“WHY? WHAT’S the matter?” Esmeralda asked, confused. Just a while ago, he had a lot of plans for her and Jeremy.
Aiden gently held her shoulders. “Amadeus is coming home to the Philippines.”
“Why do I have to go home to San Luis? Don’t you want me to meet your brother?” she asked and sat on the sofa.
He caught his forehead. “I won’t be around for two weeks. My brother asked me to go to Samui and Palawan. They’re huge projects. He wants me to check out the progress. According to his message to Lexie, this is his way of showing me that he trusts me. But I know better. He’ll take this opportunity to meet you without me to help you.”
“I’m not scared of him,” she said in a stern tone.
She wanted to show Amadeus dela Merced that she was not easily intimidated by someone like him. She had gone through a lot. If she showed weakness, he might think that he could easily bully her and Aiden. He might stop pressing Aiden if he realized she was defiant.
“I can’t just let you face him alone. You have no stand against him. You don’t know my brother. He would do everything to stop our wedding. You’ll stay in San Luis for the meantime, so he could not follow you.”
She was already aware that Amadeus dela Merced was a dominant man. He gets what he wants, and he does not stop until victory was his. She would not let it happen. The wedding will push through no matter what he does. Unless Aiden himself decided not to marry her anymore.
“What would happen to the wedding preparations if I leave?” she asked. Aiden had been preparing for it because he wanted to convince everyone that their wedding was real. He did not want Amadeus and other people to suspect them.
“That’s what a wedding coordinator is for. You can just supervise the house you are building there,” he said and paced in front of her like a restless tiger.
He insisted on expanding their simple hut in San Luis. He built a two-story concrete house. As his future wife, he did not want her to look miserable in the eyes of other people because she was marrying a dela Merced.
“After your appointment with the doctor tomorrow, Berto will take you to Aurora. You’ll stay there until I return and have you collected. Do we understand each other?” Aiden continued.
Esmeralda put her hands on her waist. “I’m not scared of your brother. I can face him alone. You don’t have to hide me from him,” she insisted.
She wanted to confront Amadeus. She was not a coward to hide and go back to where she came from. If he would become her brother-in-law, she must get used to his attitude. She would show him that she does not simply back away. She hated being challenged.
Aiden nodded. “I know you’re not scared of him. But I don’t want to give him the opportunity to ruin my plans. This wedding is important to us, remember?” he said, his tone asking for understanding. “Maybe Jeremy misses your home and his other friends.”
“WE ARE now flying over the Philippine Sea. In less than an hour, we will land at the Fort Magsaysay Airfield in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija,” the pilot announced, catching Amadeus’ attention from reading a report in his laptop. He was boarding his own private jet. He just got back from his meeting in Istanbul for an old building that he would transform into a hotel and spa.
He pressed the intercom that was connected to the pilot. “Why are we landing in Palayan City? That is a far cry from San Luis. I thought there are airstrips nearby where we can land.”
“The airports are closed due to the storm. The airfield in Palayan is the safest place for landing, Sir,” the pilot explained.
“Darn it!” He was not expecting it. He thought he would get closer to his destination that was an hour or two from the airport. He quickly instructed his temporary assistant, a fresh graduate from De La Salle University and a company scholar. “Bring my car there. I want it ready when I reach Fort Magsaysay, Marjayrie.”
“Yes, Sir,” she said and frantically dialed on her cellphone. “Sir, do you want me to find a hotel near the fort?”
“No. I want to reach Costa Aurora before nightfall. I have some important matters to attend to.”
“Sir, that would be a four-hour drive from the airbase. Maybe you could consider a hotel near the…”
“Did you hear what I said? I must get to Costa Aurora tonight. I can’t afford any more delays. Are we clear?”
She looked down. “Yes, Sir.”
Amadeus hated being opposed. And it was bad enough that the weather was against him. But nature was not enough to stop his plans. And his subordinates could not change his itinerary. He would be there by hook or by crook.
He used vacation as an excuse to come to the Philippines. He was checked in at Costa Aurora for a week. He was hoping his problem would be resolved before his break ended. The real reason why he came to Costa Aurora.
He opened his iPad and reviewed one of the files in his secret folder. A photo of a woman was on the file’s first page. The woman looked plain. There was no make-up on her face. Her long straight here was flowing freely. According to his file, the woman stood 5’3” and had a slim figure. She looked innocent. A countryside girl who could not even break a plate. Who would have thought that she was a money-siphoning whore?
Esmeralda Solomon. A barrio lass who got his younger brother wrapped around her finger. She had only known his brother for a month, yet she had convinced Aiden to redeem her pawned land, renovated her house, and paid for her sick brother’s treatment, and who knew what other things she asked his brother to do. In one month? What an expensive whore!