ATTY. RALF Villadolid, patiently wait in his car. After he dropped Samantha in her apartment he called Detective Morgan. He had one last favor from the detective. Of course it was a paid favor. He knew the drill. Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. Typical rules from the underground. OMERTA or the code of silence do not usually apply in some cases. It’s the money that talks most of the time. The lawyer is perfectly aware of this and he played by their rules.His brown big eyes suddenly beam followed by a meaningful smile when he saw Detective Morgan’s car coming. Money really brings wonder in this world.The detective got off the vehicle first followed by the gang leader Antonio who seems to be following the detective afraid and against his whim. The local gang leader was wary of this sudden invitation.Atty. Ralf get off his car, a brand new Mercedes-Benz carrying his suitcase.“Hola! Antonio. We met again.” The lawyer greeted the gang leader.“Hey Ralf, what is this?” Antonio as
FREEDOM is the sweetest when you tested how to be unfree. This is what Samantha had realized upon her first step from jail. It changes all her perspective about life. Born of silver platter, Samantha have not taken life seriously but now it is different.The first thing she did was hugged her baby the whole day. She missed Baby Divine so much. Atty. Ralf Villadolid promised her to have a call after few days. Meantime he advised Samantha to take her time. Samantha could not wait to meet her benefactor which in her mind it was no other than Angelo Lopez. She felt excited.The following morning Samantha decided to look for work. She woke up early, feed Baby Divine and asked Maria to baby-sit while she was out. Maria gladly obliged.“Can I talk to you for a while.” Maria said seriously before Samantha could take another step.“Okay.” Samantha felt uneasy upon hearing Maria. She sensed trouble. “What is it Maria?”Maria retrieved a letter from her pocket and handed it to Samantha.“Mrs. Le
AS she opened the door, Franco Sevilla was on her doorstep wearing the casual smile on his face but this time more intense and shows concern. Worries painted all over his expression.“Thanks God you are here.” The man said looking at her from head to foot as if trying to figure out some difference from the last time they met. “Are you okay now?”“I’m trying to be okay Frank.” Samantha answered truthfully.Franco Sevilla was at his fifties. Samantha knew the man when she transferred in this apartment. He was a good rugged looking man with his casual t-shirt and jeans. But Samantha could sense that the man was handsome during his days.They were from the same country and during her pregnancy days Frank use to give her some herbs and healthy foods for her and the baby inside her. It was also Frank who helped her to the hospital during the delivery of her baby. The man did the routine of a husband she never had.At first Samantha keep her distant from the man. Her first impression is that
FRANK had long gone but Samantha could not forget about her conversation with her father. What kind of father has that audacity to drop her daughter who is in dire needs? But Arnald Lopez had it all. He is used to dropping all his ex-wives and children.Thinking about all her present situation, Samantha realized that it is very hard to depend on somebody.She stared at baby Divine who is sleeping soundly in her crib. Samantha thought how this misery started. She had a very promising career as model before and was even near to enter in showbiz as actress but when she got pregnant everything popped up in the air. It’s the baby that made her body like this. The reason that Buggy had dumped her as model. Samantha greeted her teeth disappointed with the lost hope.She understood buggy. With her chubby body now, she was already out of the league. Models have sexy and skinny body that can flaunt any fashion designers clothing. Not the body that she had now.She looked at the innocent face of
THE following day, Attorney Ralf Villadolid called. Samantha was so excited upon hearing the lawyer’s news. The lawyer will accompany her to her benefactor. It must be Angelo, no doubt. She immediately prepared herself after talking to the lawyer. She opened her wardrobe and started to select what to wear. She wanted to look beautiful for Angelo. As a model she has a lot of collection of shoes, dresses and apparels. She thought of which of them she will wear.She had selected a floral dress and two other favorites that might be an alternative. She begun to undress and tried each one but to her dismayed, all her signature dresses was no longer fitted. They were now too small and it bulged. Gone was the skinny body that Angelo once admired.Samantha felt sad and contemplate of not meeting her benefactor. She felt so disappointed. She once used to be admired by many but now with this kind of body, she doubted if Angelo will still appreciate her. She was almost sure that the man will be d
ANGELO was in his office reviewing all financial records of the M&E Pharmaceutical Company owned by Arnald Lopez. The company was in a good financial position. After he acquired the shares of stocks owned by Divina Montes, Angelo kept track of the company’s financial performance. His dummy representative attending all stockholders meeting was his Chief Executive Officer of the AR Enterprises. A company he had put up which was separate from his other companies. AR Enterprises was primarily established for his sole purpose. It is to pinned down Arnald Lopez and his other sibling’s business interest. Arnald has no idea about this representation. Neither knew that Angelo was now a stockholder of M&E Pharmaceuticals.So far Angelo was moving smoothly but progressing. The condominium owned by Divina Montes was pawned to him.Only that the woman knew that it was the casino whom she owed. Angelo smiled thinking of the future when Arnald Lopez learned about his scheme. He almost burst into lau
SAMANTHA was silent after the brief introduction with Norberto Ortega. However, she was disappointed that the Big Boss was not present. Her benefactor was not available due to some urgent unexpected appointment, according to Norberto the EVP and the point man of the big boss. However, the man welcomed her warmly.After the introduction Attorney Ralf said goodbye. He reasoned that he had still an appointment but promised Samantha that he will pick her after an hour and will ride her back to her apartment.“No need for that Attorney. I will arrange for Ms. Lopez transport back to her place.” Norberto curtly said.“Okay then. I’ll go.” The lawyer said with a handshake and left.As they seated at Norberto’s office, Samantha silently observe the place. It was well furnished with state of the art furniture and high tech fixtures. She had concluded that her benefactor’s business was not small time. In his preliminaries, Norberto had briefly said that this is just among the many business inte
SAMANTHA was so elated while riding home. Norberto instructed his company driver to drive her home. The meeting went well. The offer was really tempting but she did not give her immediate answer. Norberto outlined the proposal as she listened intently.The plan was to create a new company. It will be a modeling agency company which will be tie up with the existing company mostly to handle marketing and promotions. The company will be headed by Samantha with Jersey’s help. Aside from the internal functions, the company will be independent and open to work with big-budget advertising agencies and fashion designers. It will be international in scope.They will recruit talents and will be trained by Jersey. With her experience working with various modeling agency, she can definitely handle it. Samantha’s only concern is her baby. Handling such kind of business will be very tasking. It also required a lot of traveling. It will be impossible for her to tag along Baby Divine in all her appoi
WITH so many things occupying her mind, Samantha was surprised to see Angelo Lopez in her office accompanied by her secretary Becky Sanchez.“He insisted Boss.” Becky reasoned.“That is okay, Becky. You can leave us now.”“You are very hard to find, Boss.” Angelo said mockingly. “Cannot reach your phone and the apartment was empty and no neighbor can tell where you transfer.”Samantha understood Angelo’s resentment. Because of the fast turned of events in her life, she actually forgotten about the man. Due to Franks advice she terminated her subscription with her old cell phone, instead she used burner phone. An inexpensive phone designed for temporary call. According to Frank it will be safer so that no one can track her. She forgot to inform Angelo about it.Also due to Frank’s insistence they already move to the mansion. Her mother resisted it at first but when she realized the gravity of danger to Samantha being Frank’s daughter she eventually obliged. She already realized by now t
MARISA was overwhelmed, elated and more than happy seeing her new face. She was even more beautiful now. The doctor had really done a miracle on restoring her damaged face. She cried and hugged Angelo with too much happiness.“I think this needs for a celebration.” Angelo suggested silently feeling overwhelmed too. The burden that was lurking inside him and the fear that Marisa could not make it suddenly disappear.“Ohh… honey. I am so thankful.” Marisa said with misty eyes and then turned around. “Thank you Doctor.”“Thanks the Lord ma’am. I am just his instruments.” The doctor humbly answered. “The miracle was from him.”Marisa nodded in silence. She believed the doctor. In her past reading of the holy bible she contemplated much about her past and she realizes how lucky she was. A blessing that she should share to less fortunate. She was so touched and now she had promised herself that she will do good deeds in the future.They dined happily that evening as a celebration. She now r
FRANK was thinking if he will tell Samantha everything about his secrets. When his wife and son Roberto was killed in the car explosion, he vanished for a year. He also spread rumors that Franco Ortega was also killed in the incident. His youngest daughter Beverly, orphaned at two years old was raised by his wife’s parent.When he resurrected, he became incognito and very careful. He transacted business online and made some slight changes in his appearance through plastic surgery. He became Frank Sevilla. In his absence he stayed at the hotel he inherited from his grandfather. That was the time he met Divina Montes and Samantha was born.He looked at Samantha and contemplate whether it is her time to inherit the organization. He sensed that she had the quality of a good leader. In her few months as Chief Executive Officer of the company, Samantha showed prowess in decision making. Decision making makes or breaks a leader. Poor decision went astray while good decision made it through.
The Boss lead Samantha to a sitting room after they eat. It was a huge room with no windows but well lighted. There was a steel framed working table and a sofa. Aside from collection of antiques, the room was almost bare. No pictures or paintings hanged. Only a brown painted wall with high ceiling.The Boss took a bottle of wine and pour it into two wine glass and handed Samantha the other one which she eagerly took. She badly needed a drink after the incident of gun fire and surprises that had happened. Her adrenaline was still up and she wanted to eased a bit.“I know you are surprised seeing me here.” The Boss said after he emptied his glass. “I think we have to be introduced properly. I am Franco Ortega. But to you and your mother I am Frank Sevilla. I am sorry that I did not introduce you myself earlier. I have reasons.”“So you knew that I am your daughter all along?” Samantha said sounding like a statement of annoyance.“Yes. Since you were born. I was in the hospital when you
AS they speed away going to the office’s direction, Constantine eyes was wary and wandering. He was looking at every direction of the road. The bodyguard seated at the front also do the same. Samantha was sitting at the back and trying to relax but she could not. She sensed something was up to. The way Constantine and the other bodyguard was acting made her nervous. She touched the gun on her bag and adjusted her bullet proof vest.Samantha was thinking about her daughter and was almost tempted to make an order to turn around and go back. Constantine had fill her in about how dangerous Marisa Madrid’s family. An old mafia family that made things done by violence and guns. She glanced back and saw the other car following them. It was part of the three car convoy. Their car was in between and the first car leading them was speeding constantly.As they are about to cross the bridge, there was an explosion in front of them. The first convoy was almost hit and then there was another explos
Marisa Madrid was sleeping in her hospital bed. Angelo was staring at the woman who was fully bandaged on the face with broken nose and gunshot wounds on the right cheek. The wound was not fatal because it exited the soft skin of the jaw but the doctor said that it will need longer therapy to restore both the skin and the broken jaw.Marisa also suffered fractured bones and limbs. Other than that she was already out of danger and the good thing is that the baby was not affected. Angelo got a mixed emotion about what happened. He learned that Marisa provoked the fight but he could not imagine that Samantha was now capable to break somebody’s limb. What happened to the sweet soft woman that he used to loved? It seems that something had turned out within the woman that made her a killer.Marisa moved and open her eyes. She was wary at first but when she saw Angelo sitting beside her bed she started to mumble incoherent words. The bandage and the wounds made her difficult to talk.“P-Plea
ONE morning Constantine her driver/body guard handed her a bullet proof vest before they left the apartment.“It’s a vest. Like mine. Please wear it.” Constantine slowly said while helping Samantha unwrapped the black jacket like vest.“You are scaring me Constantine. Why am I supposed to wear a vest like this?” She said, starting to feeling nervous.“Protection Boss.”“Oww. Another threat I guess.” Samantha said to lighten the mood and then added a joke. “Or maybe we are going to a raid or something.”Constantine help Samantha with the vest and asked after. “Is your gun with you?”“Yeah of course.” She said touching her bag.She remembered Brenda’s word. “Don’t let yourself a willing target. Always carry your gun with you wherever you go. Consider it your best friend that you cannot live without.”“Let’s go then.” Constantine said and started the car.AS the car drove to the office direction, Samantha could not help but think. She never dreamed of a life like this. What she wanted wa
Divina was silent during breakfast and Samantha decided to respect that silence too. She was light headed that morning because of lack of sleep. As she watched her mother silently, Samantha was almost tempted to ask her who was her real father again but she had a second thought because Divina had answered that already and firmed in her conviction that Arnald was her father. Samantha had a second thought about it and she knew that asking will bring her nowhere. Now she realized how distant was Arnald to her and her mother in her growing days. She never remembered that the man had spent longer hour for her even during special occasions like Christmas and birthdays. She outgrown the thought that maybe Arnald was just a busy man.After high school she was sent to America to study college. It was Arnald’s idea and her mother could not say no but cry.Well maybe her mother was still expecting a second chance between them and Arnald like she was silently hoping for the second chance between
Divina remembered that when she confronted Arnald about the blind item, her husband did not confirm nor denied. She was so hurt and devastated. She loved her husband but she reached her limits. Like a scorned woman seeking for vengeance her first impulse was to self-distract. She began to socialized with old friends to forget but the pain always remained.She started drinking heavily and going out every night with old friends. Rich and adventurous friends who eventually taught her to gamble in the casino. Gamblers always had its beginners luck but it doesn’t last that long. House always wins and Divina had already been addicted to it. She lost heavily. She had almost dried her own savings, pawned all her jewelries but could not have the nerve to tell Arnald and ask for more money.The Pharmaceutical Company was now converted into a corporation from single proprietorship. As corporation it has a separate entity from the owner’s and she could not withdraw money without asking permission