"Mr. Magsano, I was expecting you to be as professional and serious about me and yet, I almost had a heart attack when you cancelled the last minute yesterday. I am not very pleased," Ms. Edlena Brovinchi told him while on a video conference. Her thick eyebrows were raised.
"I am truly sorry, Ms. Brovinchi. I have to deal with unexpected matters yesterday and-"
"So it is true then?"
"I-I'm sorry?" He was confused. "May I know what you are speaking of, Ms. Brovinchi?"
"Your daughter... what's her name?" she asked turning to her assistant.
"Sasha," Robbie answered before the assistant was able to.
"Ah, yes. Cute little thing. All dressed up with sparkles all over. I love her. She's very charming."
He smiled.
Who wouldn't love her bubbly daughter?
"Anyways, I saw her video on Youtube personally and I thought that maybe, we can make a deal."
"Sure, Ms. Brovinchi. What do you have in mind?"
"Well, the original plan was just to invest in your company. But then, after seeing your cute daughter in Youtube yesterday, I thought it would be better if we do a collaboration. We will have your daughter as one of our top endorsers for two products, Piccola Diva, my kids clothing line plus your Little Kisses, kids cosmetics line, then boom!" she clapped her hands in exaggeration as all of them, including Tonette Adler, blinked when she did it.
"Imagine, sales will go higher for both our companies plus me, as your investor, your brand will be much larger than you have imagined. Not only that, your lovely daughter will be the face of the future of kids line possibly all over the world."
He felt like he was selling his daughter to the vultures which was the media.
But this would not be Sasha's first time to be on the spotlight. Having a Youtube channel, garnering at least one million views in one video alone was enough for her to be famous.
This will not be any different.
"So what do you think, Mr. Magsano? I wouldn't take no for an answer."
'What would Alex say about this?' he thought. If it was just him, he would definitely say yes without any hesitation. But he had to consider that he was not the only parent to Sasha, and decisions like this needed to get consent on both of them.
If only Alex will be convinced..
"I understand, Ms. Brovinchi, and I would love to take your offer. But since my daughter will be involved in this, I need to consult this matter with my fianceé."
Fianceé... He liked the sound of it even if it's a facade.
"Fianceé?"
"Yes, Ms. Brovinchi. Allison, the mother of Sasha, is my fianceé."
"And who is this Allison? Have I met her before?"
"I believe not, Ms. Brovinchi. But I would love for you to meet her on our wedding day if you will allow me to invite you and we can discuss further about this."
"That's fantastic!" and she clasped her hands together on the desk, revealing fully polished neon green coated fingernails. "However, I do not like to do any transactions during the wedding. It's a special day and I don't want to ruin it. We can discuss it after the honeymoon."
'Honeymoon,' and he smirked. He could only wish for it.
"Very well then, Mr. Magsano. I'm afraid I have to go now. I got another meeting in an hour. I'll see you soon. Don't forget to send me the formal invitations, okay?"
"Definitely, Ms. Brovinchi. I can assure you. I will be speaking with my wedding planner today. Thank you. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience I had done to you."
Edlena raised her hand as if to dismiss it and they said their formal goodbyes.
Everyone signed off except for him and Tonette.
"Fianceé? When are you planning to tell me, Robbie?" Tonette asked as soon as everyone was gone.
"I'm sorry. It's last minute."
"Ghost from the past suddenly came back begging for you to accept her?"
He sighed. Tonette had been a witness to everything for more than ten years. She was one of his closest friends and used to love Alex until she did the unimaginable.
"You know what she did to you, Robbie..."
"I know," and he sighed. "I'm doing this for Sasha."
"For Sasha, or for you?"
'For both,' he almost added.
"Robbie, I'm just telling you to be careful. You know what she did.. I'm just concerned as a friend."
"I know... thank you, Tonette."
"Anyway, I have to go. Have to work extra hard since the boss is out of town," and she gave him a smile. "Bye, Boss."
He chuckled. "Goodbye, Ms. Adler."
She smiled and they ended the call.
Robbie closed the laptop and took out his charger to charge it. Surely, it won't be long till he comes back to this room again in possibly a few days.
For now, he needed to talk to Alex. He hoped she would agree. If he had to force her, he would, just to get this deal.
He opened up the door and started walking up the stairs. But before he could mount the steps, the gang of three, Aunt Bernie, Sasha and Kellan came in through the main door.
"Kellan? Kellan! Hey!" Robbie almost ran towards Kellan as his arms opened for an embrace in which the latter reciprocate.
They hugged each other like father and son who had been separated for so long.
"Hi, Mr. Robbie. Been a long time," Kellan greeted.
"I know," and Robbie let him go slightly. "Look at you! You're a young man."
Kellan laughed. "I'm only fifteen."
"But you do look like a grown man though. You've grown taller and a little buff. Been working out?"
"A bit. Grandma hated it when I walk around without my shirt on."
Robbie laughed.
"Grandma Alice, the ever so conservative. How's everything?"
"I'm moving back with Aunt Lauren."
"Oh, that's great. So, you'll be closer. By the way, have you met my daughter, Sasha?"
"Yes... we... we met at the beach," Kellan glanced at Bernie who made him swear not to say anything about what happened.
"That's great."
"Is Ms. Allison-"
Robbie nodded.
"Wow! You and Ms. Allison had a daughter? Who would have thought?" Kellan said in amazement. Then she looked back at Sasha. "She looked like her, except for her smile. She got that from you."
Sasha smiled widely and two small dimples came out of the side of her lips.
Robbie noticed the sudden change in Sasha.
Could it be that Sasha was having her first crush through Kellan?
He found it cute and adorable.
Alex came out from the back door and she froze at the doorway.
Could it be...
"Kellan? Is that you?" she asked. She remembered him as a little boy when Kenneth came to visit that day.
The day she saw him with Robbie.
She shoved those thoughts away and tried not to think of anything as she saw Robbie's arm around Kellan, who was wearing nothing but a blue board shorts. The boy had grown more like a young man rather than a lanky teenager.
"Y-You've grown," Alex commented as Kellan came to her for an embrace.
They only met once but she remembered him so well. Kellan was only five then and she was distracting him with a cookie and a juice as she peeked in Robbie's home office at the mansion. She had heard some raised voices and wondered what happened.
Until that scene came to view and it forever changed the way she looked at Robbie.
She was so bothered by it that she coaxed Kellan to eat at the porch instead and they sat there until both men had come find them.
It was a memory she could never erased in her mind.
Now, seeing Kellan, she wondered where Kenneth was, because after that incident, she never saw him again.
And weeks later, she was the one who vanished on Robbie.
Since then, it had never been the same...
Yet, with what's happening between her and Robbie, she couldn't help but think...
What if she was wrong after all these years?
What if... Robbie was right all along?
If only her pride would take it..