On a radiant morning at Manila North Harbour, Rafael joined Karl and Jiena at the pier. Their eyes widened in awe at the sight of the HMS Valiant, a formidable Dreadnought class ballistic submarine, towering majestically before them.
"Look at that impressive submarine, Dad," remarked Rafael with wonder, his gaze fixed on the massive vessel.
"Why have you brought us here?" inquired Jiena, her curiosity piqued.
"Just be patient; I'm expecting someone from the ship," replied Karl, a hint of excitement in his voice.
As they waited, their attention was drawn to a distinguished figure making his way towards them. The man, in his fifties with ash-gray hair, was adorned in a naval uniform boasting the rank of admiral.
"Ricardo!" called out Karl excitedly as the man approached.
"Oh, my dear brother!" Ricardo joyfully embraced Karl, planting kisses on both cheeks in greeting.
"It's been a while. Look at you now - an admiral," remarked Karl, admiration evident in his tone.
"Indeed, it's the result of hard work," Ricardo proudly stated, casting a glance at Jiena and Rafael.
"These are my twin children-" Karl began to introduce them, but Ricardo interrupted with a knowing smile.
"Oh yes, I've heard about your impressive IQ, Jiena," Ricardo commented, before turning his attention slightly towards Rafael. "And you must be Rafael."
"He works closely with me," Karl explained, gesturing towards Rafael.
"What about Tiffany and Jamie?" Ricardo inquired further.
"Tiffany is now a 2nd rank Sage, and Jamie has become a senator," Karl added with pride.
"How interesting," Ricardo responded. "Let's head to the clubhouse for some food."
Ricardo led the way, with Jiena following closely, while Karl and Rafael walked behind. As they walked, Karl noticed the somber expression on Rafael's face, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of concern.
"Come on, cheer up," Karl comforted his son with a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "If you can excel in your relationships as much as you do at work, there's no way you'll be overshadowed by your siblings."
"What an uplifting thought," Rafael remarked sarcastically, though his father's words did little to dispel his inner turmoil.
At the clubhouse restaurant, Karl, Ricardo, Jiena, and Rafael sat down for a sumptuous lunch. The four of them indulged in Lobster Thermidor served with a creamy sauce, flavorful Miso Soup infused with delicate flavors, perfectly grilled Lamb Meat seasoned to perfection, and finished off their meal with refreshing Strawberry Sherbet topped with fresh berries.
"Rafael, what do you do for a living?" Ricardo asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the table.
"Ricardo, I've already mentioned that he works with me," Karl interjected, a note of defensiveness in his tone.
"Rafael is really bright. Why did you choose him as your right hand?" Ricardo inquired further, his curiosity evident.
"I believe it's the right decision," Karl replied tersely, avoiding further discussion on the matter.
"You know, your son has a promising future in the military. He could have joined the navy like me," boasted Ricardo, casting an admiring glance at Rafael.
"That would only lead to trouble," Karl shrugged off his brother's comments, a hint of tension creeping into the conversation.
Rafael continued eating quietly, keeping his focus on his plate during the conversation, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions.
After the meal, Karl and the twins returned home, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken tensions. Rafael sat in silence, lost in his thoughts, while Jiena attempted to engage him in conversation, her concern evident in her eyes.
"What's bothering you, Rafael?" Jiena whispered, casting a worried glance at her twin brother.
"Nothing," Rafael replied curtly, his tone betraying his inner turmoil.
"Come on, you can tell me," Jiena persisted, reaching out to place a comforting hand on Rafael's arm.
"It's just... I don't know," Rafael trailed off, unable to articulate the turmoil brewing within him.
Their conversation was interrupted by Karl, who entered the room with a weary expression, his presence casting a somber shadow over the room.
"Dad, where is our real mom?" Rafael asked abruptly, his voice tinged with frustration and longing.
"She's dead," Karl replied bluntly, his words hanging heavily in the air.
"But there is this guy who is telling me that he is our brother," Rafael pressed further, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Karl's gaze hardened, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes. "You may not want to know your mother if I were you," he replied cryptically, his tone tinged with bitterness.
Later that evening, Karl and the twins arrived at their home, a sprawling villa nestled within a vast estate. The grandeur of their surroundings did little to dispel the tension that hung thick in the air.
"Dad, I can now say we are really rich," Jiena remarked, marveling at the opulence of their new abode.
"It's for the better good," said Karl, his tone solemn as he surveyed their surroundings. "Getting away from a toxic marriage and building a new home for us."
"Are you really divorcing Mom?" Rafael asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
"No," Karl shrugged off the question, a shadow crossing his features. "I cannot divorce her because it would spell trouble for the both of us."
"But do you still love her?" Jiena asked, her eyes searching her father's face for signs of the truth.
Karl remained silent, his expression unreadable as he retreated into his thoughts, leaving his children to grapple with their own uncertainties.
As the night wore on, Rafael found himself unable to shake off the nagging sense of unease that had settled over him. Unable to sleep, he slipped out of bed and made his way to the window, gazing out at the moonlit landscape beyond.
"I'm going to that place tonight," he announced suddenly, his voice resolute as he turned to face his twin sister.
"I'm coming with you," Jiena declared, her eyes flashing with determination as she rose to join him.
----
At 10 in the evening, Rafael and Jiena arrived at the designated meeting place, a desolate warehouse on the outskirts of town. The air was heavy with anticipation as they made their way inside, their senses alert for any sign of danger.
"Don't forget to put this on," Jiena whispered, handing Rafael a pair of glasses equipped with a hidden microphone. "I want to hear everything."
Rafael nodded, slipping on the glasses as they ventured further into the dimly lit interior of the warehouse. Their footsteps echoed softly against the concrete floor, the silence broken only by the sound of their own breathing.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the darkness, causing them to freeze in their tracks. "I've been waiting for you," it said, and Rafael felt a chill run down his spine as he turned to face the speaker.
"So where is this 'mom' that wants to see me?" Rafael asked, his voice steady despite the unease gnawing at his gut.
"Allow me to take you to her," came the reply, and Rafael followed the mysterious figure deeper into the labyrinthine corridors of the warehouse.
"Allow me to take you to that place."
As Rafael and Hector treaded cautiously through the winding streets, their footsteps muffled by the cloak of darkness, a sense of foreboding settled over them. The abandoned village loomed before them like a forgotten relic of the past, its crumbling facades bearing silent witness to the secrets it held within.
In the dim light, Rafael's gaze fell upon a figure seated on a weathered bench, her silhouette hauntingly familiar. The woman exuded an air of melancholy, her features softened by the glow of the moon.
"Ma, here is Rafael," Hector's voice broke the silence, his words carrying a weight of reverence and longing.
The woman, who introduced herself as Lexi, rose slowly from her seat, her eyes brimming with tears as she approached Rafael. With trembling hands, she reached out to caress his face, her touch imbued with a mixture of longing and regret.
"Rafael - my son," her voice quivered with emotion, each word heavy with the weight of years spent apart. "I have yearned for this moment, to see you once more."
Rafael's heart swelled with a tumult of emotions as he met his mother's gaze, his mind reeling with disbelief. After years of absence, here she was, standing before him, a poignant reminder of a past he had longed to reclaim.
"Why now?" Rafael's voice trembled with a mixture of hope and uncertainty, his eyes searching hers for answers.
Lexi's lips quivered as she spoke, her voice choked with emotion. "I could no longer bear the ache of our separation," she confessed, her words carrying the weight of a lifetime of longing. "I have yearned to hold you in my arms, to tell you of the love that has never wavered."
In that fleeting moment, surrounded by the ruins of their fractured family, Rafael felt a surge of compassion for the woman who had borne him. Despite the years of absence and pain, there remained an unbreakable bond between them, a tether that defied time and distance.
With a solemn nod, Rafael followed Lexi into the dilapidated house, his heart heavy with the weight of the truths that awaited him within its walls.
Seated before his mother and Hector, Rafael listened intently as Lexi recounted the events that had torn their family asunder. Her words painted a picture of betrayal and deceit, of a father consumed by his own ego and ambition.
As Lexi spoke, Rafael's mind reeled with disbelief. Could his father truly be capable of such cruelty? The man he had known had always been a pillar of strength and guidance, a protector in times of need.
"Believe me, Rafael," Lexi implored, her voice tinged with desperation. "Your father is not who he seems. He is a master of deception, a wolf in sheep's clothing."
Rafael's heart pounded in his chest as he grappled with the revelation, his mind torn between loyalty to his father and the undeniable truths that Lexi laid bare.
Before he could respond, a sudden blow struck Hector, knocking him to the ground in a flurry of confusion and chaos. Rafael turned to see his father standing before him, his presence casting a shadow over the room.
"Dad, how did you find us?" Rafael's voice wavered with uncertainty as he confronted his father's steely gaze.
Karl's lips curled into a sinister smile as he regarded them, his eyes gleaming with a cold intensity. "Curiosity, my dear son," he replied, his voice dripping with malice. "Curiosity and a thirst for vengeance."
Rafael's blood ran cold as Karl's words echoed through the room, his mind racing with the implications of his father's actions. How could he reconcile the man he knew with the ruthless figure before him?
As Lexi's tear-filled eyes locked onto Karl's cold gaze, a shiver of fear rippled through her body. Her trembling lips struggled to form words, her voice barely a whisper amidst the tumultuous scene unfolding before her.
Karl's taunting smile only served to deepen the anguish etched on Lexi's face. The weight of his accusations hung heavy in the air, suffocating her with the burden of guilt and remorse.
"You are the reason why me, Hector, and his father suffered," Lexi's voice quivered with emotion, her words tinged with bitterness and regret.
Karl's retort was swift and merciless, his words a venomous reminder of past betrayals and sins. As he spoke, Hector rose to his feet, his fists clenched in a silent vow of retribution.
With a sudden, ferocious blow, Hector struck Karl down, sending him crashing to the ground in a tumult of pain and confusion. Jiena's swift intervention, her gunshot piercing the air, served as a stark reminder of the violence that threatened to consume them all.
Rafael stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest as he grappled with the chaos unfolding before him. His twin sister, Jiena, stood poised with a pistol in hand, her resolve unyielding as she faced their mother, Lexi.
"You may kill me, Jiena," Lexi's voice was a haunting echo of resignation and defiance, her words a testament to the depths of her despair. "But you carry my name, and it will never be erased."
Jiena's response was firm, her allegiance unwavering as she stood by the man who had raised her. Rafael watched in silence, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions as he struggled to make sense of the fractured family before him.
As Jiena aided their father to stand, Rafael felt a pang of uncertainty grip his heart. His loyalties torn between the mother he had longed to find and the father who had shaped his life, he knew that the choices he made in that moment would shape the course of his destiny forever.
With a heavy heart, Rafael made his decision, joining his father and sister in leaving the abandoned warehouse behind. As they departed, Hector's ominous words hung in the air like a dark omen, a chilling reminder of the dangers that lurked in the shadows.
------
At the Marino Compound. Karl rested on the couch, placing an ice bag on his head, unable to bear the pain of being hit in the head.
"Dad, I am sorry," Rafael lowered his voice.
"Why are you there in the first place?" Karl asked.
"Because I want to see who my real mom," Rafael answered, "I wanted to see what she looks like, I wanted to see my real mother even before I die."
"Why? Aren't you happy that I have provided you with everything and Riko gave you the love despite her not being your real mother?"
"Dad that is not the point?"
"Rafael, you are sleeping with the killer!"
"What did she do for you to be like that?"
"When she found out about the loot, she wanted to murder the four of us," Karl explained "She had a lover at that time and that bastard abducted you, Jiena and your other sister. Takako and Javier found out about it. They rescued you while I murdered her lover who happens to be Hector's father."
Rafael had heard enough of his father's explanation and went to his room. Jiena gazed at Karl with much anxiety and concern.
"I'll go to sleep now," said Jiena, kissing her father's cheeks before going inside her room and call it a day.