, the silence were heavy. The longer she focused on him the stronger she felt there was something going on in his mind and it was projecting on his face loud and clear.

HORRIFIED. DISTRESSED. 'THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF ME?!'

"Now don't tell me that you..." Ella was interjected.

"All these damages happened because of me? I started it all? I should have known. I should have known that there must have been a reason why Uncle D kept Ara away from everyone. I started it and. . . oh god..." he started pacing back and forth. 

"Stop it Diego!" Ella reached out to him, he was being paranoid. She held his hands in hers, squeezing them, "stop. It's okay. It is your fault and stop worrying about it. 

I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not telling you about it earlier. Please stop blaming yourself."

She knew this would happen, she have seen him the same way before and he is going through it again. This was the only reason why she never wanted to tell him about anything that concerns safety of his closed ones and if she tells, this is what his reaction will be. Finding a loophole that will somehow connects with him and end up blaming himself for everything.

"This has to do with Ara and Mr. Agosti not you. So, stop worrying, damn it!" she chided as he continued to mumble to himself.

"No... I started it. It's because me that you are made as a target"

"It's not because of you"

"It is. I think we should abort this search. I don't want to put your life in danger"

"I swear, Diego. If you don't stop. . . I don't know what I'll do" she yell whispered.

What irked her the most is him, worrying too much and unnecessarily blaming himself when unexpected events occur. 

She pulled him to the chair and made him sit. Ella stood and watched him for a moment, he stills feels guilty when things he handles goes wrong.

"You know what, tomorrow the first thing you do is go to a psychiatric and get their advise on your anxiety. If you don't treat it, it will make you worst. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay

". . . But tell me, did they hurt you other than today's attack? I know nothing happened to you that night in your house but other than that? The man you met, did he hurt you? I need you to tell me everything" He questioned, calmer than earlier. Diego somehow managed composed himself with the help of Ella who had continuously said the same phrase to him 'it's not your fault'.

It helped then. It helped now.

Ella eventually settled on the floor while Diego remain on recliner, memories of the morning attack flashed in his mind.'What if Ella never knew how to fight? Would they have end her life?' He shook his head in attempt to brush away the thought.

"I'm not going to tell you, amico"

"I promise I won't react. I just want to know"

Can she buy his words? Will he not react? she thought. But she needed to tell him, all of it. Will he let her go if she tells or is he going to explode at the revelation of the attack history she has.

Somehow or rather she carefully constructed every single line she spoke to him. Arraying the incidents from the newest to the oldest. He was freaking out, she could see yet he was holding it up trying not to explode.

"I can't believe this. Why do you always like to hide important matters from me, Ella? Don't you think I should know about this earlier?

Do you think I'm not capable of protecting you? I might not know how to fight but I still could have pulled out something better than that" he said after she revealed the hidden meaning of fishing that she used a couple of times to hide the attack she faced at the time.

They were both now standing at the edge of the balcony again.

"I didn't hide it for fun, Diego. I just didn't want you to be worried for me and I don't like it either. It keeps me bounded" she held the railing tight with white-knuckle.

"You are bounded" he said, completely annoyed with Ella's revelation. "You agreed to help me find Ara, that means I'm responsible for whatever happens to you. I can't believe that you are telling me, you got kidnapped like you went out shopping. Oh sorry, fishing" he mocked.

"Look I'm sorry for not telling you from the beginning. I was just..." She paused, Ella felt as if she took over Diego's anxiety. 

"... Just worried. That you will be worried" she shook her head.

"You have made me worried, Ella but more than that, you have hurt me. So much that I'm not angry with you but with myself"

Ella couldn't face him anymore. Guilt was taking over her as she made no attempt to say a word. She decided to left him calm down before she goes again to apologies for hiding such a big thing.

She figured out this will be mess and it happened.

He moved closer towering her with his height, he spoke in a low voice.

"There is a reason why I'm hell worried for you and there is a reason why I want to protect you but you don't have to know why.

From now onward, you will follow what I say and my words will be final. For what you have done, this is how you are gonna pay back. Anyways, good night. Thank you for sharing." He walked out of the balcony and out the room, upset and angry had taken over his anxiety.

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N

ot happy... Will come back again to make changes.

AN: I want to clarify this, Diego may not be a great fighter(like the ones we see in movies), he may be vulnerable when comes to his loved/closed ones but he isn't the weak. 

There is a backstory for why Diego gets anxious and blames himself when things go south. I find that it will go off track and will not be related to the story if I add the backstory. Hence, I'm skipping that part for now. 

Let me know if you are interested to know his short backstory. I'll try to squeeze in his bit.

AND sorry for keeping you'll waiting. Time is being very unfavorable for me when comes to writing. I'll try my best for a quick update. 

Do comment and don't forget to vote. 

~DDK~