"Welcome, Sir Albert," Williams greeted as Albert stepped down from his car. Albert went to the back seat and gently picked up Isabella, who was already asleep, placing her head on his shoulder. Williams was taken aback by the sight. Albert didn't utter a word until he walked inside the mansion.
"Well---" Marie began, but her statement was interrupted by her surprise at seeing a child with Albert. He gently laid Isabella on the couch and began pacing restlessly.
"Honey, it's chaos out there. I had to run for my life, or I'd be dead by now, those people are crazy!" Albert explained, but Marie was preoccupied with the presence of the strange child.
"I need to clear my name. Many people died! I didn't order their deaths, all I gave was simple instruction, but what can I do now? A&T's image is at stake!" Albert continued, noticing Marie's distraction. He looked at Isabella, then back at Marie, apologizing, "Oh sorry, honey."
Albert held Marie's shoulder. "I found her," he said.
Marie asked, "Where?"
"At the province," Albert replied. Marie scoffed, "And you bring her home? What about her family? Why bring someone else's child home, Albert?"
"Calm down, love," Albert soothed. "When we were surveying the debris, we found her trapped. It's a miracle she's alive."
Confused, Marie asked, "Why didn't you give her to the rescue team to find her parents? Or take her to the police station?"
"It's not that easy," Albert sighed. "Didn't you hear what I said earlier? We almost got killed by angry villagers! Besides, she's blind. I can't just leave her anywhere."
Marie's mind calmed upon hearing Isabella was blind. She looked at her and asked Albert, "So what are we going to do with her now?"
"I was thinking of taking her to the police station here in Manila," Albert replied. "The police can look for her parents. Just tell the maids to take care of her and feed her. I need to rest my brain."
With that, Albert headed upstairs. Marie couldn't help but notice how cute Isabella was. She moved closer, touched her face, and felt pity for her. Before she could dwell on it further, one of the maids interrupted, "Madam..."
Marie composed herself quickly and instructed the maid to take care of Isabella. Then, she joined her husband upstairs.
Cebu
Anne made her way to the morgue that night to see her mother. She was wrapped in white cloth and laid on the hospital couch. Tears streamed down Anne's face, her heart weighed down with sorrow. Beside her, Uncle Peter, Aunt Teresa, Sebastian's grandparents, Mr. Simmons, his wife, Maria, were all crying. Anne was pleading with her mother to wake up.
"Mother, please wake up! Why did you leave me? You promised to always be here with me. Why did you leave, mother?" Anne's voice trembled with pain as she remembered all the good and bad memories she had with her mother.
Uncle Peter's phone rang, breaking the somber atmosphere. "What? Okay, thank you," he said. Anne looked at him, and he informed her, "We can't go back to the market again. They just killed two people there."
"Did they find any child?" Anne asked, her voice filled with desperation.
"I don't think they did," Uncle Peter replied. Anne dropped to her knees, crying bitterly. Meanwhile, Isabella, after being cleaned up by the maids, started crying out, "Moma!"
The next morning, Anne rushed to the province market. Only a few people were there, searching for their families. Anne held Isabella's picture, showing it to them and asking if they had seen her. But they all shook their heads.
Her eyes darted around as the police arrived, dispersing the crowd and sealing off the area. Anne continued her search, asking people on the street if they had seen Isabella. No one seemed to have any information.
Then, she remembered the angry words of one of the victims: "A&T Home Of Decor Company is behind this, and they must pay for it!" Anne recalled visiting that company five years ago in search of Albert. The name burned in her mind: A&T Home Of Decor Company.
With anger boiling inside her, Anne clenched Isabella's picture in her hand and gritted her teeth. "You bastard! You will pay for this!" she vowed.
Manila
Albert adjusted his tie, feeling the weight of the day ahead. His phone incessantly rang, a cacophony of demands and inquiries that left him bewildered. Marie, squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Love, I know you can handle this. Just focus on clearing your name," she encouraged. Albert nodded, leaning in to peck her cheek before heading towards the door.
However, their departure was halted by Isabella's anguished cries. The maids struggled to calm her, but she resisted their efforts. Albert's heart twisted with pity, a desire to comfort her. Yet Marie's gentle voice reminded him of his responsibilities. "Love, you need to go. I'll take care of her," she assured him. Reluctantly, Albert acquiesced and left for work.
Upon arriving at the office, Albert was greeted by a swarm of journalists outside the company building. Anne was among them, fighting to push through to the front.
Williams slowed down, frowned his brow and said, "Sir Albert, I think there's a problem. Look." Albert glanced forward and instructed, "Call the security." Williams swiftly made the call, and the security team rushed out to escort Albert into the building.
The journalists clamored for his attention, bombarding him with questions about the recent tragedy in Cebu. "Did you order the demolition of the market?" they pressed. "What do you have to say to the families of the victims?" Albert remained silent, his expression stoic as he marched past them.
Anne's frustration boiled over as she struggled to reach him but couldn't. She managed to squeeze through to the security checkpoint, where a guard sat reading a newspaper. "Excuse me," she began, her tone laced with irritation. The guard looked up, curious. "I'm here for a cleaning job interview with Mr. Albert, but I can't get through because of the journalists," she explained.
The guard furrowed his brow, skeptical. "Are you sure he told you to come?" he questioned. Anne nodded adamantly, her resolve unwavering. The guard hesitated before making a call to confirm her story. Anne's heart raced as she awaited the verdict. Finally, the guard relayed the message that Albert's secretary was unavailable to confirm. "Can you give me his number please? I'll call him myself, and explain why I'm not present for the interview." Anne requested, a forced smile masking her simmering anger.
The guard reluctantly provided her with Albert's secretary's number. Anne smiled widened as she took the number, but beneath the smile, anger simmered as she squeezed the paper in her hand.