Chapter 5: Back to the de la Frontera Mansion

I gasped as I halted in my thoughts. The cab driver sighed in frustration while we were stuck in the traffic. I glanced at the window adjusting my sunglasses while watching the situation outside.

"Couldn't be better?!" I heard the driver scoff in annoyance. He slammed his palms on the steering wheel and groaned. "Huh! Road rage at its finest!"

His sarcastic remark fluttered my ears curious of his fury, I followed his vision with my gaze. There we both witnessed in the other lane an upset woman driving a white SUV and a man dressed in a suit sitting on the driver's seat inside a new model black Tesla convertible car, the woman was screaming at the top of her lungs to the driver who was calmly listening to her.

"Looks like the insane woman has a motive!" the driver scoffed while shaking his head in annoyance. I just smiled at him while staring at the woman and the man arguing loudly, they were now catching the attention of everyone on the road and some passersby.

"Oh, boy! The man is just a driver of a big fish!" the cab driver glanced at me from the rearview mirror.

I leaned my body forward and squinted at the driver of Tesla. He was now conversing with a man in the backseat. The man inside boasted a domineering aura that seemed familiar to me. I gasped in silence as I took a peek at the portion of his face. His hard jawline came into a view while speaking to his driver.

"Wow! That's a lot of cash on the ground!" the cab driver burst out, I imagine his eyes widened in shock. Even I was stunned by the driver's sudden behavior. He just threw some bills on the woman's face and shut the car door after.

"You asshole!" We heard the woman swear at them while picking up the bills on the road. When the cars begin moving, the driver of Tesla drives fast like a flash of lightning.

"I wish I was the one who hit that billionaire's swanky toy. That could save me and my family from a month's driving work!" the cab driver jokingly uttered making me chuckle a bit.

"The woman needs some cash!" I replied as I crossed my hands over my chest and shifted my stares back to the scenery outside. "How much more time do we have?" I asked without glancing at the cab driver.

"About 30 minutes, Miss!" he answers shyly. "You come here for a vacation or for good?" he questioned as he glanced over his shoulder.

"I don't know. For good perhaps!" I replied flatly. Indeed, I don't know if I would stay in New York for good. That would depend on the situation I was in. "A lot of stuff had changed!" I muttered under my breath.

"Plenty of stuff. Especially this year!" the cab driver sighed. He maneuvered the steering wheel calmly while his fingers tapped the handle. "The death of the ruthless business tycoon, I'm sure you've heard about it. It's all over the news in and outside of the country. It even surpassed the news about the president's speech last month!" he chuckled while I am just listening. He saw me smiling wryly in the rearview mirror.

Of course, I knew about it. It's roaring like a tiger and soaring high like an eagle. The news of my father's death was all over the headline of every paper and mainstream media. He was captioned as 'The Great Lost in the Commerce World'

"Couldn't agree more!" I mumbled. Even though he was tagged as one of the most ruthless and tyrant business tycoons in the country, his death was indeed a great loss to the economy.

"Aside from that, it is also said that his infamous daughter and only heiress is coming home to take de la Frontera Group!" I heard mockery in his tone. "I couldn't wait to see how a certified billionaire's widow would play the role of a Chairman of an enormous company!"

I couldn't help but scoff at his candor. But he was right, what could a widow of the late billionaire Liam Bailey of Bailey International, the family who built the 63rd City, a twin tower graced at the heart of London, do? She was a mere housewife serving her husband solely, accompanying him to every event and banquet, a decor in everyone's sight and a juicy flavor on everyone's tongue of gossip.

"I'm also thrilled to know what she can do!" I kept mumbling, ignoring the driver's curious stare. "Are we there yet?" I asked not hiding my impatience with this long and winding ride.

"Almost! I bet that lucky widow and heiress Amy Leah de la Frontera Bailey can change the perception of narrow-minded men about independent women!" this time he didn't hide his sarcastic remark on his expression. "What do you think, Miss?"

"We'll see about that. We're here!" I answered as my gaze stopped on the familiar private road.

"Wow! I've never been to this place. You're super rich!" the cab driver's eyes widened in surprise. Probably, he never expected a well-off woman to ride a taxi or simply dressed in a comfortable buttoned shirt and skinny jeans.

As we halted at the two-door iron gate, two guards stopped the cab. The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror waiting for my words. "I'm getting off here. Thanks!" I gently uttered as I reached him some dollar bills. A bit too much for the price that appeared on the meter. The driver smiled at me and got off. He strode to the back of the car to take my luggage off the trunk.

"Thanks, Miss. In case you need my service again. Here is my calling card!" he politely handed me his business card before driving away.

One of the guards recognized me when I removed my sunglasses and radioed someone in the mansion. Immediately, four servants in uniform rushed to get my three big luggage. Elsa, our long-time butler that was dressed in black, hugged me right away.

"Señorita, Amy Leah. It has been a long time since the last time I see you in person!" she uttered in between her sobs. "Welcome home!" she added while staring at me.

"I miss you, too, Elsa. How's everybody here when I was gone?" I asked not wasting any more time. I needed to know the details of how my father passed away. For as far as I remember, he was as strong as a horse the last time we'd met in London and that was less than a year ago.

We kept walking while we conversed. Elsa glanced around first before she casually stared back at me. "He had a heart attack, señorita. The new family doctor that Doña Divina hired was the one checking his health every week!"

"Every week?!" I calmly asked. My gaze was fixed on the open entrance door that was so quiet. The open living room first caught my interest. Then the decorations inside. "Everything has changed here!" I whispered as I touched one of the big antique vases beside the entrance.

"Yes, señorita. Every week. Don Miguel didn't tell anybody the truth about his health. Also, he commanded the new doctor to keep it a secret including to Doña Divina!" Elsa explained.

She called one of the servants that were cleaning the mansion and the woman who I thought was younger than me rushed to our side at once. She also bowed as her curtsy. "Prepare the meal I've cooked for Señorita. Hurry up!" she ordered, the servant ran immediately to the dining room.

"You must be tired. I personally cleaned your room. It's still the same as it was when you left. Doña Divina wanted to change the design just like how she renovated the whole mansion but Don Miguel insisted to keep your room the way it was!"

"Really?! My stepmom wanted to invade my privacy?!" boiling blood rushed through my veins, I felt like I was going to explode. Ever since my stepmother and I had a strange relationship. We didn't get along well. She hated me as much as I hated her.

As we climbed to the grand staircase, Elsa continued telling a story of the past five years. "Yes! Don Miguel and Doña Divina argued about it. In the end, your stepmom gave up. Ahm! Señorita, also your grand piano...!"

I abruptly glanced at her. Fear cast down on her face. The piano was the last gift I received from my mother. Aside from my mother's jewelry which I brought with me when I went to London, it was the grand piano that I treasured the most.

"What about my piano?" I asked with a tad bit of aggressiveness in my voice.

"Doña Divina auctioned it a year after you left. She told us not to tell you about it. She said that's a punishment for your dad for opposing her decision to remodel your room!"

"WHAT?! THAT WITCH!"

I hurried to my room which was located on the right side facing the main gate. I strode past my dad's library and the chimney area where my parents and I usually had our bedtime stories before. Elsa followed me behind with her quick steps.

I swung the door open and saw two servants putting my clothes in the wide closet a bit far from my queen-sized bed. My room was wide and it was complete with everything I need. There's a wide patio with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall facing the garden. My wardrobe was huge and wide with detailed accessories, from my branded clothes to my collections of branded purses and shoes. There was a vault beside the vanity mirror for my jewelry. It was only I who knew the combination lock.

In the corner was the wide bathroom with a Jacuzzi and massage room. Sometimes before, I spent most of my time in the massage area just drawing some sketches of dresses and the like. I loved to draw especially about clothes. I studied fashion design but too bad I wasn't able to practice it in reality. After my graduation, Liam and I got married. That was two years ago.

The massage room was my hideout. None in the mansion except for Elsa knew that I bribed my father's assistant to build that small space in the bathroom. When he found out, he scolded George and almost got fired. My father hated my hobby.

Although he agreed when I took a fashion design course, it was just a facade of what he planned for my future...a plain housewife!

He said he had everything in control...That I doubted!

My eyes widened when I entered inside and saw the area where my grand piano stood is empty. "Leave us!" I roared at the two servants and they sprinted right away. "Where is my dad's wake?" I asked Elsa.

She trembled while staring at me and gestured for me to glance at the door. I turned around and saw the witch in a flesh.

"Oh! Mrs. Bailey is here!" she sneered.