Dangerous Embrace

CHAPTER 7

NAGTAKA si Isabelle nang tawagan siya ni Sabrina at papuntahin sa isang hotel. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang sasabihin nito.

“Just trust me, Ate,” Sabrina told her earlier that evening. “It’s important. If you don’t go, Dad will blame you again.”

And as a daughter being always terrified of her father, she obeyed Sabrina.

Nag-alangan siya noong una. But she eventually agreed.

She didn’t know that the moment she accepted the drink Sabrina handed her, everything had already been decided.

Napansin ni Isabelle ang kakaibang ngiti ni Sabrina, pero hindi na niya ito pinansin dahil lagi naman niyang nakikita ang ngiting ‘yon ng kapatid niya.

“Anong ginagawa natin dito?” tanong ni Isabelle kay Sabrina.

“Ahmm… James wanted to meet you, Ate.”

Isabelle straightened her back. “James?”

Tumango si Sabrina. “Oo, Ate. He told me he wanted to meet you here, so I asked you to come with me.”

“Hindi ko alam na kailangan pang dumaan sa ‘yo ang sasabihin niya bago dumating sa akin?” wika ni Isabelle.

Namutla si Sabrina. “Well… a-about that…” she stuttered.

But Isabelle didn’t need to ask because she already knew why.

Maya-maya pa, nakaramdam ng pagkahilo si Isabelle.

“Ate, just wait for James here, okay?” Nagmamadaling sabi ni Sabrina, at nagmamadali rin itong lumabas ng hotel room.

Tumayo si Isabelle pero agad din siyang napaupo dahil parang umikot ang mundo nang sinubukan niyang tumayo. She’s not dumbed enough to not realize what was happening right now. Sabrina put something on the water she handed to her.

She touched her forehead.

Her breathing became uneven.

Hindi na siya dapat nagtiwala sa malumanay na salita ni Sabrina.

Sabrina was always hostile towards her.

Earlier, Sabrina was all smiles here and there.

She drugged me.

Agad siyang nakaramdam ng takot.

She knew what would happen if a woman was drugged. She’s not that naïve when it comes to these kinds of things. May mga romance book na ipinahiram sa kaniya ni Hazel upang basahin niya raw. And that’s the reason why she knew.

She was just shaking her head whenever the female antagonist would drug or frame the female protagonist, and now it happened to her.

Isabelle forced herself to stand.

Her legs trembled.

She grabbed the edge of the table to keep herself upright.

Hindi niya alam kung ano ang plano ni Sabrina. At lalong hindi niya alam kung si James ba talaga ang darating o kung ibang tao.

Sa pagkakataong ‘yon, isa lamang ang pumasok sa isipan ni Isabelle—ang makaalis sa lugar na ‘yon.

Isabelle stumbled toward the door and opened it.

The hallway was almost empty.

Lumabas siya habang inaalala kung saan ba siya dapat pumunta.

She needed help.

Pero sa mga oras na ‘yon, sinong tutulong sa kaniya?

“Isabelle?” A deep baritone voice called her name.

Mabilis siyang napatingin sa pinagmulan ng boses. Nahihilo siya at nanlalabo na ang kaniyang paningin, pero kilala niya ang boses na ‘yon.

It’s him. Elliot.

She reached out her hand to him, but her legs gave out.

Mabilis na sinalo ni Elliot si Isabelle bago pa man ito matumba.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

He looked at her. Isabelle was pale and trembling. Her eyes were also unfocused.

He noticed that something was wrong.

“Anong nangyari sa ‘yo?”

Hindi sumagot si Isabelle. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

Elliot stiffened. For a second, he didn’t move. Parang nakalimutan niyang huminga dahil sa paglalapat ng labi nilang dalawa ni Isabelle. Isabelle’s lips had barely touched his, yet the sensation seemed to linger.

Then he realized she wasn’t herself. Her body was trembling. Her breathing was uneven. And her eyes were barely focused.

He immediately pulled away—not harshly, but carefully.

“Isabelle, stop.”

Tiningnan niya ang dalaga. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused. There was no certainty in her expression—only fear, confusion, and desperation.

And suddenly, the kiss didn’t feel like a kiss at all.

Elliot felt like it was a cry for help.

“Elliot… help me… It’s hot.”

Agad na hinawakan ni Elliot ang pulsuhan ni Isabelle. He’s no doctor, but his mother wants him and Ellis to learn the basic about medicine.

And right now… “Isabelle, you’ve been drugged.”

“Help me… please…”

Agad na pinangko ni Elliot si Isabelle.

He kicked the door open and went inside.

Ibinaba niya si Isabelle sa kama at tinawagan si Noah.

“Sir?”

“Call my family doctor and tell him to come to my hotel room.”

“Sir, are you injured?”

“Not me. Just do what I told you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Basta na lamang niyang itinapon ang cellphone sa kama saka pinangko si Isabelle. He entered the bathroom and placed her in the bathtub.

He filled the bathtub with cold water to ease Isabelle.

He was about to leave, but suddenly Isabelle caught his hand.

“Don’t leave…”

Napabuntong-hininga si Elliot.

“I won’t leave.”

And Isabelle’s expression relaxed.

Tipid na ngumiti si Elliot.

But his smile disappeared when he thought of what happened to Isabelle… thinking of who drugged her.

Napahawak ang isa niyang kamay sa tapat ng kaniyang puso.

Besides the anger he felt right now, there was another emotion he couldn’t explain.

Fear.

Natatakot siya para kay Isabelle.

And that realization unsettled him. Because he wasn’t the man who worried about strangers. He didn’t lose sleep over other people’s problems. He didn’t feel responsible for people he barely knew.

Yet here she was.

Elliot carefully moved a strand of hair away from her face.

“You’re safe,” he whispered.

Tumugon si Isabelle sa pamamagitan ng pagpisil nito sa kamay niyang hawak.

“While waiting for the doctor, you need to stay in this cold water.”

Isang tango ang naging tugon ni Isabelle.

Wala sa sariling napatingin si Elliot sa labi ni Isabelle. The kiss earlier lingered in his mind. But he refused to think about what it meant again.

Isa pa, alam niyang hindi ito sinasadya ni Isabelle lalo na at wala ito sa tamang pag-iisip.

Alam naman niyang hindi siya nito hahalikan kung nasa tama itong pag-iisip.

But Elliot just found himself touching his lips.

“Elliot, you bastard…” he scolded himself.

Nang dumating ang doktor kasama si Noah, doon lamang niya iniahon si Isabelle mula sa bathtub.

“She needs to change her clothes,” sabi ni Dr. Morgan.

Tumingin si Elliot kay Noah.

Nagtaas naman ng kamay si Noah. “I’m a man, sir.”

“Alam ko, kaya nga tumawag ka ng female staff ng hotel.”

Noah obeyed.

While waiting for the female staff, Dr. Morgan checked Isabelle and administered medicine for her. Then Dr. Morgan gave Elliot a teasing smile.

“What?” Elliot asked.

Napailing si Dr. Morgan. “Young Master, drugging is not a kind way for a gentleman to win a woman.”

Agad na yumuko si Noah upang itago ang kaniyang ngiti.

Elliot rolled his eyes. “I didn’t drug her. Someone else did it, okay?” Elliot said, trying to explain himself. “Wait… it had nothing to do with you, Doc.”

Nagkibit lang naman ng balikat si Dr. Morgan.

“She’s fine now. When she wakes up later, make sure she drinks water.”

Tumango si Elliot. “Got it.”

When the female staff arrived, the three of them stepped out.

“Noah, I want every camera recording from the moment she entered this hotel. I want to know who brought her here, who gave her the drink, and who had access to her room.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Don’t alert anyone.”

Yumuko si Noah at umalis upang gawin ang inuutos niya.

Dr. Morgan, who had been a family doctor for the Rios family, smiled inwardly. Looks like the Rios will get another member this year.

In his five years of experience with the Rios family, halos kilala na niya ang mga ito.

The Rios family were kind people, but have different personalities.

Right now, the composed and calm façade of the third young master of the Rios Family has finally broken through.

“Since I am done here, I’m leaving.”

“Thanks for coming, doc.”

“Well, your family was paying me so it was my job.”

Tumango si Elliot.

After Dr. Morgan left, Elliot let out a small sigh.

For some reason, an idea came to his mind.

An idea to tie Isabelle to him.