Dad's body was found in Cebu with a gunshot in his head. Based on his previous transactions and other activities, he was never in Saudi for a big project. I arranged the documents and had his body buried yesterday in the cemetery where my grandfather was also buried.
Kahit na nagluluksa, I still dared to walk the streets of Montessori on my way to a restaurant in my iconic Aubrey Hepburn inspired outfit with my chin up. Kaunting make up lang ang suot ko ngayon dahil palagay ko, kahit anong tanong sa akin ng ibang tao tungkol sa buhay ko ngayon, I might breakdown immediately.
My mother is missing, to make things worse. Naaksidente ang eroplanong sinasakyan niya papuntang Pilipinas the day she informed me of my father's death. Until now, hindi pa rin siya nahahanap. Her disappearance was all over the news because she was a famous designer. Sirang-sira ang eroplano but I refused to acknowledge other people's choice of words, telling me they're finding my mother's body. No, Margaux Colette Lefebvre- Montecarlos is not dead! I can feel it. My intuition is always right.
I was able to convince my grandmother to hide alone in my grandfather's private island in Europe for her safety. Without anyone to manage the businesses and properties of my parents, everything is left to me, with the guidance of Genevieve Bustamante, my grandma's trusted consultant for the mean time. Thinking about everything right now is fucking up my system. Tears started forming in my eyes again as I felt my heart hurt badly. No, Fleur Adora. Now is not the time to be weak. I must seek justice for my father and find my mother as soon as possible!
"Mr. Montecarlos was betrayed by someone in the mafia. Saturday, August 13, 2019 at around 2 pm, when the suspect shot him on his way back from a party in Cebu…."
"Mafia? I can't wrap my head around this, Donovan! Why is my father a part of the Mafia?! And how do you know about this? Are you part of it too?!" Hinilot ko ang sentido ko dahil sa stress ng impormasyon nalaman ko. Nilagok ko ang hindi ko alam kung pang-ilang inumin sa harap ko para pakalmahin ang sarili. Kanina pa pabalik-balik ang waiter sa table naming para magsalin ulit ng wine. Hindi ko makain ang pasta ko dahil nawalan na ako ng gana.
"I'm sorry, Adora. We're still investigating. This is the reason why I wanted you to join the org."
"You're not answering my question! Paano mo alam ang mga bagay na ito? Is Alpha Epsilon Pi just a cover up for some mafia group?!"
He was hesitant to answer my questions. "No… It is the extension of the mafia group your father and I belong to." Kalmado niyang sagot na taliwas sa akin na halos mabaliw na sa mga nalalaman ko tungkol sa aking ama. To think that I grew up knowing my father only as the famous Architect Axel Leroy Montecarlos, and not him as the right hand man of Donovan Ainsworth's cousin! Was everything I knew of him a lie? Which version of my father is true? Did mom know about this? Shit!
"What about your offer to be part of your org? Was it my father's wish?" Nilagok ko na ulit ang wine at inubos ito bago lumapit ang waiter para magsalin ulit ngunit pinigilan na siya ng taong nasa harap ko. My head is spinning and I don't know where to start to seek for my father's justice. Lumilipad na ang isip ko kung saan-saan. I can't register much of what he's saying already. In fact, I feel light… na para bang wala akong problema ngayon… na parang ang buhay ko ay dati lang.
Why the hell is this misfortune happening to me?
Everything's miserable! My life is a mess! Everyone's taken away from me far too early and I'm losing my sanity! Damn it! Damn it all! Tinawanan ko lang ang aking sarili habang tinitingnan ako ni Donovan with guilt in his eyes.
Kahit na lasing ay nahuli ko pa rin ang isang taong mariin na nakatitig sa akin mula sa isang lamesa sa di kalayuan. I can definitely say that he's really handsome. Kung wala lang akong problema ay kanina ko pa iniwan itong nasa harap ko at nilandi na siya.
"Hindi. In fact, your father was against it. He wanted you to live peacefully, out of the mess he was in. I wanted you to join because of your skills and potentials--"
"I…want.in." Wala sa sarili kong tugon nang ibinalik ko ang aking tingin sa wine glass na walang laman. That's it! If I really want to seek justice, I need to know who my father really was and how the mafia works. If he was betrayed in the mafia, then I must think like the mafia to catch that son of a bitch.
Nanlaki ang mata ni Donovan at napailing siya sa sinabi ko. "Adora, you're drunk—"
"What I say, I will do and when I say I'll avenge my father's death, I will. My word is my law, Donovan. Remember that." Kahit na nahihilo ay tumayo pa rin ako sa kinauupuan ko, attempting a graceful exit ngunit nawala ko ang aking balanse dahil sa suot kong stilettos. Sakto namang tumama ako sa matigas na dibdib ng isang lalaki bago pa man ako tuluyang masubsob. Napatingin ako sa mukha niya and it was the same guy who was watching me a while ago!
"ohhhh, Hi, handsome~ sorryyyyy!" I slurred as I held onto his bulky shoulders to use him as a support to balance myself again.
"Damon…" Dinig kong sabi ni Donovan sa likod ko.
Tuesday morning and I cursed myself for drinking too much last night without eating. Donovan brought me home last night and my maids took care of me. May klase pa ako ng 9 am kaya kahit na labag sa loob ko ay kailangan ko pa ring pumasok. Pagkababa ko ng hagdan ay tumambad sa akin ang mga lalaking naka-itim na suit. Nasabihan na ako ng mga maid na sila daw ang pinadala ni lola para sa kaligtasan ko at para na rin mapanatag siya. Ilan sa kanila ay nagbabantay sa bahay at ang iba ay kasama ko papuntang university. This is my grandma's request so I couldn't do anything.
Hindi ko pinahalata sa iba ang kalungkutan ko. I was the same Adora at school. I figured it was no use to show people that you're sad because the world does not revolve around me. People deal with their own problems and they wouldn't care that much about mine. Life must go on.
I attended the orientation of a nameless org. It was nothing special at the surface but I knew that it was just a front for something dangerous. That's why it wasn't registered on the university's list of official organizations. They are lenient when it comes to the attendance and participation of the members to other events except for the general assembly every Friday. As Donavan said, I was immediately scheduled for my Final Rites on Friday, unlike the other applicants because I was favored by most of the members.
It was already Friday at napag-usapan na ang Final Rites ay gaganapin sa isa sa mga properties ng mga members. Gaganapin ito sa gabi so I had to prepare myself physically and mentally. I slept for the rest of the afternoon after my class and ate my meals. Sinabihan akong magsuot ng komportableng damit kaya sumunod ako at hindi na nag-inarte.
Sinundo ako ni Sheena Miller, a pretty morena who was older than me by a year. Kasama ko ang ibang applicants na kung hindi masungit ay tila walang pakialam sa mundo. Isa lang ang nginitian ako kaya siya ang kinausap ko buong byahe. Since it was dark, I had no idea kung saan kami papunta.
Pagkarating sa destinasyon ay agad kaming pinasuot ng blindfold sa loob ng sasakyan. Isa-isa kaming lumabas ng van at sinundan ang utos ng mga members. Ang iba ay nag bibigay ng utos gaya ng "20 steps to the right" o di kaya ay "Tumalon ka sa bangin na nasa harapan mo." May ibang members na iba-iba ang sinasabi para manggulo kaya maraming sumuko agad at narinig kong tinanggal ang blindfold nila.
Hindi muna ako gumalaw sa kinatatayuan ko kahit na pinapagalitan na ako ng iba. They were tempting me to give up! Hell no!
I need a voice I can trust, please!
"Forward. 10 steps." Sa lahat ng boses na narinig ko, ito lang ang pinaka-klaro. It was deep and husky, obviously the voice of a man. Kabadong-kabado ako pero nanaig pa rin ang dahilan ko para sumali dito. I control my fate and I choose my destiny!
Sinundan ko siya and on my 10th step, sahig pa rin naman ang natatapakan ko kaya nagpapasalamat ako na siya ang pinagkatiwalaan ko. Iyon nga lang, hindi ko maiwasan ang tumili kada hakbang dahil sa mga bagay na humaharang sa akin gaya ng mga halaman at kung ano-ano pa. I was panicky dahil sa mga sinasabi nilang bangin na nasa lokasyon daw namin.
Hindi ako magpapatalo. Kaya kahit na ginugulo na ako ng ibang members sa pamamagitan ng pang-iinsulto o pagturo ng ibang instructions ay nanatili pa rin ang focus ko sa boses na iyon.
"Right. 20 steps. Be careful of the wood blocking your way." He warned. I turned to my right and after 20 steps, I kicked forward at may naramdaman nga akong kahoy na nakaharang sa dinadaanan ko. Kung hindi lang ako nasabihan ay kanina pa ako nasubsob. I slowly but surely hovered over it at sinundan ang iba niya pang utos.
Nang matapos ay sinabihan niya na tanggalin ko na ang blindfold. I was inside the garage at ang ibang members ay pinalakpakan ako, maging si Sheena Miller dahil ako pa lang daw ang applicant na nakatapos sa unang pagsubok nila pero hindi ko iyon inintindi.
Where is he? Gumala ang paningin ko sa mga mukha nila pero ni isa sa kanila ay hindi bumabagay sa boses na narinig ko kanina. I have to find the person who helped me. I have to thank him!
"As expected of the Montecarlos clan. Right, Ainsworth?" Sheena smirked as she looked behind me. Out of curiosity, tumalikod ako at tumambad sa akin ang gwapong lalaki na sumalo sa akin sa restaurant noong nalasing ako.
My memory did not do me justice because this man was more handsome than I could remember!