Mysterious 03: A Huge Favor

Aris Sandoval’s P.O.V.

It was her!

That ferocious woman who slapped me earlier in the plane—was the same woman who was again throwing me some deadly stares. I guessed, she wasn’t yet able to move on from what happened.

But wait… if she is the sister of this kid, meaning to say, she was also the one who created this painting? So, she is definitely none other than Drey Laxamana? The artist?

I gulped hard and my jaw literally dropped when I realized it. I was tongue-tied all of a sudden. I opened my mouth but I wasn’t able to say anything and this would be the very first time it ever happened to me.

That explained why they were so look alike, most especially with their long eyelashes and pointed nose. I even thought a while ago that the kid’s eyes represented someone very familiar to me, little did I know that it was all because of the woman from the plane incident.

With the clear lights here, I could say that she was more than prettier than earlier. Most especially now that she was proudly standing at about five feet and seven inches tall.

So that means… I’m dead? Damn it! How would I be able to talk to her about this painting when she was already mad at me?

Glancing at her face, her left eyebrow never left its highest arc the moment she saw me again. It was as if her blood automatically came to a boiling point at my presence when today was absolutely the first day we ever saw each other.

I never met her before and I couldn’t remember if she was somehow related to me or if she was included in my long list of women. Would I accept the fact that I was already defeated without even getting started?

I thought, she was a man and he was already old by now but it was only my wrong assumption. How on earth that Drey could be the name of a girl? I even called her ‘Sir Drey’ in my thoughts, but it looked like we just came from the same age group. Meaning, she was only around fourteen years old when she did this artwork.

Moreover, if she created this masterpiece about twelve years ago, it could be close to the time when I met Juno. By that time, Drey might be also wandering around the beautiful beaches and islands of El Nido.

But why does she have to paint a mermaid in the first place? What was her inspiration to create such an exceptional classic?

She doesn’t look like an artist at all! Or could it be… she also had a close encounter with Juno before? What if she was a friend of hers?

But it wasn’t about physical attributes, I guessed. I was a very successful businessman but I didn’t look like one. People would mistake me as a commercial model or the highest-paid actor because there was no question that I was the real epitome of the word handsome. A full-package heartthrob!

But enough of me, what could be the possible reason for her to depict the exact features of Juno? It was impossible to believe that it was only a product of her imagination.

I was still in a state of confusion when she shifted her attention back to her brother. It was as if I entirely ruined her mood.

“Next time, don’t you ever talk again to anyone especially to those you don’t know, understand? But where’s Uncle? I told you not to wander here alone, right?” She threw him a series of questions as she went closer, bent her back slightly, and held his shoulders.

The kid just nodded at her, as if he was really afraid of his vexed sister. “He is in the parking lot. I just went here because I was too excited to see you. You stayed for two weeks in Tokyo and you know me, I wouldn’t get easily lost.”

She looked at me again before she continued talking to her brother. “Then, why are you talking to him? You don’t have to give your trust to someone so easily, Nickos. We don’t know him and what he’s capable of doing! He might do something bad to you. Now, let’s go. We’re just wasting our time to nonsense people.”

She then grabbed her brother’s wrist, stood straight, and before she turned around, she gave me that one last glare. It was like a sharp dagger ready to kill me. But no, it was more of a butcher’s knife ready to chop my whole body.

However, Nickos still managed to look at me with confusion as they started to walk away and merged with other people. I shouldn’t let them vanish from my sight when I wasn’t yet able to discuss my proposal about her artwork.

You’re a very successful business magnate, Aris. You can do it!

That was when I screamed out of chaos while running towards them. “Drey, wait!” I didn’t mind the eyes of everyone when I made such a scene.

She looked in my direction with narrowed eyes and furrowed eyebrows. Now, she could stab me with those sharp glares of hers. A sullen brooding look of anger was evident on her entire face as well. Though annoyed, I could tell that she was still beautiful.

“Wow! I don’t remember that I gave my name to someone like you, mister. So you’re not just a pervert, huh? You’re also a damn good-for-nothing type of stalker! Isn’t the plane incident not enough? Well, you know what? It was so unfortunate to be seated beside you. Tell me, what do you want now?” She groaned while still holding her brother.

I heaved a deep sigh. I guessed I would be the first one to surrender here. But I had to because I needed to ask her a damn-good and badly immense favor.

“I-If you want me to say s-sorry about what happened a while ago, if I unconsciously touched you… or spanked you… or hit you? Or whatever term you would like to call it, I’m sorry. That was purely unintentional. I’m really sorry for what happened between the two of us, okay? I-It’s not yet late to say sorry, right? So… are we okay now, D-Drey?” I stuttered, trying to appease her.

She didn’t answer me but I caught a slight change in her facial expression. Her aura somewhat softened though, but I still couldn’t deny the fact that she was still annoyed at me. I was disheartened by the fact that there could be a woman who would hate me on our very first meeting.

Well, it was Drey Laxamana. The artist. The first woman who ever hated me.

“Anyway… your brother told me that you were the one who did that painting, that’s why I was able to know your name. It was written there, and I must admit… your painting was incomparably great. It was truly exceptional,” I continued because she didn’t utter a word. That was the cue for me to convince her, but I just couldn’t believe that I was capable of talking to someone like this.

Damn it! Where’s the real Aris?

“So? Just because my name was written there, you think you already had the right to call me on a first-name basis? Let me remind you of where you stand, okay? We’re not even close, dude! And I don’t need any of your flattering words. Answer me straight to the point. What. Do. You. Want?” Her tone was full of hatred while stressing the last four words.

She even dropped Nickos’ wrist so that she could place both of her hands on her waist. She was also looking at me straight in the eyes without breaking our eye contact even for a few seconds.

Did I really hit her that hard for her to loath me like this?

Raising both of my hands in the air, I finally surrendered. “Okay, I’ll go straight to the point as you asked. Please do me a favor, a huge one.” Now, I began to explain with hand gestures. “I wanted to have a copy of that painting as soon as possible. Name your price. I’ll pay you regardless of how much it costs! One hundred thousand pesos? Or you want it double or triple? If you don’t need money, just tell me what you want for an exchange. A sports car? A luxurious bachelorette’s pad? A billion-worth yacht? Tell me and I’ll be more than happy to give it to you.”

I didn’t care anymore if I sounded so desperate here. I might be misunderstood here to the point that I might be insulting her with what my money could give her, but what else could I offer? I wanted that painting and what Aris wants, Aris gets! I would make sure that she would agree to it.

She blatantly narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth with disgust.