[chapter 3. Angel descended from heaven]
A Mariano.
She was a Mariano.
A freaking MARIANO.
Holy fuck.
Oh my God.
Caught off guard for the first time, she couldn't hide the surprise written on her face.
The man quietly chuckled at her reaction. Her calm mask cracked as she sputtered with her jaw dropped. Varied emotions flashed on her face in split seconds and were an endearing sight to watch. He smiled when Selena cleared her throat and behaved as if nothing happened, coolly.
"You are correct. You are the daughter," he affirmed her thoughts.
"YoU aRe thE daUgHter," Selena mouthed exaggeratedly behind his back. She cursed her awful reaction. "Please," he motioned for her to board the jet as they took off for the capital. Selena looked away from him, embarrassed, it was a single-second gap; otherwise, he would have caught her mocking him. Thank lord.
"The flight is three hours long. You might want to take a nap before we arrive in the city," he suggested as Selena shook her head. "No, thanks. I would feel even more tired after a nap," she refused outright.
The man nodded and started texting someone. Selena's eyes were fixed on him, but her mind was in another world, monitoring her thoughts.
Selena Mariano- the Mariano Clan's infamously lost daughter. The only girl born after three generations was spoiled since birth and kidnapped at the age of two. After a decade of searching and failing, who was then declared- dead?
Selena closed her eyes. Control, she chanted in her mind.
She had heard about the Mariano family dispatching an army to find their daughter, only to fail. The Mariano family owned over two-thirds of the country's mines, which ranged from granite to rare diamonds. They were blue-blooded old money.
Their stocks skyrocketed when they established the 'Moon' brand two decades ago. It had quickly risen to the pinnacle of the luxury jewelry lines. Everyone in high society owned at least one Moon piece.
Their wealth not only came from mines. But also from Maxim, the oldest son, who owned a chain of private banks and wielded enough power to shake the country's economy. She was taken aback by the amount of money that they wielded.
She wouldn't be surprised if they shat diamonds and wiped with hundred-dollar bills.
After all, they were one of the top five families.
The top five families were too powerful, too big. The claws of their deeds were so deeply ingrained in this country that it could not function without them. Like a sandcastle, it would crumble. And they were like the water that would make the sand manageable and keep its structure.
The Hernandez family. The tech tycoons.
The Clemonte family. The media magnate.
The Mariano family. The mining moguls.
The Spade family. The pharma phoenixes.
And above all, there was the Sullivan family- the leaders who controlled all these families. They are the ruler behind the curtains. A little whisper from Sullivan and the president could drop dead, and a new government could ascend in power.
And the man who ruled the Sullivan clan with an iron fist. Rafael Sullivan.
The high altitude caused her ears to pop and her head to throb. The punch of her emotions hit her hard in the gut. She was experiencing chemical imbalances as a result of the height.
Her chest ached. It squeezed painfully until a small whimper escaped her lips. In the cushioned seat, she sank deeper, staring out the jet window with her olive eyes, wishing her blurry mind to become clear as the blue sky.
"We're about to land."
It may have been the rush of adrenaline, her primitive survival instinct, that made her blood boil. She decided to accept everything with ease and flow. Maybe play- a little happy family.
But Selena vowed- never to let down her guard. Not after what she went through.
Never to trust anyone but herself.
----
The man's persona changed. It was the first observation she made upon landing in the capital city. His broad shoulders widened, his back straightened, and his chest puffed up. A mask of void crept on his face, with no emotions in his raven eyes. His lips thinned into a straight line.
Selena then faced him then towards the line of guards and the cars parked just a few feet from the jet. He bowed and spoke courteously, "Young miss."
She could see a hint of surprise flicker on everyone's faces, then mask with nothingness. Few were quick with the change in emotions, while still some of them needed to work on their skills.
Her gray sweats made her look normal, but could not hide her aura.
She descended the stairs.
The woman beneath her let out a silent gasp. The woman guard had a basic idea of who Selena was, but she was sure of one thing: Selena resembled a fairy. Her chubby face with a mole on her chin and the doe eyes which radiated the tranquility of the forest.
Her curious eyes and long lashes observed everything. Likewise, her full pink lips stretched into a polite smile with no hint of haughtiness that most of the rich heiress owned. Except for the lethargy of traveling on her face.
Her black hair was tied up in a messy bun. The sunset came in its brightest blaze as if God had graffitied rainbow flame across the evening sky. A golden halo behind her rendered her look like an angel sent from heaven.
God was biased. The female guard sighed.
Interestingly, people fail to remember that angels who have descended from the heavens are nothing more than fallen angels. Angels who tempt humans to sin. Devious little creatures. Kicked away from God's protection, shunned by everyone, their wings ripped apart from their tender skin as a punishment but forgetting they still have claws to crawl up.
Selena's lips curled.
As paradoxical as her appearance was to her true personality. Selena decided to make the most of it. Let people consider her to be a demure lamb. A prey in a world of predators. While this prey hunted, its predators in the dark. A wolf in sheep's skin.
She was just a sweet little girl, oblivious to the demented world.
"Thank you," she smiled at the other man who helped her open the car door. The guard swooned, warmth flooded his body and his ears became red. Her voice was silvery light with a tinge of timber, like a siren's lull.
A rough cough made him jump. It sounded more like a growl of a feral than a human. The man trembled and bowed when he saw the great Wilson's glower. He dared not to look at the girl twice. "Miss, please make yourself comfortable," Wilson smiled, closing the door smoothly.
His smile morphed into a snarl as he grabbed the guard by his collar. "Don't forget who you are," Wilson warned.
"She is our lady, and we are her servants, nothing less, nothing more," he deadpanned. The guard bowed his head in humiliation. Getting yelled at in front of all his companions made him want to drown himself.
"Go back to the headquarters and receive your punishment. The Mariano Clan does not tolerate incompetence," Wilson spat out, his eyes seething.
"You were harsh," mused a voice behind him. Wilson cursed under his breath.
"Garold," Wilson grunted at his cousin, who was several years his junior. "Atlas, the princess has arrived," he said, sounding like a devout 17th-century knight. "He deserved it," Wilson grumbled, earning a small laugh from his brother. "She already had you wrapped around her little fingers," Garold crackled, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
Wilson gave him a fleeting glare before getting into the car.
Five bulletproof cars, each with an 'M' logo on the license plate, rushed down the highways. They never stopped at traffic lights and the road was cleared just for them, all so that the unknown girl could get home safe and sound.
The truth was obvious. And it had the power to shake the world. The Mariano daughter had returned home. The diamond princess had arrived to claim her rightful throne.
----
"My name is Garold," the blonde man introduced himself. "Always at your service milady," he smiled cheekily as he drove the car. Selena, who was comfortably seated in the backseat, smiled at his words.
His playful gesture made her feel light. "I am Selena, but you already know that." Not minding his playful words and ignoring the scanty glare from the man beside her. Selena tilted her head as she observed him unscrew the cap of the bottle.
"Can you tell me your name? You never made an introduction to me," she said to the man beside her.
Wilson spat out the water. He wheezed and choked on the liquid as some went reverse back into his nose.
What a mess.
He wondered if the girl did it deliberately to catch him in an embarrassing situation. How could he be so careless? But the girl appeared too harmless to be that petty. Her head tilted in confusion, her brow furrowed in concern as she watched him make a fool of himself.
"Clumsy ass," Garold mouthed through the car mirror. Wilson scowled.
"I'm sorry," he squeaked, grabbing some tissue paper and blotting the wet spot on his coat. "My name is Wilson, and I am one of the secretaries of your father. Please excuse the late introduction," he apologized profusely. He cursed in a foreign language under his breath, not to sully the ear of the girl. How could he forget such a simple thing?
Selena let out a giggle before she could control it. "Don't worry, Wilson; everyone is clumsy," she patted his shoulder.
"We'll be at the mansion in twenty minutes," he changed the subject to divert attention away from his idiotic actions. Garold bit his lip to suppress a booming laugh. Only an S-grade fighter would turn foolish in front of the missing daughter.
----
Selena's pupils constricted as she watched the massive gate open and their car drove through. Each corner of the limestone wall was exquisitely carved, and the designs were meticulously executed. It was a piece of history in and of itself, like something out of a fairytale. With acres of flora encircling the mansion, adding to its majesty.
Anyone could tell the mansion had been passed down through generations.
"Please enter."
Selena stepped inside the mansion. The servants bowed to her in greeting and whispered as Wilson and Garold led her to the dining hall, where the Mariano family was seated.
The regal woman in the room gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. In the room, Selena walked cautiously, her eyes wandering, but not for too long, before focusing on them. The girl stood still.
"My baby," she gushed and hugged the girl. Selena's body felt repulsive; she wanted to push the woman away. But she stopped her hand as she listened to a small whimper.
"Liliana, dear," the man called out. "You are scaring the poor girl," he chuckled at the pale look on the young girl.
"How dramatic," the young boy scoffed in complete distaste under his breath. His voice was low enough to not catch anyone's attention.
"How foolish of me," Liliana wiped her tears. "Dear, come sit beside me," she held the young girl's hand and made her seat beside them.
Selena watched the woman return to normal, though her eyes were still red. The woman looked at her so fondly, that for a second her heart squeezed. She stumbled. "S-Sorry," she breathed out.
"Careful," Liliana helped her into the seat, her brown eyes looking at her girl in concern.
"Thank you."
The man watched his wife turn soft to the girl. But his eyes narrowed. "Selena," he called out, watching her head snap towards him, like a deer caught in the lights. His eyes soften the barest at her inept reaction.
He introduced himself, "I am your father. Theodore," Though his voice remained cold.
Selena nodded once. There was no need for a DNA test to question his and her identity. They both shared the same olive eyes, jet black hair, and face structure. Not to mention, she has the same wavy hair structure as her supposed mother. They looked so similar that it was uncanny.
And above all, who didn't know Theodore Mariano? The man who ruled the mining empire with an icy glare. The chairman of the Mariano group though never pulled into dirty waters, he had some pretty filthy secrets to keep the company running.
Anyone at the pinnacle of high society had their hands dirty at some point in their lives.
"Boys, introduce yourself."
Selena looked at the two males. One was older than her in years, while the other looked closer to her age or younger.
"Samuel," the younger said.
The younger boy with round glasses appeared irritated to be present at the time. He seemed to be yanked from his room and threatened to take a seat at the table. And the older one had a vacant stare. Selena couldn't read him, since he resembled a robot.
"He is younger than you by two years," Liliana beamed. It was evident that the youngest was in his rebellious phase and was not ready to speak more.
"Maxim. Your eldest brother," the mother continued the introduction, knowing the silent boy would rather starve than speak.
Samuel appeared uninterested. "I need to finish a project. It will be presented to the defense minister within two months, it is far more important than this," he rolled his eyes while glancing at the girl who was sitting nonchalantly on the chair sipping water.
Theodore's eyes narrowed as he perceived the disrespect. For the first time, Maxim spoke out, "Greet." One word from him, and Samuel stiffened and turned to the girl with a Cheshire grin. "Welcome home, my dearest sister," he said, his tone sickly sweet.
"Happy," he deadpanned at his brother, getting up and leaving without waiting for an answer.
Liliana's face dropped, and she bit her lower lip distressed. It was not a positive start. But her heart was relieved to see Selena completely indifferent about the youngest's tantrum.
"Wilson," Theodore looked at his most trusted man.
"Chairman," he bowed his head.
"Follow me."
----
"Sire, the stone has reached the mine," a guard bowed, not daring to look up or even breathe loudly. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as he waited for a reply.
The crackling of firewood echoed through the room. He trembled when an ominous chuckle waved through the room as the man in the chair swirled the glass of whiskey with mirth dancing in his auburn eyes.
"Haha," he threw back his head and laughed, and laughed. The guard trembled in his shoes. He wanted to dash out of the room the moment he saw a muse glinting in his boss's eyes, it made his skin crawl and goosebumps raked all over him.
"Oh my," the man wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. He never had such a good laugh in months. How amusing. What a wonderful show was going to play out.
"Let's see if the stone can get polished into a diamond."
~~~~
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