Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

ARNALD Lopez huge office was located at the penthouse of Lopez Enterprise at the thirty fifth floor. The building was situated at the center of Makati business district. Arnald business operations was housed and consolidated in this building. This serve as his fortress of his business empire that almost occupied a small pie of every industry. He practically owned shares in every leading industry.

Angelo looked around as they and Samantha stepped out of the elevator. He was quietly impressed by the office interior which was almost parallel to many other offices abroad.

Not for long, I will crash your empire, Arnald Lopez.

Arnald greeted his daughter and Angelo, pleasantly but less warm. He talked to Angelo for a while.

“So you are into import business?”

“Yes sir import and export.”

“Maybe we can have a drink sometimes. Maybe we can discuss business.” “That would be great sir. How about tonight at my yacht.”

Arnald shake Angelo’s hand firmly and the later poster meaningful smile. Welcome to my game Arnald Lopez.

Samantha go directly to her purpose. As to her surprise, her father signed a check and give it to her without any words. Very opposite to her previous encounter with her father that takes a lot of foul words before getting the check and sometimes, none.

“Express my regards, to your mom.” Arnald finally said when Samantha vade goodbye.

“I will Dad. Thank you.” Samantha said as she kissed her father on the cheek.

Soon I could be a very good actress.

AS they rode the elevator Samantha could not help but smile to herself. She knew now how to play with her father.

“Your father seems to be a nice guy.” Angelo break the silence.

“Really?” Samantha smirked. “Don’t be blinded with his sweet talks.”

“What do you mean?”

“He is not a nice guy. He is only nice if he wanted to. If he can gain something.”

As he drove, Angelo begin to realize that Samantha despise her father. A good sign. He can make her his ally.

“Can I meet your Mother now. It seems that she is a wonderful woman. “

Samantha’s eyes beam in excitement as she heard Angelo.

“Wow that would be great. Mom will be happy to meet you. She is always asking for you.”

Of all her suitors she considered Angelo as very special and she talk to her mother about the guy in their lighter moments. She even told her mother that she is really longing that the man will court her eventually and soon become her husband in the future.

In an impulse, Samantha kiss Angelo in the cheek.

Angelo stare at Samantha. The childish in her always touches his heart. There is something in Samantha’s beauty. It is the innocence of a child that always shows when she smiles. Again, he tried to control himself not to show any emotions. It troubled him that Samantha is already getting into him no matter how he tried to wave his growing feeling for the girl.

It is not right. We are brother and sister.

Angelo gritted his teeth to drive the thought away.

Divina Montes warmly welcome Angelo. She already heard a lot about the man thru her daughter. Samantha are all but praises for Angelo, and Divina agreed. In person, she eventually liked the man. Her daughter was right. Good looks and oozing charm of Angelo can drive any woman to his arms. Not to mention the social standing and the wealth. It would be better if her daughter will marry the man.

“I’m glad you came. I always told Samantha to invite you.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I’m glad we met.” Angelo said and kiss Divina on the cheek.

Angelo take a back. He smelled the foul breath of the woman. A stink of wine. He silently watched the woman as he seated in the sofa. He looked around the huge living room. The interior was already old. No wonder. The building was already two decades. And he remembered the woman he saw from the past. Divina aged a lot. But he can still vividly remember the woman who drive them away with his mother more than twenty years ago.

Divina had already lost her royalty looks that Angelo remembered when he was seven years old. The lines in her forehead was already prevalent. Eye bugs and sagging chin were dominant. The woman seated in front of him now was opposite to the woman that summoned the security guard to drive then away twenty years ago.

I don’t want to see those beggars in my building. Understood? Take them away.

The guards hauled them away without compassion despite his mother’s protest. Marisa’s weak limb has no match with the strength of the guard as he remembered.

Poor mother. You never experienced the luxury of life. But the time comes. Everybody will pay as I promised you.

Angelo gritted his teeth. Trying to control his emotions. He was already tempted to show the woman who he really is. Tell her that he was the boy trying to see his father but mercilessly driven away.

“Care for a drink?” Divina ask Angelo.

“Mom it’s too early.” Samantha came to a rescue with a tray of coffee for Angelo and juice for her mother. “I will prepare lunch for us so you better entertain Angelo while I’m cooking.”

Divina was in a good mood while talking to Angelo. Meeting the man is good enough to light her day. Angelo was a good catch for her daughter. The check she got is a bonus. She is now excited to go to casino later.

The food was good. No wonder Samantha was a good cook. This makes Angelo to like the woman even more. She remembered her mother’s cooking when the woman is sober and prepare for a good meal. Samantha could be good housewife and mother. The more reason he tried to control his feeling with his sister.

As he drove to his office Angelo was so upset to himself. He wanted to wash away his feeling with Samantha but the more he tried the more he was lurked into it like an addictive vice. Samantha’s sweet smile always plastered in his consciousness.

He took his phone and dialed Steve Serrano’s number. “Hey Steve. Are you free today?”

“Yes boss. I’m always free for you.”

“Good I will drop by your office today.”

STEVE Serrano was a stout good looking man. His height was compensated by his personality. At five feet three inches, Steve always wear that ready smile that made him likeable. His position as casino manager requires it. He deals with a lot of different people and he has to deal with them fairly to maintain them as casino patron.

Steve immediately stand up upon seeing Angelo enter his office ushered by his secretary. He is as tall as his swivel chair. Nevertheless’ Steve shows agility despite his height.

“Boss! What a surprise. Come please seat here.” Steve shake Angelo’s hand and ushered the man to the office sofa before giving his secretary instruction to bring them drinks.

“I have something to discuss with you.”

“It’s seems important boss. You came all the way.” “It’s business.” Angelo answered seriously.

Steve Serrano was one of Angelo’s men from the old time when they were point man collecting casino’s money for those unpaying patrons. After Angelo, Steve rose from the rank and eventually became the casino Manager. He learned the trade well. Steve was amiable but ruthless to those who do not follow the casino rules.

“I heard you loaned money to Divina Montes.” Angelo ask without preamble.

“Oh yes she was a good costumer but lately she lost a lot. Her excessive gambling almost dried her properties. As a matter fact there are land titles and property certificate which was pawned to us as guarantee.”

“How much are we talking here.”

“I’m not sure of the exact figures but it was more than twenty million worth of properties including her shares of stocks at the family business.”

“I will pay you with all her debt but you have to transfer to me all those property certificate. Let her sign a contract.”

That night, Divina Montes signed a document without much thinking in favor to a certain Angelo Rosanes. In addition, the woman received an outright two million in cash that made her happy without any suspicions of who Angelo Rosanes is.

Angelo smiled when he received the call from Steve. Rosanes is his mother’s maiden name and was actually his legal surname. He is using Lopez just to play with his father’s surname. Soon he will destroy that surname.