Protecting the President's Daughter

Chapter 1: The President's Daughter

Napangiwi si Bella nang muling kumirot ang kaniyang ulo. Napalingon siya sa mga kaibigan niyang malakas na nagtatawanan katabi niya at kinalabit ang isa. 

"Do you have any aspirin left, Maia?" 

Maia stopped laughing and shook her head. "Sorry Bella, I just had two left and I already gave them to Trisha and Gwen." Tinuro niya ang dalawa pang kaibigan na ngayo'y nagbubulungan na. 

"Oh, it's okay," she smiled at Maia. 

"You can ask your bodyguards naman," Maia suggested. Bella smiled fakely and nodded. Silang apat ang magkakasamang uminom at nagpakalasing kagabi pero silang dalawa lang ang aalalahanin niya? She ignored it and just texted one of her bodyguards to buy one. 

Nasa isang restaurant sila ngayon at kumakain ng umagahan. Na-late pa nga siya kanina dahil sa sakit ng ulo at nagsuka pa. Pagdating niya, kumakain na pala ang tatlo at nagsunduan raw kaya sabay-sabay silang dumating. 

"Oo nga pala, girls," she suddenly intervened, "Why didn't any of you pick me up? Masakit din ang ulo ko..." 

The three went silent and looked at each other before Trisha nervously chuckled. "Ano ka ba naman, Bella? How can we pick you up from the Malacañang? You can just go here naman." 

Bella pouted. "But I have a hangover too..." 

"Just ask your bodyguards to buy you one, Bella. Grabe namang katamaran 'yan, right girls?"

The three laughed it off and continued conversing, once again excluding her. Nang mainis, nagsimula na siyang mag-isip ng plano para maturuan ng leksyon ang tatlo. They can't just ignore her! 

Saktong tumunog ang telepono ni Bella at nagliwanag ang screen niya. Nagtext ang kaniyang bodyguard at napansin niyang napatingin ang tatlo sa telepono niyang nasa lamesa. Hindi nila nabasa ng maayos ang text dahil hinablot na agad iyon ni Bella. Nang makaisip ng plano, palihim siyang napangisi. 

"Oh!" She faked a gasp as she read the text. 

Manong Edward: 

Mam, nkbili n p aq aspirin.. dalhin q p b dyan

"I have an important business trip to attend pala today," she sorrowfully looked at the three. "I think I'm going now." 

Tumayo siya at kahit sumasakit ang ulo at nahihilo ay diretso pa rin ang tindig niya. Marahan niyang kinuha ang Birkin Bag at kumaway sa tatlo. Nakita niya pang lumunok ang isa. 

"But Bella, how about the bill?" 

She mentally scoffed. Tagabayad na lang pala siya ng bill ngayon. 

"I thought it wasn't on me? Sorry, I really gotta go, toodles!" Nangingisi pa siyang umalis sa lamesa. Naririnig niya pa kung paano nila sabihan ang waiter na sa kaniya ang bill. 

"Kuya, just put the bill on her tab! Ugh! So tanga!" 

Stupid. Bella thought. I didn't open a tab in this restaurant. 

Laughing to herself, she strutted out of the restaurant, knowing fully well that she will never talk to those three ever again. Sayang naman, she actually lasted a few months with them. 

The following days were as boring as hell. Wala siyang importanteng ginagawa at hindi rin siya masyado makalabas dahil may mga komplikasyon daw sa bodyguards niya. Like hell, siya pa ang mag-aadjust para sa bodyguards niya! 

She ended up calling her genuine friend, one of a few, Kate. 

[Allo?] 

"How's my favorite ballerina doing in Russia?" Bella chuckled. Kate is one of her close friends that she actually got along with pretty well back in high school. But they didn't get to go to university together because Kate already left to study ballet in Russia. 

[Bella! You changed your number?] 

Napahagikhik siya, naalala ang dahilan kung bakit kinailangan niyang magpalit ng telepono. "Yeah, I pulled a prank last week to everyone and I acted like I was kidn*pped and even threw my phone to the riverbank. They all thought I was dead! Grabe! Walang tiwala sa survival sense ko!" 

[Bella...] Kate warned. [You must've made Tito so worried! And probably me too if I had known!] 

Napanguso siya. "Yeah, yeah. Nag-alala ng super si Daddy. I said sorry, though! Muntikan na siyang magka-heart attack, e!" 

Nagpatuloy ang kamustahan nila at nalaman niyang nag-aaral pa rin si Kate sa ballet school, at may ilang taon pa siyang natitira bago makapagtapos. Kinwento rin ni Bella ang mga gala niya at pati ang mga nakaharutan niyang lalaki. Nagpatuloy ang kamustahan nila ng ilang oras bago mabulabog ang dalawa sa katok sa pintuan ng kwarto ni Bella. 

She frowned and bid goodbye to Kate, lazily going to her door to open it up. 

Outside the door was Manong Edward. Her frown deepened when she saw him in a different uniform, or rather, a casual outfit. For as long as she can count, Manong Edward has always worn the usual white barong and shades. Today, he's wearing a polo and jeans. Is he going on vacation? 

"What is it, Manong?" 

Nakangiti ang matandang lalaki. Bumaba ang tingin niya sa maugat nitong mga kamay dahil sa ilang taong araw-araw na paghawak sa manibela na pinaglalaruan ang isa't isa. 

"You're nervously fiddling with your fingers, is there something wrong?" She pointed out. 

Mabilis iyong itinigil ni Manong at kinamot ang kaniyang batok. "Ah eh, hindi naman ho Ma'am. Nais ko lang ho sanang magpaalam sa alaga ko. Titigil na ho kasi ako sa pagiging guwardya niyo. Masyadong matanda na ho ako eh, hindi na kakayanin ng katawan ko kung may aksyon mang magaganap. Pasensya na, Ma'am." 

Tahimik lang si Bella. The news hasn't registered to her so she was just blankly looking at him. Napansin iyon ni Manong Edward at agad na nahiya. 

"Pasensya na ho, Ma'am. Nasasayang ko pa ho yata oras niyo—" Before he could deny, he was suddenly pulled in for a tight hug by Bella. Manong Edward has been the most considerate, understanding, and kind bodyguard she ever had. Everytime she sneaks out, he covers for her. Everytime she can't drive, he does it voluntarily. Maybe it's because of his father's instincts or what, but he was very caring of her and protected her ever since she was a kid. Manong Edward was the only close-in bodyguard she has, so she's very close to him and not so much to the distance guards. 

"Thank you for protecting until you grew old, Manong," she whispered while still hugging him. She's losing another genuine person in her life again, but why isn't she still used to it? 

"Habang buhay ko pong ipagmamalaki na naging bodyguard niyo ako." 

Humiwalay na siya sa yakap at natatawang nagbiro, "Dapat lang, Manong." 

"Are my other guards leaving too?" She pouted. Malungkot na tumango si Manong. 

"Opo. Pero h'wag ka mag-alala, Ma'am. Bukas na bukas ay nandito na ang bago mong mga gwardya. Mas marami sila, at mas bata para makahalubilo mo rin ang iba." 

Although against the replacement of bodyguards, Bella kept her mouth shut. She's also worried for Manong Edward's well-being, kahit hindi halatang nag-aalala siya, halatang-halata naman na masyado na ngang matanda si Manong para magtrabaho pa—lalo na sa linya ng trabaho niyang may malaking tyansang may aksyon. 

"I'll miss you, Manong. Bye-bye." 

Nakangiting tumalikod sa kaniya si Manong at pagkatalikod na pagkatalikod nito, hindi na napigilan ni Bella ang pagtulo ng isang patak ng luha. 

"Daddy!" Bella jumped at her father in joy and excitement when she saw him in one of the hallways of the Malacañang. Nangiti ang kaniyang ama at binalik ang kaniyang mahigpit na yakap. 

"Darling," cooed her Daddy. She's always been a Daddy's girl, probably because she hates her step-mother and relies on him financially. She could've had a career in modeling right now and could've been supporting herself but certain circumstances led to her giving up on her passion and just live her life doing spontaneous things. 

"You're looking so much more gwapo today, Daddy!" 

The President chuckled and fixed her hair. "I know that tone, darling. What do you need?" 

Lalong nangiti si Bella at inikot ang tingin sa sandamakmak na guwardiyang nakapaligid sa kanila. She surely can't tell him what she wants when there are more than a dozen of close-in guards near them! Speaking of, after talking to Manong Edward earlier, she can't wait to annoy the new guards so they can resign and plead to be reassigned somewhere else. 

As per Bella's request, nagpunta sila sa opisina ng Presidente at doon pribadong nag-usap. 

"So," Bella clasped her hands and smiled prettily at her Father, "You know that really cool twin towers condominium building in BGC, Daddy?" 

"No." He shook his head, starting to open a few files on his desk. 

"One of their penthouses are available, Daddy..." 

His left brow shot up. "Do you have a friend that wants to buy their penthouse? Do they need me for it?" 

"She's not just a friend, Daddy," dahan-dahan niyan sabi, "She's me."

Natigil ang kaniyang Ama sa pagpipirma at pumirmi ang tingin sa kaniya. He squinted at her while she gave him a tight-lipped smile. 

"You want to move out of the Malacañang, darling?" 

"It's more like," Bella looked around, thinking of better words to phrase 'moving out', "I want to start feeling like an adult, Daddy. You know, I'm 25 and I'm still living in my childhood house, in my childhood room. I want to feel liberated, Daddy." 

He asked, frowning, "Your so-called childhood house is the Malacañang palace, darling. Who would want to move out of the nation's palace?" 

"I would!" 

He ignored her. "And start feeling like an adult? Darling, you've been going home drunk, going home with boys, going home with a new car, a new yacht—what else have you not brought home that a normal kid couldn't?" 

Nanggigigil siyang sumagot. "Freedom!" 

Nanlaki ang mata ng kaniyang Ama hindi sa nabanggit kundi sa tono niya. "Bellissima, your tone!" 

She pursed her lips. When he stops calling her Darling and starts calling her as Bellissima, her full first name, she knows she's in trouble. Nainis lang naman siya dahil mali yata ang timing niya. Isa yata ulit 'to sa mga araw na hindi nakikinig ang kaniyang Ama. See, there are lucky days and unlucky days when it comes to the President. And today seems like her unlucky day. But oh wait—nagbabago na yata ang isip niya.

Her Father sharply inhaled and looked softly at her. "I'm sorry about that, Darling. You can try living in the penthouse for a month. Let's talk after that."