Hector just drove me quickly to the condo and then said goodbye and seemed to be in a hurry. When I asked him why his answer was that he just needed to go somewhere so I didn't stop him, especially when I saw in his expression that it seemed like an emergency.
I lazily went straight to Amari and I's room when I didn't reach anything. Elena has not yet returned from the grocery store and I only caught up with Via with Amari. She has no work today that's why I'm very thankful to her about Amari.
“How are you? Are we going to fix everything for you later? Just tell me,” she greeted me as I sat down next to Amari who was busy watching. I just looked at her for a moment and grinned.
“I don't know if I will continue. I'm nervous, Vi. I don’t know what awaits me there. Also, what if I put myself in more danger especially Amari after this event?” I confess to her because that’s what I couldn’t have said to Ulysses earlier because we were facing Hector. He also knows that I haven't told the truth to Hector yet so he hasn't mentioned it yet.
“You now have the wealth, Ana, what else are you afraid of? You can hire a bunch of bodyguards to guard you all day. One more thing, Apollo is already there, isn't he? I'm sure he will do everything to protect you two, especially your daughter,” she said seriously to me so I frowned and looked at her. She frowned at me.
“What? Don't tell me you haven't told him about Amari yet?” She asked as I nodded immediately. I could see the frustration in her.
“Damn you, Ana. Why not yet? Aren't you okay? He deserves to know the truth about his own daughter. He is the father,” she firmly said to me and I immediately nodded.
“I know, but I’m scared, Vi. What if-"
"Mommy, when is daddy coming home?"
I quickly turned to Amari when I heard that from her. Her expression was serious and there seemed to be hope forming in her eyes. Hope I just now saw in her. This is the first time she asked me this. Even Via was shocked looking at my daughter.
"What is it, baby?" I asked her because we might have just misheard. She looked up at me.
“I dreamed about him last night. He said he would be home soon. He also said that he hoped you would forgive him. Are you fighting?” This question is innocent to me.
Via and I looked at each other because of that. When I turned to Amari, she was still staring at me.
“Uhm… not really, baby. What else did he tell you? Did you see his face?” I don’t know why I was nervous when I asked her that. I feel like she knows something I don’t notice.
She stared at me for a long time as if thinking. I could see Hector's face in her. They look very much alike.
“He said…” She thrilled off as if she was thinking something and her face lit up again. “He said he loves you so much and will forever regretful because of what he has done to you. I don't know, mama… did you two fight? But I saw you with him. He's the one with you, isn't he?” Confused, she asked me, so I was even more surprised.
She saw us?! How? How did she say Hector was her daddy?
Via approached the confused Amari while I had no answer for her due to extreme shock at what she said.
“Baby, how did you say he was your daddy? Do you know who your daddy is?” I heard Via ask my daughter and she hugged her.
“Uhm… I just know, auntie… because… because we look alike! Mommy said I look like daddy, don't I?” She said in her small voice.
I took a deep breath and leaned back against the headboard of the bed. Is this really happening?
-
I watched everyone as I marched to the front. My eyes searched for people familiar to me and when I saw them, I breathed a sigh of relief. But I feel like that’s still not enough because Hector isn’t here right now. I haven't received a text or a call since he said goodbye to me earlier. I have no idea where he went. I tried calling him, but he wasn't answering until his number was out of reach.
I sighed violently and greeted Lola Andrada and Lolo Leoncio. I also saw Uncle Uriel, Uncle Pablo, and Aunt Caroline, mama’s siblings, nod at me. Later, Lola Andrada guided me to the middle of the stage where the well-known personalities in the business world were. The whole area was loud because of the applause from everyone, but I didn't focus on that, if not for the scattered security all around. I can see them from where I am because they are big people. The whole area seemed to be guarded.
“… Introducing, the long-lost heiress and the only grandchild of the Alcaraz clan, Anastacia Solei Alcaraz!” The emcee introduced me and there, the applause of everyone grew louder.
I can also see Elena, Riley, and Via with Ulysses. On the other side of them, my eyes caught mama, Matthew, and Agatha who looked bad and sharp at me. What are they doing here?
"Anastacia hija, are you okay?" Lola Andrada woke me up and that's when I noticed that she was handing me the mic. I bit my lower lip and quickly accepted it.
“I'm sorry, grandma. I'm nervous. Do I really need to speak?” I whispered to her and grinned. I heard her gentle laugh.
“Of course, hija. Say what you want to say. We're here for you, darling,” she said softly to me while Grandpa just squeezed my hand.
I just nodded and faced everyone who seemed to have been waiting for me to speak. I calmed myself. I sighed violently and I remembered exactly what I had learned about my whole being.
"Uhm… good evening to you all," I greeted them who focused more on me. “I’d like to thank you all for coming tonight just to witness this introduction of mine as the long-lost heiress of our clan after a long decade of hiding in the dark. I honestly don't have any idea and I'm still trying to understand everything I need to know. I learned some important things that I feel, that's not the whole part of the story of who I really am and what really happened in my past… what really happened to my parents.”
Everyone was suddenly silent at what I said as if waiting for the next one. I could see the focus of their eyes all on me. The awkwardness I feel is slowly disappearing and being replaced by courage and fortitude. Especially when I remember Amari who is currently just inside the mansion.
“Just like everyone else, I have people I need to protect more than myself. The reason why I didn't want to push this through, is that I don't have any choice. I want to be free because I feel like I've become a prisoner of my parents' past for a long time without knowing the truth. I'd like to grab this opportunity to tell this to everyone, to our enemies that are still hiding anywhere and secretly planning to do something… bad to my family, I may be a newbie to this industry, but I still want you to know that I am more than capable of anything. Let's see how far we can go after tonight,” I finally said and bowed to them all. There was a moment of silence and after a while, everyone applauded as if they had suddenly recovered from what I had said. I also don’t know why that suddenly came out of my mouth. All I knew was that I would do everything just to know the truth about the death of mama and papa. And who planned it?
When my uncles and aunties finished their speeches, I said goodbye to them for a while to go to Amari. As I was walking down the pathway to the mansion, something struck my eyes two human figures. My eyes narrowed as I could see who it was. I even approached them just to be sure.
My jaw dropped when I saw Hector with Ayanna. The two of them hugged and I could hear Ayanna's sobs.
"Hector?" I called him.
He quickly pulled away from the woman and turned to me. I could see the shock in his eyes.
"Ayanna is back from the States?" I asked him.