Chapter 5: Ambush

“GOOD MORNING, MASTER. These are the documents you needed to sign,” Jasson’s new secretary said as she entered his office. She came near his office table and placed it in front of him.

Jasson’s jaw tightened, but he just ignored her. He waited for his secretary to leave, but she remained standing in front of his desk.

“Yes, Miss Ebasitas?” he commented without glancing at her.

Jasson furrowed as his secretary put her hands on the table and leaned forward. “Do you have anything else?” he asked.

“You look tired, Master,” her secretary responded in a seductive voice. She bent, even more, causing the cheek of her breast to slightly protrude from her red blouse with the zipper down to the middle of her chest.

Jasson simply shook his head and returned his attention to the papers. But his secretary was dead set on doing what she wanted: seducing Jasson.

The woman stood up straight and slowly walked towards his back. She put her hands on his shoulders, leaned forward, and intentionally pressed her healthy breast against the back of Jasson’s head.

“I can massage you, Master,” she said as she began to squeeze Jasson’s shoulder blades. She was sensually caressing his upper biceps repeatedly, returning to his broad shoulder blade.

His secretary’s long fingers crawled up to his nape. Her right hand traveled to his face and stopped at his chin. She tilted Jasson’s face, and their lips almost met.

“Or I can do more than a massage, Master,” she whispered between their lips.

Jasson remained silent. His gray eyes darkened and grew frigid. “I don’t combine business with pleasure, Miss Ebasitas,” he explained. He held his secretary’s wrist and slowly but firmly withdrew the lady’s clinging hand. “If you’re here for that, then my company doesn’t need you. You. Are. Fired,” he said harshly, refocusing his attention on his paperwork and didn’t bother to look at his employee.

“M-Master, I’m so sorry. I just thought—”

“One more thing. No one is allowed to call me master.”

“S-sir, don’t fire me, please,” his secretary pleaded.

“Leave!” Jasson’s baritone voice boomed in the four corners of his office, terrifying the lady to the point where she raced out the door just to get out of there.

Jasson sighed violently and dropped the ballpoint pen he was holding. He leaned on the backrest of the swivel chair and felt the incense. He has removed several secretaries in just three months since his former secretary resigned. He couldn’t understand what they were thinking and how they dared to offer him such a thing. He sighed again before reaching for his cell phone on the table.

“Oh?” Mikel, on the other line, answered.

“I need a secretary.”

“You just hired a new one, ah?”

“I fired her”

“Again?”

“I need one immediately,” he rigidly said.

“Woah! Bro, my business is a security agency. You have human resources to hire an employee–”

“I need a male secretary for fuck’s sake, Mikel! Hire me one and send it to me immediately!” Without saying goodbye, he cut off the call and could barely paint his face because of its darkness.

Less than an hour later, someone knocked on his office door again. His forehead wrinkled as he waited for anyone to enter after he pressed the switch for the door to open automatically.

“What’s wrong with Bheng?” said Infinity as she entered. “She’s crying on her desk. She said you fired her?” his sister asked.

“She’s no good in my company.” Jasson leaned back on the backrest again and was calm as he watched her sister. “What brought you here?” He saw Infinity avert her gaze and the frown on her thin lips.

“Teranus is in the office,” Infinity sighed. She occupied the long red leather couch in the corner of Jasson’s office. “I don’t want to see him.”

“Tss…” he tsked weakly. Tiffany or Infinity is in her fourth month of pregnancy with her third child. And according to her brother-in-law, Teranusjulio, her sister gets irritated whenever she sees him. Poor guy.

“How’s Calla and Lily?” he asked, referring to Infinity’s twin.

“They are good. We are having a trip to Disneyland this coming weekend. Our reward for them.”

“Hmmm, yeah, Calla told me they’re both on top,” he said between signing the papers.

Jasson’s office fell into silence as Infinity busied herself reading a magazine she got from the magazine rack and Jasson on his paperwork. Amid the silence, the intercom rang.

“Bro, open the door for me,” Jasson heard Martin’s voice on the other line. He frowned as he pressed the button for the door to open, wondering what this one needed from him.

“What’s with the male secretary, brother? Hey there, sweety,” Martin immediately asked and greeted their sister when he saw Infinity. He approached her to kiss her with a peck. “You are here too,” he commented. Infinity just smiled in answer.

“Don’t tell me, you and Lucy fought? Is that the reason why you are here?” Jasson also questioned instead of responding to the latter’s question.

“Tsss, work!” Martin smiled sourly at Jasson and sat down next to Infinity. 

“Perhaps you overlooked the fact that my office is also in this building?” He took the phone from his suit pocket.

“And you’re not paying rent for your space. Should I charge you so I can make money from you?” Jasson asked ironically, but Martin just laughed at his remarks.

“Why are you looking for a male secretary? Is that your new preference?” Martin teases Jasson, but before the latter can answer Jasson’s phone rings.

“Stacy?”

“K-kuya…”

Jasson sat up straight, and his forehead twitched when he noticed her sister’s raspy voice.

“What happened?” he asked, turning to his two companions.

“K-Kuya, our f-father. I need you here, kuya.”

“What happened to Papa? Where are you?” Even though Jasson was calm, there was a hint of concern in his voice, causing the two to stand up and approach his table.

“Papa and Tita O-Olivia were ambushed. K-kuya, papa is critical. I- I don’t know what to do. I need you here, please.” Stacy’s voice stammered.

“We’ll be there.” Jasson quickly grabbed his coat hanging from the headrest of his swivel chair and strode towards the door. Without questions, the two followed as they heard the conversation when Jasson put the phone on loudspeaker.

“Why were they ambushed? Does Papa have an enemy?” Infinity curiously asked as they headed to the parking lot in the basement.

“Careful, Any.” Martin supported Infinity.

Jasson did not answer. Instead, he suggested Martin bring Infinity with him. “They are in Salazar Hospital. Any, go with Martin.”

The three of them parted ways in their respective vehicles. And as Jasson instructed, Infinity was accompanied by Martin. It took them about an hour to drive due to the heavy traffic.

“Why, Hannah? What sin did Papa commit for you to attempt to murder him?! He was good to you when he met you, remember? So why?” They heard Anastacia’s raging voice when they caught up with her and the rest of her siblings.

Anastacia, Hannah, Mikel, and Ariannah. The first one was in tears, and anger was evident on her face, while the second one was dumbfounded and seemed out of place. While the two quietly waited for someone to come out of the operating room.

“Damn you! Speak up! What’s wrong with Papa for you to take his life!” Anastacia, or Stacy for short, was furious and did not let go of Hannah.

“I’m so— I’m so — sorry. I-I did— I didn’t know…” Hannah was shaking and was shocked when Stacy’s palm fell hard on her cheek, causing her face to turn left and reddened.

“Stop it, Stacy!” Jasson weaned, but Stacy did not listen.

Stacy gave Hannah a sharp look and said, “When something bad happens to Papa, I swear, I– I won’t accept you as my sister!” She moved away from them and headed to the other side of the hallway.

Jasson glanced at Hannah leaning against the wall and tearfully staring at the operating room door.

“What happened?” He turned to Mikel, who also showed concern on his face.

Mikel let out a deep sigh before staring at his older brother, “Hannah tried to stop the ambush, but the one who ordered him to kill Papa seems determined to kill our father,” he said, glancing at Hannah.

“Who did this?”

“She still doesn’t want to talk about it. The result of her DNA test came out only yesterday, and it’s positive. Hannah is a Luther.”

“Does she know about it?” Infinity butted in.

Mikel nodded. “Just this morning.”

They were stunned when Hannah ran away from there without saying goodbye.

“Let me,” Arriannah said and followed Hannah.

Infinity walked around anxiously. Walking back and forth, stop, stare at the door, and walk around again. “W-what about Aunt Olivia?” she inquired.

“She’s fine. She’s in the recovery room. Papa’s condition is critical because he was in the front seat.”

“Where are they heading?”

“They wanted to notify Hannah about the DNA result, but a van stopped and began shooting their car before they got too far away from the mansion.”

“F*ck!” Jasson cussed. He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes tightly as he looked up at the ceiling.

Three hours passed, but still, no doctor came out. Their brother Peter Ross and his wife Patricia, along with the senior doctor, were in charge of the operation. Norman and his wife, Sunshine, were also there. Even Lucy and Teranusjulio rushed to their respective partners. They were all anxiously waiting for someone to come out of the operating room when a cell phone rang.

“Baby?” Norman said as he answered the call on his phone.

“K-kuya Norman, papa said that señor and señora are in the hospital. How are they?” Samara’s worried voice greeted Norman.

Norman sighed softly and glanced at Jasson, who was already staring at him. “Tita Olivia is in the recovery room now, Ara. But Papa’s still in the operating room.”

“He will be fine, right? He will survive.”

“Of course, he will. Your Kuya Peter and Ate Patricia will do everything to save our father.”

Samara on the other line heaved a sigh, “O-okay, Kuya. We’ll pray for the senor. Please take care.”

“Thank you, baby. I’ll call you when there is news. For now, I need to cut the call. The senior doctor is here.”

“Bye, Kuya.”

Norman cut the call and placed his phone in his pants pocket. “She’s worried,” he informed Jasson.