Chapter 6: One Sweet Episode

"Elsa, tell Iñigo to prepare the car. I'm going to my father's wake!" still shaking in fear, Elsa darted away but also stopped near the door frame where my witch stepmother blocked the way. "I'm sorry, Elsa!" I uttered as I sauntered forward. "I can't eat the meal you cooked for me. I suddenly lost my appetite!" angling my eyebrow at Divina, I sarcastically muttered.

Elsa turned around and nodded in silence. Excusing herself from Divina, the latter stepped aside to give her a path. When it's just the two of us, we halted in a death stare. Divina Montenegro, my evil stepmother. She's still the same... a pretentious, two-faced gold digger who ruined my relationship with my father. He met this wicked woman at a banquet when I was 10. The moment I saw my father's eyes beam again, that was the time I knew my life would change.

"Who told you to touch my stuff, Divina?!" my blood boiled upon seeing her smirking at me. I ambled forward, my fingers slowly curling into tight fists. I swore I could make her teeth fly away today if she would make a mistake.

"What? Ah! The old piano? Well, no one. It's just an eyesore that's why I auctioned it!" she waved her hands in the air and swayed her hips as she circled me, scanning me from head to foot like a tool.

"Wrong answer, Divina!" I sternly uttered in between my gritted teeth. "Now, I will ask you again. Who took my piano~"

"Oh! C'mon, Amy Leah. Don't be such a whiner. You're no longer a kid. And your father isn't here anymore to spoil you. So, better be a good girl so I will treat you well!" she stroked my hair, I felt nauseous smelling her filthy scent.

"Don't touch me!" I shove her hand away in the air. I was about to explode. I counted to three at the back of my mind controlling my emotion to engulf me.

"What?! You're bold now!" her sarcastic laugh echoed in the hallway. "C'mon, Amy Leah. It's just a piece of trash. And isn't your father's wake more important than anything else? You're his only child. Pay him some respect!"

PAK!

The loud sound of my palm landing on her now reddish cheek satisfied me. Her shocked expression while holding her face made me smirk...but my rage outshined my delight. I was not finished with her yet.

"How dare you slap me?!" she screamed calling the attention of her bodyguard, Franco, brawny and an expert in martial arts. My father hired him as per her request...a part of her whims and capriciousness. "Franco, slap her for me!" her puppy tone was nauseating, it gave goosebumps all over my body.

But when Franco raised his hand in an attempt to hit me, Iñigo appeared in the hallway. "Señora, you have a call!" he made his voice loud stopping Franco in the middle. I glanced at him in a thankful manner, I knew he just saved my day.

"Let's go, Franco!" Divina utters. "We're not finished yet!" she glared at me before leaving my room. Franco followed behind her.

"Oh! We've just begun!" I muttered as I ambled to my bed and sit on the edge. Tears began to fall down my cheeks. I hid my feelings from that witch not showing her that I was hurting inside, weak and vulnerable, and had no idea how to continue my life...now that Liam and my father were both gone.

"Señorita, if you want I can ask George to arrange a hotel for you for the time being!" I heard Iñigo's voice at the door. His face showed concern and worry about my situation.

If there were people that I trusted in the mansion, it was only Elsa and Iñigo. In the company, it's just George. In the Hacienda, it's only Samuel, although, I had no idea if he was still alive. News broke just a month after I left that a huge fire destroyed the Hacienda's workers' place. That included Desmond's home.

My voice cracked in a sob upon thinking back about him. I had never seen him for a long time. I asked my father once, what's the cause of the fire but he just said, I shouldn't be bothered by it. When I also asked him about Desmond, he yelled at me and told me he just suddenly disappeared.

"Señorita, you're not safe here. George knows a lot of prominent people. They're loyal to your father. They can protect you!"

I placed my palms on my face blanketing the weakness inside of me as I pondered Iñigo's words. He was right. I was not safe here. This mansion as long as Divina was around was not my home. I breathed deeply and took the tissue from the side table.

"Okay, Iñigo. I will follow your advice. But first, take me to my father's wake!" I uttered in a low tone. My father's long-time driver nodded right away.

The wake was at Saint Peter Parish Church, about an hour's drive from the mansion. As I entered, my father's coffin blurred my vision. People were quietly sitting on the pews while they glanced at my appearance.

They were paying their last respect to him. Some weren't familiar to me, some were few I could recall, and some...just the people I didn't want to see.

"Señorita, Amy Leah!" I saw George striding toward me and Iñigo, his pained smile and lack of sleep were written all over his aura. "Welcome back, Amy Leah!" he emitted while giving me a light hug, his voice tearing feeling the loss of his boss and best friend for more than two decades. He was just like a father to me.

"George, how have you been?" I whisper as I stroke his back. He smiled faintly, his longing eyes fixed on me.

"I'm...not sure!" he chuckled. "Come! Don Miguel, wherever he is now, is delighted to see you again. He talked about you a lot in his final days!" he cracked making me glance at him.

As we both ambled to the altar, I had to drag my legs for they were getting heavier. We stopped in front of the open coffin, my father's face looked calm in his rest. Like he hadn't worked his tail off for years. He spent most of his life running de la Frontera Group. He inherited that company from his father when he was just 20. Since then, it became his world.

"Dad!" I whispered. "I'm here!"

I flickered my swollen eyes as tears began to fall. It's a good thing my sunglasses covered them. I felt George's hands on my shoulders and tried to calm me down. But I couldn't help it. I clamped my hands on my mouth as my shoulders began to bounce and my lips let out tiny sobs.

I had either a good or bad relationship with my father when he was still with us. I would say he was strict and always stuck to his rules. He wanted me to learn about our business but no matter how I tried, I just couldn't put my heart into it. The only reason that made me visit our hacienda twice a year was one person.

I felt a needle prick my heart upon reminiscing about my painful past while staring at my dad's pale face. I remembered one sweet episode of my life that made me bristle with rage and that rage grew into a huge one, I didn't know if it could still be fixed. That certain chapter of my life was when my feelings for him blossomed.

That episode made me look back again at that certain past...

Desmond and I continued connecting thru text messages and phone calls. Adam told me, he broke his piggy bank just to buy himself a phone. It was funny but touching though. I giggled at the thought that I was the only reason why he decided to get connected with the tech world.

"Hey, beautiful. Still up?!" I flinched at the notification that appeared on my phone. I just had dinner and was lying on my stomach on my bed when Desmond texted me. That's actually our 3rd week of messaging each other...in secret!

"Still up. Just had dinner. You?!" I texted back, a smile creeping up on my face.

"Had dinner. Eat well?"

"Hmm! Elsa cooked my favorite. Beef Wellington. You?!" I feel butterflies in my stomach, imagining Desmond also lying on his bed or leaning on the headboard while texting me.

"I also ate well. I'm glad Elsa cooked your favorite. I should thank and hug her when I meet her!" I visualized his tone while reading his sweet message

and couldn't help but giggle. I was 15 and if this was the feeling of having a crush on someone, I should say it was...epic and beyond words.

"What did you do the whole day?" he asked.

"Went to class and went shopping. Iñigo went with me!" I was waiting for his reply when suddenly my phone rang and his name appeared on the screen. He was also asking for a video call.

Upon accepting his request, a dim face covered the screen. "Who's Iñigo?" and an angry tone came after.

"He's our other driver. He's like my uncle. Why?" I was controlling myself to chuckle. Obviously, he was jealous...and I kind of liked it.

"Ow!" the dim look that welcomed me changed into a blush of embarrassment. "I thought, you're...dating another guy!" his orbs were glancing around.

"So, what if I'm going to date another guy? I'm single!" I planned to irritate him and it's working. He was now just staring deeply at me. Pain and annoyance were now displayed in his gorgeous look.

"D-do you...like someone?" he then asked, stuttering a bit.

"Hmm! Maybe. I have a crush on someone. But I don't know if he likes me, too!" I responded feeling amused by his expression.

"Why do you like him?" he again asked...stern this time. I could feel he was on the verge of exploding.

"Coz he is handsome and sweet. Sometimes, he is funny!" a smile escaped my playful tone as I was just gazing at him.

"I see!" he just nodded. "Does he live near you?"

"No, he's a bit far from here!" too late to take back when I saw the corner of his lips curled up turning into a smirk. "Why are you asking a lot of questions about him, anyway?" couldn't I be more stupid to ask him defensively?

"Nah! Just curious!" now his gloomy eyes began to beam like he had just received a wonderful present. "You should sleep now. It's already 9. It's not healthy to sleep late!" now he sounded like an overprotective boyfriend.

"In my defense, mister. I should be sleeping now if you didn't contact me, hmp!" I swiped the end button and turned off the light right away.

Darkness occupied my room but it didn't matter to me. I was just staring blankly at the ceiling while thinking about him. He was annoyingly attractive and I had to admit...I missed him!