I was just staring blankly here in this room where I'm locked up. He locked me here because I tried to escape early this morning.

"Is this what you meant when you said not to be angry at Mateo... Kung maka alala ako?" I said when Mom entered the room. I'm in Mateo's room, locked up because I tried to escape this morning, but I was caught. Only he and Mom are allowed to enter this room where he locked me up.

I have right to be angry with Mateo. Because of them, I don't even know who my mother is.

"I'm sorry, Ija. But I can't do anything. You're his obsession, but please don't get mad at me for being silent and not telling you about this. I tried many times to tell you this, but he kept blocking me," Mom apologized. I was stunned by what she said. Mateo is obsessed with me.

I can't bring myself to call her Mommy. I can't take it.

"You should have told me sooner. So I would know what to do from the beginning. Nalayo ako sa Mama ko, at alam niyo ang nangyayari... but you chose to stay silent," I cried, not knowing what to do.

Pakiramdam ko tuloy pinag tulongan ako ng nga taong nakapaligid sa sakin.

"I'm sorry. I have to lie. I have no powers like my son and husband," she said, shaking her head, her voice choked with tears.

"Mommy Majika, please help me escape. Please," I pleaded, on the verge of tears. She smiled sadly.

"If only you had told me earlier, I would have understood," I said, my voice cracking with emotion.

It's been weeks since I've been locked up here. It's hard for me to call her Mommy now, hindi ko masikmuraan ang mga nangyayari.

Hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan ako makukulong dito.

"I can't. Mateo is powerful. He's a known dangerous mafia. He can do whatever he wants with one order," she said. Tears fell from my eyes. So that's why he has guns? If he can kill people, that means he can also kill me in a snap.

"Please, M-Mommy. Help me. I don't want to be here anymore. I want to go home to my Mom. I want to see my Mom. I want to see her," I pleaded. She hugged me.

Kailangan ko gumawa ng paraan para mapapayag siyang tulongan ako.

I sobbed. "Hahayaan mo po ba akong manatili rito at makulong sa anak mo? He doesn't know me, and he's not my husband," I said, starting to manipulate her. "My Mom is all alone. She's miserable, kailangan ako ng Mama ko para may kasama siya" I added. Crying.

I see sadness and fear in her eyes. Poor her. She's dragged into her son's wrongdoings.

"I'll help you as much as I can. Get out at 2 a.m. Just promise me you won't be mad at me if we ever see each other again," she said. I cried even harder at what she said. I nodded. We both turned towards the door when someone knocked.

"Mom, are you still there? What takes you so long?" He was banging on the door. Mom Majika quickly got up and opened the door. I quickly fixed myself.

When the door opened, Mateo stood there, his brow furrowed. He entered and looked back at Mom Majika.

Mom Majika looked back at me and nodded before leaving the room. I turned back to Mateo when he spoke.

"Did you eat already?" He sat on the bed, and I stepped back. I shook my head several times.I started crying upon seeing him here.

"Paalisin mo na lang ako, please. Hindi mo naman ako asawa," I pleaded, my voice trembling.

His brow furrowed at my words. "What do you mean? You're staying here. You're mine."

I shook my head desperately. "Ayaw ko na rito... hayaan mo na akong maka alis," I choked out, tears streaming down my face.

He rose from the bed and approached me, his gaze intense. I flinched back, but he only stopped a foot away, towering over me.

"You think you can just leave?" he hissed, his voice low and menacing. "You're trapped here. You're mine, and you'll stay that way."

He leaned closer, his breath hot on my cheek. "Remember this. Even though we are not married, you are mine. I would never let you leave this house. I will kill whoever will attempt to help you escape. Mark my words," he whispered, sending chills down my spine.

Umiyak lang ako nang umiyak. Hindi na namalayan ang pagka tulog.

~~~

I woke up groggy when I felt something caressing my cheek. I opened my eyes and saw Mateo next to me. My eyes widened. I sat up and moved away from him.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I didn't mean that. I'm just scared that I might lose you," he murmured softly, but I just shook my head.

"A-anong ginagawa mo rito?" I asked him, stuttering. He sighed and looked at the table. I followed his gaze and saw there was food.

Food that I haven't touched.

"Eat. You didn't eat lunch," he commanded authoritatively, but with a hint of tenderness. I just shook my head and my vision started to blur.

"M-mamaya," I whispered, but it was loud enough for him to hear. I looked at him. He was just staring at me, so I averted my gaze and looked down.

"Fine. But before I come back here, you should finish that food or else you will taste my rough and hard punishment," he said. I just nodded, my throat too tight to speak. I heard his footsteps as he walked away, the sound echoing in the silence of the room. Only then did tears start to fall, hot and uncontrolled. I'm such an idiot. "You are mine... I already marked you. I would never let you leave this house," his chilling words echoed in my mind, his gaze still piercing through me.

I stood up, my legs trembling, and frantically searched for my phone. It was nowhere to be found. Where could it be?

Panic seized me. What if I tried to reach out to Mommy Majika for help? Would Mateo kill her? The thought sent a wave of terror through me. I couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt because of me.

I sank back onto the bed, my body wracked with sobs. I was trapped, alone, and utterly helpless.

~~~

I was wide awake. It was only 10 p.m., but I already ate the food Mateo gave me. He came back at 10:30 to check if I ate. I was just looking out the window when someone knocked. The door opened, and I saw Mom Majika peek in before entering.

"How are you? Have you prepared your things?" She asked, concern etched on her face. I shook my head, my voice catching in my throat. Her brow furrowed, her eyes searching mine.

"Huwag niyo na po akong tulungan," I said, my voice barely a whisper. The words felt heavy, like a burden I couldn't bear. Her frown deepened, her expression a mix of confusion and disappointment.

"But why? I thought you wanted to leave this house?" she asked, her voice gentle but firm. I nodded, my head bowed. Her gaze was intense, searching for an answer.

"Then why ayaw mong tulungan kita?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

I took a deep breath, my chest constricted with a mix of fear and shame. I turned my gaze to the window, the world outside blurring through the glass.

"Kasi... kasi..." I stammered, the words catching in my throat. "Kasi... he'll hurt you if you help me."

Ayaw kong may masaktan si Mateo nang dahil sa 'kin.

"Sabi ni Mateo, papatayin niya kung sino man ang mag tangkang tumulong sa akin palabas dito sa bahay. And I don't want you to be hurt because of me," I told her, making her eyes widen.

If she gets hurt because of me, I'd rather stay and suffer here than blame myself if something bad happens to her.

"He said that?" she suddenly whispered. "Trust me. I'm the one who's going to help you escape. I already set everything up, including your escape. My friend will pick you up outside. The CCTVs are covered with paint," she said, making me cry.

"Thank you. Please, promise me na magiging okay ka po and Mateo won't hurt you because of me," I said. She nodded and hugged me. I hugged her back.

"Just promise me you won't be mad at me when you get back," she said. I nodded and gave her a small, teary smile.

"You can escape since Mateo is leaving later at 1:30 a.m. But we have to be careful. His bodyguards are all over the mansion," she said. I nodded, nervous about what might happen later.

"For now, rest. I'll knock on the door when Mateo leaves," she said, kissing my forehead. She stood up and walked towards the door. She looked back at me. I mouthed, "Thank you," and she just nodded before leaving.

I was in the middle of thinking about whether my escape would be successful when someone knocked. When the door opened, I saw Mateo.

"A-anong ginagawa mo rito?" I managed to ask, even though my legs were shaking.

"I am leaving for a while. Don't you dare do anything that will make me angry, or else you will be punished. Understood?" he said authoritatively. I nodded, closing my eyes when he kissed me on the forehead and left without a word. I breathed a sigh of relief when he left. I looked at the clock. It was 1:35 a.m. I just sat on the bed, waiting for Mom Majika.

It was already 2:10 a.m., but Mom Majika wasn't here yet. I was starting to lose hope, but it disappeared when I heard a knock. The door opened, and Mom Majika stood there. I was relieved.

"All your stuff is ready na ba? did you pack na? wala na bang naiwan? all the bodyguards are sleeping... but we still have to careful" Tumango ako sa kaniya, tinuro ko naman mga gamit ko na kinalingon nito sa mga bagahe ko.

"Ready na po" bulong ko. Tumango ito at tinulungan akong dahil iyon dalawang bag iyon siya bumuhat ng isa.

"Okay, we have to leave. My friend Mica is waiting outside with his son. At the back of the mansion. We will use the back door now. Let's go. No need to worry about CCTV. I turned them off," she said. I nodded. She went out first, so I followed her.

We reached the back of the house, and I saw a black van. I turned to Mom Majika and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you for helping me get out of here," I said, crying. I don't know why I'm so emotional these past few days.

"This is my pang bawi, please. be safe. I'm sorry." niyakap ako nito natigil kami ng maka rinig kami ng busina kaya nataranta kami.

I hugged Mom Majika again before quickly running out to the parked car. The door opened, and a woman around Mom Majika's age came out.

Before I could get in, I heard a gunshot. I was praying that it wasn't Mom Majika who got shot because I would blame myself forever.

"Are you okay, Ija?" The woman asked, catching my attention. I nodded in response.

Tinignan ko ang kabuoan niya. Kaedaran siya ni Mommy Majika.

"Yes, ma'am. Saan po tayo pupunta?" I asked. She nodded before answering my question.

"We're going to the states for a while," she said. My eyes widened. I shook my head.

"What?! What about my Mom? Hindi ko siya pwedeng iwan. Wala siyang kasama, ako na lang po ang meron siya" I said, starting to cry. She just smiled at me.

I screamed when someone started shooting at the car we were in. I just covered my ears and ducked down. I only looked up when the woman poked me.

"Your Mom is in the states. Majika called me to pick you up. She found your Mom first and had her flown to the states. Don't mind those bullets. This car is bulletproof," she said. I cried, remembering where Mom Majika was. I asked if she was okay.

The bullets hitting the car seemed like nothing to her. It felt like they were used to gunshots.

"Will mom Majika be okay there? Hindi po ba sasaktan ni Mateo ang mommy niya?" I asked her nervously.

She shook her head, making me breathe a sigh of relief.

"Yes, Majika will be okay, and No, Mateo can't hurt his mother," she said, her voice firm and reassuring. A smile bloomed on her face, radiating warmth and confidence. "By the way, I'm Mica Joy De Villa. Majika's friend," she offered her hand, her eyes twinkling with kindness. I took it, feeling a surge of hope.

Yumuko ako at pinaglaroan ang kamay. "Ahm, I don't know my real name," I said shyly, my voice barely a whisper.

She laughed, a light, tinkling sound that filled the room with a sense of ease. "Luliana. You are Luliana Grace Cartier. That's your name, Ija. Your Mom told me," she said, her voice gentle and soothing.

My name was so long, almost unfamiliar. It felt like a forgotten melody, a part of me that had been stolen away.

"Ahm, can I know my Mom's name?" I asked her. She nodded.

"Loria May Cartier." Loria. Loria was my Mom's name. I turned to the driver. He was a man around 25 years old, the same age as Mateo. Mateo was 26.

Why was I even thinking about that man.

"Sino po siya?" I shyly pointed to the man driving the van, my gaze lingering on his profile. He seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember.

"He's Mark Francisco De Villa. My son," she said, her voice filled with pride. I nodded, trying to piece together the puzzle of his familiarity.

Francisco? The name resonated in my mind. The man seemed vaguely familiar, but the memory remained elusive. Where had I seen him before?

Ma'am Mica's voice filled the van, her cheerful chatter a welcome distraction from the swirling thoughts in my head. I listened, occasionally offering a shy response, but my mind kept returning to the elusive memory.

I had no idea where we were going, but a sense of hope flickered in my heart. It was a small flicker, but it was enough to keep me clinging to the possibility of freedom.