Captivated

"Hi guys! Welcome back to my channel! This is Emie escaping the harsh reality of life to bring you up here in... Baguio City!"

Yves watched Emie from a considerable distance away while she filmed herself. Unshamed and confident, she wore a casual peach-colored dress and a thick jacket to protect herself from the cold. She also had a bonnet on top of her head to complete her Baguio getup.

They were at the Wright Park, where Emie stood at the end of the elongated rectangular pool that captured the scenic view of well-maintained nature and The Mansion—the official residence of the Philippine President in Baguio.

Yves merely tuned out Emie's vlogging speeches and checked their surroundings for any threat, which was nonexistent. Because most people around were just friendly locals enjoying their daily walks, and other tourists like her. But he's not going to let his guard down.

As Emie moved to her next location, Yves followed while trying not to get in the way. Her next stop was The Mansion, which was just right across Wright Park.

In Yves' opinion, it looked bare and nothing out of the ordinary. It had a wide lawn at the front which put the white-painted two-story residence far back onto the property.

Perhaps it was because he had seen every day. The only memorable time he had was when he's with Timothy, who prided in his knowledge about The Mansion's history, especially in its World War era.

As people would say, 'it's not about the place, it who you are with.'

The Mansion's gate's intricate design looked like a simpler version of the Buckingham Palace gates. People were allowed inside the gate for picture-taking, but they can't approach the building itself for security reasons.

Today, it seemed they couldn't even approach the gate as military personnels stood on guard at the enormous gate, which could only mean one thing.

"What's going on? I thought people are allowed past the gate?" Emie asked.

"Maybe the President is here in Baguio," Yves said. It only happened on seldom occasions, though, so he couldn't be so sure. "You can't really shoot here if that's the case. Security will be tight here for a while. How about we head to the place on your list?"

"What? No, this is great! Maybe I can catch a glimpse of the President and include it in my vlog." Emie ran excitedly to the front gate, but Yves held her back just as two black cars slowed and turned on the driveway.

One of the soldiers approached the driver's side to check. From their position, Yves couldn't see who was inside, but to his surprise, the window at the back slid down.

It was only for a brief moment, but Richard flashed a charming grin when their eyes met, looking mesmerized. Then the window slid back up as the gate opened for them to enter and closed again.

———

"Congressman, isn't that—?"

"It is," Richard confirmed, taking another glance through the back window of the car, his giddy smile never leaving his face. "It's him."

"What's he doing here?" Eadric asked in suspicion, eyes darting back and forth between Yves and the driveway. "Maybe we should alert the army."

"There's no need."

"But Congressman, he could be a hitman in disguise."

"Or he could just be a tourist," Richard defended.

"A tourist in his own hometown? I thought he was a resident here? Isn't that what you said?"

Richard sighed. He couldn't blame Eadric for being suspicious of Yves. They had not informed him yet that he's also a close protection agent from the same agency he came from. There must be a time gap between their employment if they didn't know each other.

"Are you really that worried?" Richard asked.

"Of course, I am. I can't overlook a potential threat if it's right under our nose."

"Then maybe you should look into it."

Eadric stepped on the brake to slow the car down and stared at him through the rearview mirror. "What do you mean, Congressman?"

With his thumb and index finger fiddling his beard, Richard's lips curled into a smirk. "Didn't you ask me to tell you what to do and you'll do it without hesitation?"

Eadric's grip on the steering wheel tightened, and so was the center of his eyebrows. "Yes, Congressman. I will look into it for you."

Richard gave a satisfied nod, then exited the vehicle. "Oh, and Eadric?"

"Yes?"

"Be subtle and don't engage. Just report whatever you find to me."

———

"That wasn't the President," Emie said, disappointed. "But I think I've seen him somewhere. I just couldn't put a name on it. Um..."

"It's Richard Alonzo."

"Oh, right! He used to be an actor, but he's a politician now." Emie shook her head and fiddled with her video camera. "Politics here in the Philippines is such a joke. Anyone can become a lawmaker if they have fame and money."

Discussion about politics and religion was off-limits, so Yves sealed his mouth to not engage in the topic. The last thing he wanted was to get into an argument with a client.

"Wait, is he the one your boss was talking about? I think I saw him smile at us. No, at you."

"No," Yves said.

But his abrupt answer only intrigued Emie. Her expression told him she was trying to piece two and two together, so he just shook his head.

"First time seeing him in person today. And politicians do that a lot. Smiling at people, I mean. Some would even wave at the crowd."

"Well, I guess," Emie still didn't look fully convinced. "But something is different. There was something in his eyes. Like, he was just looking at one person."

"Maybe he was looking at you? Who knows? He might have recognized you. You are a famous vlogger, after all." Yves knew he was spouting shit at this point, but it's the only way to divert the subject. "Should we head to the next location, Ma'am? Mines View Park, right?"

"Right." Emie nodded, considering the thought. "Maybe I was mistaken. Maybe he was really looking at me and was captivated by my beauty."

Yves gave an awkward chuckle. "Let's go? You still have a lot to vlog."