DAMNED

Chapter 5: Gathering Allies

Rose sat in their kitchen, the folder of evidence hidden beneath a stack of cookbooks. She couldn’t carry this burden alone. Eugenio’s obsession was spiraling into violence, and if she didn’t act, Robina would be destroyed.

She thought of who she could trust. Family was out of the question — Eugenio’s influence ran deep. But perhaps an old friend, Attorney Delgado, who had once helped her with a property dispute. Delgado was discreet, principled, and unafraid of powerful men.

Rose dialed his number, her voice trembling. “I need your help. It’s about Eugenio… and a girl.”

------------------------------------

During their break time, Robina gathered her friends in the library. The attack had shaken them all, but she refused to be passive.

“We can’t just wait for them to strike again,” she said firmly. “We need to plan.”

Cris leaned forward. “Plan what? We’re students, not fighters.”

Robina’s eyes hardened. “Survival. We stick together, we change routes, and we document everything. If they come again, we’ll have proof.”

Her determination lit a spark in the group.

Raell listened, his jaw tight. He admired Robina’s courage, but he knew the danger was bigger than they realized.

“These men aren’t random,” he said.

“They’re organized. Someone powerful is behind this. We need to be ready for worse.”

He began sketching out strategies: alternate paths home, signals if they were followed, and safe houses at friends’ homes.

Robina nodded. “We’ll fight back with caution.”

Santos reported to Eugenio: “She’s adapting. She’s cautious now, planning with her friends.”

Eugenio’s smile was cold. “Good. Let her plan. Plans crumble under pressure. Soon, she’ll see resistance is useless.”

Santos felt his conscience scream louder. He began to wonder if he should betray Eugenio — but fear kept him silent.

Meanwhile, Remore noticed his mother’s secretive phone calls, her tense silences. He suspected she was plotting against his father.

Conflicted, he wondered: should he protect his family’s name, or expose the monster his father was becoming?

While the group tested their new plan. They walked in pairs, changed routes, and kept phones ready. Raell carried a small pocket knife, hidden but ready.

One evening, as they walked, Robina whispered, “They’re watching again.”

Raell nodded. “Let them. We’re ready this time.”

Rose’s POV

Rose met Attorney Delgado in a quiet café, sliding the folder across the table. “This is proof. Eugenio is targeting a student. We need to stop him.”

Delgado’s eyes widened as he scanned the documents. “This is dangerous, Rose. But I’ll help.”

On the other side, Robina and her friends walked home, their steps steady despite the shadows. They were no longer passive prey — they were preparing to survive.

Eugenio’s obsession had reached its breaking point. Watching, intimidating, testing — none of it satisfied him anymore. He wanted Robina in his grasp.

“Tonight,” he told Santos coldly. “No more games. Bring her to me.”

Santos’ stomach twisted. “Sir, this is abduction. If anyone finds out—”

Eugenio’s glare silenced him. “Do it. I’ll handle the fallout.”

The following day, Robina walked with Raell and her friends, their new strategy in place: pairs, alternate routes, phones ready. But the air felt heavier than usual, charged with unseen menace.

Her instincts screamed. “Something’s wrong,” she whispered to Raell.

He nodded, scanning the street. “Stay alert.”

Raell’s gut told him this wasn’t another intimidation. The shadows felt thicker, the silence sharper. He tightened his grip on the pocket knife hidden in his jacket.

“They’re coming,” he muttered.

As the group turned a corner, a van screeched to a halt. Doors flew open. Men in masks surged forward.

Screams erupted. Robina felt hands grab her arm, yanking her toward the van. She fought, kicking, clawing, her voice raw: “Raell!”

Raell lunged, slashing with his knife, cutting one attacker’s arm. Blood sprayed, the man cursed, but more piled on.

Joshua and Cris tried to pull Robina free. Krystina and Eyrah swung their bags wildly. Amanda and Alice shrieked, frozen in terror.

Chaos consumed the street.

Santos watched from the shadows, horror in his chest. This wasn’t intimidation — it was war. He saw Robina’s terror, Raell’s desperate fight, the students’ screams.

He whispered, “God forgive me,” but did nothing. Eugenio’s orders bound him like chains.

Robina clawed at her captor’s face, breaking free for a moment. Raell shoved another attacker back, blood dripping from his lip.

“Guys Go Run!” Raell shouted.

The group scattered, sprinting down alleys, screaming for help. Robina’s legs burned, her breath ragged, but survival drove her forward.

Behind them, the van roared, men chasing, curses echoing.

Robina and Raell ducked into a narrow alley, hearts pounding. The attackers thundered past, missing them in the chaos.

Robina clung to Raell, trembling. “They tried to take me.”

Raell’s eyes blazed. “This isn’t random. Someone powerful wants you.”

At home, Rose sensed something was happening. Eugenio’s phone buzzed, his smile twisted. She clenched her fists, knowing the moment of truth was near.

Remore overheard his father’s muttered words: “Tonight, she’s mine.”

Fear and disgust surged. He realized his father was orchestrating something monstrous.

While Eugenio Cardinal sat in his mansion, sipping wine, imagining Robina in his grasp.

The net had closed, and survival had begun in earnest.