His soft-hearted brother had no experiencing dealing with women like her. Amadeus had seen them all—from virginal to foxy women; they were all manipulative. They would use their charms and feminity to get what they want. Esmeralda must have played the virginal damsel in distress card, and his brother fell right into her trap. He won’t let his brother suffer. As his brother, it was his responsibility to protect him.
He was not close with Aiden. His father married Aiden’s mother when he was only eight years old. His mother had just died when his father married his stepmother. And even before his mother’s first death anniversary, Aiden was born. No, he was not stupid. When he could not get along with his stepmother, his father sent him to a boarding school in the United Kingdom. Even his younger brother was a stranger to him because he rarely came home.
While he was trained to take over the family business, his brother never had the same training he had gone to. His brother was weak. He was just like his father, who a woman can easily manipulate. He was influenced by Aiden’s mother to separate from him and start his own business. Now, Aiden was being controlled by an opportunist woman to marry her. He won’t just stand and watch his brother marry a gold digger. He won’t let Esmeralda Solomon become a part of the family.
The old Mustang was ready when he arrived at the airbase. He used it whenever he was in the Philippines and traveling alone. He had it equipped with the latest GPS at programmed it for his trip to Costa Aurora. He took the keys from the driver. “See you in a week.” And he gave a salute to his people before driving off.
He had not got that far when his cellphone rang. His personal assistant was calling. “Hello, old lady,” he greeted teasingly to Florida, his secretary, who was passed on to him by his father. “I am off to a vacation. It’s my policy to avoid distracting me unless it’s an emergency.”
“This is an emergency. Don’t go to Costa Aurora. You are heading straight to a storm.”
He only smirked. He was not bothered by the gustiness of the wind outside. “It’s just a rain shower. It’s nothing compared to our storm race in the Atlantic before. Remember that I won that one.”
During his free time, he would sail on his own yacht. He also joined international competitions where the weather was harsher, and the waves were massive. What was there to fear for signal #1 in the Philipines? He could not be shaken off easily.
“Amadeus, don’t do what I think you’re going to do. You’re not going to confront your brother’s fiancée, are you? You will only make matters worse if you bother them,” Florida warned.
He sighed. The old woman really knew what’s on his mind. “This is a family matter, old woman.”
“Esmeralda is a kind lady, son. Aiden’s maid mentioned when I saw her at the grocery store that she was very caring of your brother. Why don’t you just let them be? Your brother is old enough.”
“I must concentrate on driving. I will call you once I reach Costa Aurora. Goodbye,” he said in a cold tone and removed the Bluetooth in his ear. He wanted no more distractions from now on. He wanted to focus on his trip and his mission. He was ready to face Esmeralda Solomon.
He was more determined to meet that woman. She had fooled not only his brother but also the person he trusted. How would he know if Esmeralda was going to manipulate more people?
The rain was getting stronger each time. He noticed that the water on the road was beginning to rise. But he went on despite seeing a few people walking away from the direction of his destination. The weather was getting worse and worse.
He kept driving. In other countries, if the roads were not passable, they were usually being blocked. The police or other officers stopped vehicles from coming. It meant he could continue driving.
The storm had gotten worse. The rain poured harder, his windshield almost drowning. The wiper was not working properly anymore. It was already zero visibility, yet it was only three in the afternoon.
“What the fuck! The news said it’s only signal number one.” The amount of rainfall was not normal.
He was still a couple of hours from Costa Aurora. He had to pass by the mountainside because it was on the side of Sierra Madre Mountain. The nearest inn was an hour away. But he was closed to San Luis, where Esmeralda lived. He wasn’t sure if he could confront her in that kind of weather. But he must continue. All he needed was to cross the bridge, and he was already in San Luis. It was short cut according to his GPS. Ten kilometers after crossing, he was already in the town where the inn was located, unlike the highway, which will take him an hour.
He will face Esmeralda. He could never take a break unless he confronted her. He wanted to make sure that before Aiden could return to the Philippines, that opportunist woman was out of his life.
The water level rose and reached the wooden bridge. He tried to cross until he heard a loud sound. His grew wide as he saw a massive wave rushing in his direction. He tried to speed up to leave the bridge, but it was too late. The storm surge had grown stronger and quicker. It shook the bridge like a toy until it was swept away. Amadeus could feel his car being shaken like a child’s plaything.
He tried to escape from the car and climbed on top as he fought against the strong current. He looked up at the sky to ask for help, but the answer he got was a stronger rainfall. He stood no chance against the current.
He held the necklace given to him by his deceased mother as he glanced at the sky. He was not scared to die. He was used to thriving in danger. He lived dangerously in and out of the boardroom. The sad part was he failed to save his brother Aiden before he died, and he will be left in the hands of the opportunist Esmeralda Solomon.