Ava went straight to her bedroom after having breakfast with her mother with the manila envelope in hand.
It contained information about her blind date that she didn't really need. Though she had expertly expressed her enthusiasm for her mother's plans, her heart wasn't in it.
When she looked inside the envelope, she saw that her mother had already set a "date" for her on Friday as if Vivian had already known that she would cave in.
Ava wanted to laugh as she started to read the file because it looked like a curriculum vitae for all of its businesslike and professional description.
The file included his pedigree (his family was very old and noble), his wealth (he was extremely rich from family coffers and surprisingly, his own) and his accomplishments (he was named as the most promising businessman of the decade). These were the things that mattered to the upper class so it should also matter to her.
There was no picture included so she imagined a man who looked severe because of constant work. She winced.
It was her first blind date in years and it looked like it won't be a success.
The dark-haired woman proceeded to her private wing in their spacious mansion in Quezon City. It was her childhood home and she would always love it.
As the only daughter of a successful businesswoman, she had an entire floor to herself. Her private wing included her bedroom, a mini library, a room for her wardrobe with ceiling to floor mirrors and a music room to amuse her. All of her rooms were painted in soft pinks, butter yellow, pale blue and mint green with antique, wooden furniture.
Her bedroom was as large as the master suite with a walk-in closet, a private bathroom and a mini entertainment corner. In the middle of the room was a massive Narra four posted queen sized bed that was fit for a princess with beautiful silken sheets and pillows.
She also had a desk for work with a desktop computer, a small microphone and video editing equipment. Her drawing pencils, sketchbooks and art books were neatly organized on a shelf. She loved that part of the room the most because she could record her songs or sketch new designs for her clothing line.
There was also a large framed photograph of Vivian, Nadine, Isabel and Ava hanging on the wall. It was taken right before Nadine's death but illness was not visible in her beautiful, serene face. Ava often got comments that she looked exactly like her aunt who was an infamous beauty in her time.
She walked inside the sophisticated but cozy bedroom and locked the door behind her. Then she flung herself down on her bed face-down, crumpling the envelope. For a few moments, she didn't move. Her heartbeats slowed and her mind calmed.
Her mother was right. There was no sense in moping around, pining for her lost love. If she chose, she could get married tomorrow with any man she wanted.
Ava was aware that she was unusually beautiful, talented, rich and kindhearted. Her life as an heiress gave her a privileged life so she was free to do whatever she wanted to do. Her mother often told Ava that her only goal in life was to be happy.
Although she preferred to ignore it, men who surrounded her were keenly interested in catching her. She never ran out of suitors and proposals ever since she turned 21. They all wanted to get access to one of the country's buena familias by marrying her.
Perhaps it was time to step out of her self-imposed isolation. She would never run out of suitors anyway. If she ran out of men in this country then she could settle for a foreigner like her ex.
Since that painful incident three years ago, Ava stopped showing interest in men and marriage. She had been good at ignoring the pain that gnawed at her insides every day. She'd consciously chosen to focus on her career, family and herself. So far, she'd been successful with her path in life.
Isabel was right. It had to stop someday because she was running out of excuses. She had to move on and face herself.
The dark-haired heiress reached for her mobile phone and pressed the speed-dial. It immediately connected her.
The cheerful voice of her cousin's son greeted her. A smile blossomed on her face as she sat up.
"Hello Liam! Where's your Mama? Can you give the phone to her so we can talk?"
"Mama's there!" the little boy babbled on the other line. "Mama! Mama! Auntie Ava!"
Chuckling, she heard Kevin's amused voice in the background as he scolded the little one lightly for taking his mother's phone without permission. He assured her that Isabel was coming and that she should stay put. Then Liam dropped the phone.
She heard more footsteps, a laughing little boy and then finally her cousin's voice answering with a breathy hello.
"Am I interrupting something?" Ava laughed. It was obviously a testament of her best friend's domestic bliss. "You sound so busy!"
"I was loading the washer and I didn't realize that Liam took this. What's up?" Isabel smiled too. She was very glad to hear from Ava after a week.
Isabel didn't need magic to understand that Ava needed her space. The news had shattered her best friend so she was compassionate enough to leave her alone for a while.
They never got angry at each other. If they got upset, they just let time pass before reaching out to each other. Neither of them can stand not talking to each other after a couple of days.
Although Isabel looked like a happy homemaker, she was also the greatest mage in their family.
She was the proud owner of the Legacy since she was twelve years old because she was a direct descendant of an obscure ancestress who had built their family's immense fortune, influence and success from scratch. Nobody knew except her family and best friend, Ava.
It had been two hundred years since the tradition began so magic was inevitable in their family life. Isabel had given her first prophecy at three years old and three days by clearly stating that someone was going to die. Everyone knew that it came true when one of her uncles was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
Soon enough, the family elders used Isabel's prophetic powers to make successful business decisions, to cast protection spells and to sway their rivals into submission.
As per tradition, every daughter of the main house who exhibited her powers at three years old will be trained at the magical arts in service of their massive clan. Ava had watched her aunts, grand-aunts and cousins come to Isabel's house to teach her about potions, stones, tarot cards and charms.
They had trained and reared Isabel since the age of three to become their witch with all of the training, the skills and the privilege that came with the title of the owner of the Legacy. She'd been working closely for the family since she was a child.
The other witches in their family possessed their own skills and abilities but only the daughter of the main house exhibited the strongest capability. It was also well-established that the Legacy will peak at thirteen years old when she will give her most important predictions, create her strongest potion and cast the spell that will protect the family.
Ava had known about their strange family traditions, culture and cult like adoration of Isabel who had near godlike status in their household. She had watched and supported her cousin who grew up to become a strong mage and their family's pride and joy.
In their family's tradition, Isabel will be married or encouraged to lose her virginity to prevent a catastrophe from falling to the family. But Isabel refused to get married at 13 years old and she also refused to lose her virginity until her wedding night at 20 years old.
Isabel possessed such a strong will and a strong success rate at her spellcasting that the family caved in. She was confident that no bad luck, no catastrophe and no consequences was going to befall the clan.
She was right. But since she'd gotten married and had children, the magic lessened every day that passed. It was known that the magic would pass on to Meghan as the next inheritor of the Legacy.
All Isabel had left now was her precognition and protection spells for her own little family. In fact, she'd foreseen the fortuitous result of Ava's blind date so she was ready to push her best friend into the best decision of her life.
"I'm going on a blind date next Tuesday," the heiress started in a hesitant tone. "It's Mama's great idea. What do you think?"
"Go for it!" Isabel replied promptly. She plopped down on an easy chair in the living room and drew up her legs. In her peripheral vision, she could see Kevin playing with Liam and Meg on the floor. "You shouldn't shut yourself off from the rest of the world. You're a wonderful young woman. You deserve someone who will adore you!"
"But the guy sounds like a total bore. There wasn't even a picture included. He might be rich and powerful but that doesn't mean much to me," said the dark-haired young woman. She rolled over to lie on her back while staring at the white ceiling that was daintily decorated with gold stars forming her favorite constellations.
"You're my fortune-teller. Tell me what to do. Do I Google him?" Ava giggled into the phone.
Isabel laughed heartily at that. "I suggest leaving it up to fate. You have to trust the unknown."
"That's nice to hear from someone who sees the future on a regular basis," Ava retorted, giggling. "But it's good advice nonetheless. If it doesn't work out, promise you will call me at my SOS so I can get away. I will make sure that I'll meet him in Alabang so you could pick me up..."
"You're overreacting," Isabel admonished. She was sincerely excited for her friend's blind date. "You should give other guys a chance, you know. There's no sense in closing off the rest of the universe. If you keep clinging to your past then there's no future."
"That's easy for you to say," her cousin murmured quietly.
The brown-haired woman felt her chest constrict. She felt Ava's pain through her voice. There was no denying how much it had hurt her. If only she possessed magic to remove such difficult memories…
Summoning her most optimistic voice, Isabel said, "Everything will be fine."
"Everything will be fine," Ava repeated her friend's magic spell.
How many times had she heard Isabel say that to herself over the years that they were together? How many times was it proven right? There was a certainty in her friend as she persevered over her own challenges with only a mantra in her hand and a smile on her face. Perhaps she should try it for herself.
"Yes, it will be. You'll see that I'm right in the end," Isabel said mysteriously.
Ava wished that she possessed the same certainty. She wished that she was as strong as her best friend. Isabel had endured a long distance relationship with Sam and had gotten over her mother's death when she was only three. Of all people, she knew how Isabel had honed an iron will and an unwavering desire.
Although Ava had everything she could ever want, she still lacked one thing which Isabel had in abundance. Her best friend understood that well because she was generous in sharing her life with her.
But Ava knew that the time that she had to create a life of her own was fast approaching. It was inevitable. The blind date might be a step towards the right direction.
"Ava, trust me on this one. Everything happens for a reason. There is no coincidence." Isabel said seriously. "Don't forget the guy in glasses. I really have a strong feeling about him. He's in your future."
"Did you have a dream?" the heiress asked, intrigued.
Isabel was about to answer when she heard her husband call out for her. She giggled. "Just trust me. Everything will be okay!"
They said goodbye to each other and ended the call. Ava rolled over so she could lie comfortably in her back. She stared up at the painted golden stars on her ceiling absently.
Isabel was the golden child of their clan ever since she started to exhibit her supernatural powers at three-years-old. She had chosen the same toys that the witches in previous generations had chosen on their birthday while Ava had chosen something else so their elders had declared Ava as powerless.
At five-years-old, Isabel could cast simple spells to open doors, summon the family cat and change water to flavored drinks.
By the time she was 10-years old, she could brew a gayuma, cast a protection spell and drive away a persistent ghost. By 17-years-old, she reached the peak of her powers by actively recording her prophecies, assisting the family in business decisions and reinforcing the spells that kept their family powerful, strong and wealthy.
Ava often wondered why their family accepted the magic and kept up the age-old tradition of caring for the carrier of the Legacy who was usually the first daughter of the Main family line. Their family was cold, standoffish and no-nonsense so it baffled her why they cosseted and pampered Isabel from the first time she manifested her powers.
But her mother only shushed her and reassured her that it was just the way things were done and it was family tradition to look after the carrier of the Legacy. She should also not question where the magic came from or ask how they inherited it.
Magic didn't need logic or explanations, Isabel explained to her. It's just there for me.
By the time Isabel reached the age of womanhood in their family standard which was 18, she was promptly married off to Sam Laguardia. The family believed that the carrier of the Legacy should have children as soon as possible to maintain the power, the prestige and the future of the clan.
Then the family would wait for little Meghan to reach three-years-old so they could start the process all over again.
Although Ava was born on the same day as Isabel and was also part of the main family line, she exhibited no powers like her cousin. It was no surprise because there should only be one Legacy in the family per generation.
As Isabel's magic powers bloomed under the care of the previous Legacy holder so did Ava's other non-magical gifts.
Ava sang beautifully, played the piano, drew gorgeous clothes, sewn lovely clothes and took beautiful pictures. Her own talents were used to serve and uphold Isabel's status as the holder of the family Legacy.
She didn't mind and she loved to spoil Isabel by making her clothes for their full moon ceremonies and singing for her new moon rituals. She loved taking pictures and videos of Isabel then kept them in a video library. Their elders, including their mothers, approved of their close relationship.
It didn't bother her at all that she didn't have any real magic. She always thought that Isabel was stronger, more outgoing and more capable of handling the responsibilities of being the holder of the Legacy. If she saw a ghost or a maligno, she would have screamed in terror.
Ava was content to be in the background and she wanted to do all of the behind the scenes work.
She was slightly embarrassed that the spotlight fell on her now. At 25, she was expected to marry well, become a wife and produce children. She wasn't immune from the frequent reminders of their huge, extended family to settle down already.
Only Ava knew how hard it was to trust and love again after getting your heart broken by your fiance on your wedding day. She truly appreciated Isabel's unconditional love and support as she tried to rebuild her life.
She grinned to herself as she recalled how her mother had wrestled her into agreeing to the blind date. It was her plight to be in a clan full of strong-willed, determined women like her cousin and mother.
Well, they can see the future. Ava thought mischievously. Maybe they've seen something wonderful coming out of this.
Kieran's high school club held weekly dinner meetings in a charming French restaurant, Bon Sejour, in Greenhills every Saturday.
Six handsome young men and one young woman would take the best table in the corner with the best view. There would be a five-meal course, a bottle of champagne and lots of laughter.
They've been friends for many years that weekly rituals were cherished and treasured.
Even after the graduation of each one, they maintained communication with each other. They had rejoiced with every victory and shared loss when it came. They considered each other as the pillars of their world so living without each other was unheard of.
Tommy and Emma Wintergarden sat at the head of the table, glowingly in love. The blond had triumphed in the end over his struggles with his grandfather years ago and got the girl everyone wanted.
Now, he was the sole heir to the family fortunes and married to a wife whom he adored to the point of insanity. His lovely wife was a top human rights lawyer since she couldn't be expected to be a stay-home wife. But they didn't have any children yet.
Anthony and Richard Hernandez sat beside each other. They were handsome identical twins who had ventured further into the fashion industry, gathering raves and reviews along the way.
They charmed and flirted their way into the top of the world with their unbreakable brand. They still worked together but they maintained different labels and managed different stores. Everyone was mad for the Hernandez touch.
On the other side of the table sat handsome Jean Aguirre and his cousin, Jonathan Villafuerte.
Jean settled down early, to everyone's surprise. He married a charming young woman who was a pastry chef in his early twenties and had a son. They owned and managed a chain of recognized cafes and pastry shops.
His best friend and cousin, Jonathan Villafuerte, was a semi famous fitness instructor. He was the head of a successful gym and was often abroad. To the disappointment of many young ladies, he still refused to settle down because he was still intent on honing his skills in combat.
Kieran sat in the middle of it. He was always listening and making mental notes. He was aware of everything that was happening to all of them but he preferred to be on top of things.
Although they were still a bunch of noisy idiots, they were his friends and he was fiercely loyal to them.
Conversation usually began with business. Everyone would share their news to argue, to debate and to talk about it. Nobody made a move without consulting Kieran. They all respected his expertise so all of their businesses grew from it. Then it would move on to mundane topics like new gossip.
Usually they talked about their marriages, their old friends and other things. Kieran wouldn't participate because he disliked the topic.
Nobody would notice and the evening will end with new plans for their next pet project or their next business meeting. But tonight, they seemed to be eager to focus the spotlight on him. It was all Tommy's fault.
"So, Kieran," the blond said warmly "I heard from your brother that your father is setting you up on a blind date."
Kieran's eyebrow twitched. He would deal with his annoying older brother later. "Yes, that's true. It's nothing serious."
The others exchanged mischievous looks. That was new. Kieran was being defensive so that meant something. They never had the chance to tease him so they grabbed it immediately.
"Oh?" Anthony said nonchalantly "Who's the lucky girl?"
"Or maybe unlucky," Richard piped up, chuckling.
"Does she know about your three month rule?" Jean teased with a conspiratorial wink.
Kieran glared at them. But they've all had a little wine on their veins so they ignored his death glare.
"What's she like?" Emma asked curiously. She worried about his friend for years because Kieran never had any serious relationships As Jean had pointed out, they only lasted for three months. "Do you know anything about her?"
"I honestly don't know," he answered simply.
Everyone stared, flabbergasted, at this piece of information.
Kieran got irritated by their ogling so he snapped, "I'm too busy for this nonsense."
Tommy smiled uneasily because his best friend was a double-edged sword so he was best handled carefully. "We know that, Kieran. We're your friends. Perhaps we deserve to know what's going on."
The blond man quailed under his best friend's fierce glare. His wife, unperturbed, turned to him with an easy grin. "I'm glad for you. She must be somebody really worthy to pass your standard."
"What do you know about my standard?" Kieran asked, surprised.
All of the men turned to the only woman in their table. She wiped her lips gently with her napkin before putting it down. Large brown eyes were laughing at them all. "Enough to know that you don't waste time on useless people, correct?"
It was stated with such blunt honesty that they all smiled in spite of themselves. That was Emma for them. There was no sense in wasting time or words. They only had to go straight to the matter.
Kieran adjusted his glasses. He sighed and gave himself up to the inevitable. "Her name's Ava Madrigal. She's 25 and she's looking for a husband."
"You made it sound like an ad," Richard smirked. "Kieran is so mean. You should be nice to the poor girl."
"She sounds familiar," Anthony said, chewing on a bite of chocolate cake. "Where have I heard her name before?"
Richard glanced at his brother with an amused smile. "You've heard of her. She won a contest against us years ago."
"What?" The dark-haired twin looked honestly surprised.
"She was at the Young Artist of the Century fashion contest three years ago. We were semifinalists for the award of being the newest designers to watch. She won." Anthony smiled fondly at the memory. He ran a hand against his bright red hair. "She was very talented. Most of her clothes were beautiful."
"They were like battle costumes," his brother retorted, still stung. He recalled their defeat to the petite young woman clearly now. He wanted that award! "Her clothes were like a magical girl's costume parade."
"But she disappeared right after that," Richard added, nodding vigorously. "She was very mysterious."
That's interesting, Kieran thought as his mind worked fast.
Tommy tapped his chin thoughtfully. He'd heard that name before as well. There was something very familiar…
Emma beat him to it. "She's a freelance singer. She performed for one of your company parties."
Kieran rubbed his temples. He wished that he bothered to dig up more information about his prospective date. Since he received the news a week ago, he put it off because he was far too busy to deal with it. Something would have to be done to confirm all of their stories.
"She might not be familiar to any of us because she never went to business with us. She also didn't go to Immaculate Heart Preparatory School either." Anthony said thoughtfully. He took a sip of his red wine and nodded approvingly.
"True. I don't forget a pretty face either." Tommy nodded. His wife promptly pummeled him.
They erupted into laughter. Kieran was left looking at his plate, deep in contemplation.
As his friends resumed their conversation and moved on to the news of their schoolmate Allan Ortega's upcoming wedding to Beatriz de Leon, he wondered why he failed in his routine background check.
Kieran was the shadow king, the puppet master. How come he didn't do the usual routine of getting a background check, hiring a private investigator to find the woman or an internet search? He was slacking off already.
Then he realized with a sinking feeling that his blind date was actually tomorrow. Friday. "Shit," he muttered under his breath.
"Are you okay?" Anthony asked since he was sitting next to him. The red-haired young man was probably the most level-headed and sensible of the group. He had long established himself as the best listener since all of them were loud talkers.
"I'm really screwed," his friend said frankly.
His friend looked surprised at his admission. Hazel eyes glittered. "It's your first date with her, right? Don't tell me you're nervous."
Actually my first date was with Emma, Kieran thought involuntarily. We got lost in the mall because of you idiots and that traumatized me. "No, I'm not. I think my father is going to ask me how it went."
Anthony winced. Now he understood what was bothering Kieran. That wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. If his father invested then it was doomed before it even started.
"You'll do well," he said cheerfully "You've got to be charming."
Friday morning found Ava dreading her blind date that was scheduled at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. They were going to meet in a lovely hotel cafe in Bonifacio Global City.
It was supposed to be a lovely afternoon date with an eligible young man that would result in marriage for her, grandchildren for her mother and more prestige for her illustrious family.
Ava wanted to scream. There was nothing to wear in her closet, or in several of them. She sighed in exasperation. Although, she possessed enough clothes to put up a clothing store yet she had nothing to wear for her blind date that afternoon.
Ever since she resumed her activities and duties last week as Madrigal Group's head of sales and marketing, she was too busy to even go shopping.
The dark-haired woman rummaged in one of her closets while looking for something to wear. She forgot all about the blind date until her secretary reminded her that morning.
Her mother was away in a business meeting in another continent so she canceled her meeting with her sales team that morning. Then she went straight to her home to prepare.
She knew that she had to look beautiful, elegant and demure. Most businessmen that she knew preferred a woman who possessed style and class. Although she didn't really care about her prospective date's opinion, she was still a woman to care about her personal appearance.
As she went through her well-organized closet, she stumbled onto something that she thought she would never see again.
Ava's eyes shook as she took out a sapphire sheath dress that's still encased in plastic. It used to drape on her every curve with its daring neckline with its large crystal pendant on the center to draw the eyes to her perfect breasts and its modest knee-length hem made her feel like a princess.
She knew this dress well. It brought back too many memories. She used to wear this dress to very special occasions. He always told her that she was beautiful in this dress.
It was what she was wearing when they met again in one of the many summer parties after their high school graduation. It was what she wore to all three of their anniversaries because he requested her to be just as she was when they first fell in love.
It was also what she was wearing when he ended everything��
The sapphire frock fell to the floor.
She stared at it, biting her lip. The deep sapphire blue was the exact same color of his eyes. Oh, how she loved his eyes. She could drown in their depths forever.
There was nothing that could make her forget how it felt when she stared up at his gaze as they danced. When she twirled on his arms, she believed that they would be in love for as long as they lived.
Ava picked it up and brushed it off carefully. Her heart was beating fast and her fingers were shaking. It's been some years since she'd worn this dress and it still elicited the same reaction. She was pathetic.
The dark-haired young woman pushed it inside her closet and found to her horror that it was the closet that contained all of the clothes from the same decade. She looked towards her left in the brightly lit bedroom and counted three closets. This was the last one.
She should have known that this was where she stuffed all of the clothes that she didn't use and for the things that she didn't need.
Since she owned so many clothes, she never realized that she hadn't seen these for some time. There was her prom dress from junior high school, the stained white dress from a school festival in senior year and the ratty old t-shirt that he accidentally left on her theater's couch when he slept over.
In spite of her mind's protests, she grabbed it and brought it up to her face. His scent swept over her. It was so strong that her knees knocked together. The shirt was blue like everything he owned. It smelled of soap, mint and a bit of cologne. It was fragrant with the scent of her first love.
Ava looked into the closet again and found a single photograph wedged into the back of the closet door.
It was their first picture together. They were only sixteen. She was smiling as she stared up at him but he was smiling at the camera. Any psychologist could interpret the body language that meant that she was more in love than he was.
I really loved you, didn't I? She thought as she took the picture and wedged it further into the clothes at the bottom of the closet. I loved you since I was in fifth grade. I was foolish to let you go. I'm still a fool for loving you even though you're marrying another woman.
She realized that she was crying. Trails of tears went down her smooth cheeks. The dark-haired girl shut the closet door and made up her mind to tell her maids to get what they liked. Perhaps it was time for spring cleaning, even though it wasn't spring.
Ava decided that she was going to wear that lovely white dress that she bought from Paris last year. She was going to be late.