Hindi niya ininda pa ang sakit na nararamdaman at pinagpatuloy ang pagtahak sa daan patungo sa sasakyang panghimpapawid na naghihintay sa kanila sa may talampas.

She nearly lost her balance due to the rough land and stony ground, but thankfully, someone grabbed her by the waist, helping her stabilize her stance.

"Look at where you're stepping," he scolded and placed his arm around her. She couldn't help but feel relieved. He was being considerate, providing her comfort during a time of stress.

Nagpatuloy sila sa paglalakad sa ganoong posisyon. Ramdam niya ang malakas na braso nito sa kaniyang mga balikat. Gustuhin man niyang alisin ang bisig nito ay hindi niya magawa. Nahihilo siya at hindi maganda ang kaniyang pakiramdam.

She scanned the area and her unsteady gaze was fixed on an aircraft. It looked similar to Wilder's private jet, but it lacked elegance on the first glance. The pilot was on his feet, waiting for them as the airstair began to descend. She guessed that he was in his mid 40's.

Once they clampered up the jet, she noticed how elegant the interior was, though its opulence wasn't anywhere near to Wilder's personal plane. The cabin was cozy and narrow, and fortunately, there was a great number of windows which allowed the entry of natural light. It also had its own walk-in baggage compartment.

Napailing na lang siya nang patuloy niyang paghambingin ang dalawang sasakyan. Ang tanging hangad niya sa mga sandaling iyon ay makauwi nang ligtas sa Pilipinas, at isang parte ng kaniyang puso ay hinihiling na sana'y muling makatagpo si Wilder.

After throwing herself down her seat, she rested her head on the comfortable and indigenous headrest. Pipikit na sana siya nang lumapit sa kaniya ang binata at inilapit nito ang katawan. Pati ang mukha nila ay muntik nang magkadikit.

"Sleep," he whispered. The man adjusted the headrest and her seat began to recline as he lowered the chair's back by pressing on a button.

Nabigla si Anastasha at pakiramdam niya'y mahuhulog siya kaya't kumapit siya sa mga braso nito. She grabbed him by the collar and lifted up her body, only to feel his lips pressed against her forehead.

Bigla itong napalayo sa kaniya. "W-what the..." They were both unable to speak. Their mouths hung frozen and wide open in an expression of remarkable surprise.

"H-hindi ko sinasadya!" paliwanag niya habang namumula. Para siyang pinapakuluan sa napakainit na tubig. Malakas ng tibok ng kaniyang puso at ramdam niyang binalot na ng hiya ang kaniyang buong katawan.

The man's body started to react in a malicious way, and he hated it. He could feel all his blood rushing down to his manhood, enveloping him in a fervour heat. The pressure was so immense that it seemed to him that he was going to explode in an agonizing pain.

Hindi alam ni Anastasha kung ano pa ang idadagdag sa kaniyang sinabi. Gusto niyang sabihing hindi niya iyon gustong mangyari ngunit bigla na lamang itong tumalikod at lumipat sa ibang upuan.

Akmang tatayo siya sa kaniyang pagkakaupo upang kausapin ito nang maramdaman niya ang pagkabuhay ng makina ng sasakyan. Agad niyang inilagay ang kaniyang seat belt at ipinikit nang mariin ang mga mata.

She wondered why the pilot didn't even notify them. She held her breath as her body was pushed back on her seat when the jet started to take off. The roaring of the engine made her grew restless, and as she opened her eyes in curiosity, she saw the jet ascending and the ground moving away from her.

When the jet lifted in the air, she let out a sigh of relief. Dahil pangalawang beses palang naman niyang makalulan sa ganoong klaseng sasakyan ay hindi pa sanay ang kaniyang katawan.

She could feel her own body trembling in fear. Ni minsan ay hindi pumasok sa kaniyang isip na maaaring mangyari ang lahat ng ito sa kaniyang buhay. Isa lamang siyang hamak na babae, mahirap at hindi nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral. Ang gusto niya ay isang simple at matiwasay na buhay, ngunit sa dinami-rami ng tao ay siya pa ang minalas.

Muli na naman niyang pinigilan ang sarili na umiyak. Knowing her current situation, it would be useless to shed tears and complain about her stuggles in life. Wala rin namang mangyayari kung luluha siya.

"Are you scared?"

She was startled when the man suddenly spoke. His voice gave her the impression that it had been modified. It seemed as though he adapted a croaky voice. When she tilted her head to look at him, she realized that he was already sitting next to her.

Hinabol niya ang hininga nang mapagtanto na seryoso ang paraan ng pagtitig nito sa kaniya. "O-okay lang ako. Salamat," sagot niya at tumingin sa labas ng binatana.

"Blake. That's my name."

Without any comment, she diverted her attention to him. A slow smile worked its way across her face, and that was her only response. Her gaze shifted back to the window and she saw different shapes of clouds disperesed across the clear blue sky.

"You're thinking about Wilder again, I suppose," he remarked with an overflowing bitterness.

Para siyang ipinako sa kaniyang kinauupuan. She tried everything she could to suppress an inner trembling. Gusto sana niyang itanong kung ganoon ba siya kahalata sa kaniyang mga kilos at ekspresyon, ngunit pinigilan niya ang nais.

Nilingin niya ito. "Blake, maraming salamat," ani niya at ngumiti. Iniiwasan niyang mapag-usapan ang tungkol kay Wilder. Hindi niya hangad na patuloy na saktan ang kaniyang wasak na puso. Baka hindi na niya kayanin kung patuloy niyang aalalahanin ang mga sandaling kapiling niya ang binata.

Narinig niya ang pagbuntong-hininga nito. "No need. You should stop thinking about him. Dalawang araw na siyang wala. It's obvious that he has no plans to come-" Naputol ang sinasabi ng lalaki nang hawakan niya ang kamay nito.

"Alam ko. Kaya nga nagpapasalamat ako sa 'yo dahil tinutulungan mo 'ko. Salamat," saad niya at muling ibinalik ang mga kamay sa kaniyang kandungan. Hiling niya na sana'y naintindihan nito na hindi niya gusto ang tinatakbo ng kanilang pag-uusap.

Bigla ang pamumula ng mukha ni Blake. Inilihis niya ang tingin sa dalaga at itinuon ang atensyon sa ibang bagay. He took out his phone, opened a random application and focused his whole attention on it. He cursed himself for that.

Damn. This is gonna be tough, he said in his mind as he thought of the long duration of the flight.

"Blake?" Anastasha waved her hand in front of his face. She thought that he had been acting strange after the surprising fact which was unveiled to them two nights ago.

"O-oh, yeah. I mean, y-you're welcome," he said, stumbling over his words. He always began to falter when he was under pressure. He didn't like how Anastasha was making him look very unmasculine.

Hindi na napigilan ni Anastasha at napangiti siya. Ngayon niya lang nakita ang katangian na ito ni Blake. Habang pinagmamasdan ang lalaki ay bigla siyang may naalala. "Bakit mo nga pala binili ang mga paninda ko noon? At bakit naroon ka nang mga oras na iyon?"

"I was ordered to spy on Wilder. Geez. Nawala ako that time, and then I saw you with that kid. I never really looked at you because I was in a hurry. Plus, let me add that your hair was a mess back then," he stated. He didn't look happy when he said that thing about Wilder.

Nakaramdam siya ng hiya sa mga sinabi nito. Hindi man niya aminin sa sarili ay alam niya kung ano ang hitsura habang nagtitinda. "A-alam ko! Salamat nga pala sa pagbili mo ng mga paninda ko," pahayag niya habang nakangiti nang matamis.

"S-shut up!" shouted Blake, leaving Anastasha in shock. He blushed crimson in embarassment. He couldn't believe he was acting like that in front of a girl whom he barely knew.

He could not have possibly developed any feelings for her, right? Pinilit ni Blake ang sarili na sagutin ang sariling tanong ng oo, ngunit iba ang sinasabi ng kaniyang isip.

Nang marinig niya ang mahinang tawa ni Anastasha ay noon niya lamang naramdaman ang nais na protektahan ang isang tao. Nang makita niya ang masayang mukha ng dalaga ay hiniling niyang sana'y lagi itong makitang masaya.

Wilder violently kicked the door of the hotel room open and looked around the place. He irritatingly loosened his tie as he recalled what the receptionist told him when he arrived at the lobby.

"I'm sorry, S-sir De Luca. Ma'am Anastasha willingly departed with another man whom we've thought was a friend of hers, and was an acquaintance of yours."

Nang makitang walang tao sa loob ay kaniyang sinipa ang coffee table na malapit sa kaniya. Mariin niyang ipinikit ang mga mata at pinaglandas ang mga daliri sa kaniyang buhok.

He felt the need to fire the receptionist and so he did. Hindi niya napigilan ang kaniyang galit nang ibalita nito ang bagay na iyon. He was the owner of the island and he had every right to rule on his territory.

The image of Paula further inflamed unpleasant feelings. He believed in her. He had faith in her words. He thought that she was in danger, and that was the reason why he wasted no time to fly back to the Philippines. Her sublime deception and trickery only improved drastically over the course of time.

Sobra ang galit na kaniyang nadama sa mga sandaling iyon. Marahas na umupo siya sa puting silya. His conviction about Anastasha being in possible danger caused him to despise Carter and Paula even more.

Mas napopoot siya dahil hindi niya alam ang dahilan ng labis niyang pagkagalit. In fact, without Anastasha by his side, he could continue to lead a normal life. He forced himself to acquire that perspective, but his mind didn't allow him to.

He drew a deep and exasperated breathe as rage started to consume his whole being. The only thing he desired at that instance was the power to defend Anastasha despite not knowing her location.

He refused to accept the fact that Anastasha had become a special person to his life within a short span of time. He told himself that her innocence, cheerfulness, and positive outlook in life didn't influence him at all.

He groaned in frustration before soaring up from his seat. His mind remained in a vexing disorder as he took his phone from the pocket of his trousers and speed-dialled his sister's private number.

"Don't even start to order me around, Wilder," Aoife greeted him with her slur British accent. It was probably caused by exhaustion.

Hindi niya pinansin ang sinabi nito. "I need the fastest jet now. I am not taking a no as an answer. None of your complaints will be accepted," he said sharply in a tone of command, emphasizing every single word. He finished the call without letting his sister reply.

What I feel for her is nothing but sympathy, he thought and left the room in a great hurry, still in a state of fury.

Naalimpungatan si Anastasha nang maramdaman niyang may humahaplos sa kaniyang pisngi. Marahan niyang ikinurap ang mga mata at ibinaling ang tingin sa kaniyang katabi.

Natagpuan niya si Blake na mabilis na umayos sa pagkakaupo at tumingin sa labas ng binata. Naramdaman niya na parang umiikot ang kaniyang paningin kaya't hinawakan niya ang sentido at inihilig ang ulo sa unang bagay na kaniyang masasandalan.

"We're back in the Philippines," pahayag ni Blake sa kalmadong tinig.

Iminulat niya ang mga mata. Hindi niya ito tiningnan, bagkus ay pinagmasdan niya ang mga puno at halaman na sa Pilipinas niya lamang matatagpuan. Gabi na ngunit hindi niya alam ang tiyak na oras. After regaining conciousness, she found herself inside a car.

She wasn't surprised to catch sight of litters scattered on the pavement, beggars lurking in the dark, the alteration of street lights, and the noises of vehicle horns. As she observed the surroundings, she realized how big the contrast was between a city and a village.

Nang magsawa sa pagmamasid ay bumaling siya kay Blake. "Salamat ulit, ha?" saad niya habang nakangiti.

"Okay lang. Isipin mo na lang na ginawa ko 'to para makabawi sa mga ginawa ko. Saan ka na pupunta ngayon?" Blake asked in curiosity. He really wanted to know where she was going next. If ever she had nowhere to spend the whole week, he was ready to provide his condominium as her temporary lodgement. The flight lasted for seven long hours and it was already 12:15AM. As he stared at Anastasha's angelic face, he was wondering if she could read his emotions through his eyes.

Anastasha had a respose which she formulated in case he asked. Tama nga siya na magtatanong ito. She was about to reply when a high-pitched and defeaning screech of tires tore the silence inside the car. She almost plummeted down her seat, and if not for the seat belt, her face would have dived forward to the driver seat's headrest.

Nakita niya mula sa labas ang isang itim na Mercedez Benz na nakaparada sa harap ng sinasakyan nilang kotse.

She felt the shock as if she had been slapped. Halos mabingi siya sa lakas ng pintig ng kaniyang puso at halos lahat ng buhok niya ay tumabing sa kaniyang mukha. Ramdam niya rin ang pagkabaon ng kaniyang daliri sa seat belt na nakapalibot sa kaniyang katawan.

"What the hell was that!" exclaimed Blake while rubbing his head that hit against the glass of the window.

Nagsimulang makaramdam ng takot si Anastasha. Maraming tanong ang numumuo sa kaniyang isip. Paano kung ito ang boss ni Blake na gustong kuhanin si Paula ngunit siya ang kasama nito ngayon? Paano kung mga kaaway pala ito ni Blake?

Galit na bumaba si Blake mula sa sasakyan, at dahil sa takot na mapag-isa ay bumaba rin si Anastasha kahit na ang kaniyang buong katawan ay nanginginig.

"What do you want from us?" bulyaw ni Blake ngunit wala silang narinig na sagot. Makalipas ang ilang sandali ay saka lamang nila narinig ang pagkabukas ng pinto ng sasakyan.

Sila'y huminto sa isang makitid na eskinita. Walang taong nakapaligid at tahimik ang buong kapaligiran.

A man wearing a simple pair of navy blue jeans and a white t-shirt paired with a leather black jacket sophisticatedly made his way out of the extravagant car. A sudden gust of chilly wind brushed his hair, and his two sharp eyes stared at her out of the darkness.

"Anastasha," he called out her name in a croaky tone.

She gasped as she heard him speak. That hoarse voice would always remain embedded in her mind. Nag-u-unahang tumulo ang kaniyang mga luha nang magtaas ito ng paningin upang magtagpo ang kanilang mga mata.

"Wilder..." nanghihinang bigkas ni Anastasha sa pangalan ng binata.

A/N: I know how lame this chapter is. 😭 It's because I didn't have any inspiration while writing this one...