A Deal With De Niro

Chapter 11

The drive to her family's mansion felt longer than usual. Shannon sat in the passenger seat of Blaine's black SUV, her hands folded in her lap, staring out the window at the familiar streets of Makati. Blaine drove quietly beside her, his jaw tight, his eyes focused on the road - he could tell she was nervous, and he was giving her space to think.

Something's really wrong, she thought, looking at the gates of the mansion as they swung open. She'd grown up here, but it had never felt like home - not like her small apartment did. The white walls and red roof looked imposing today, like they were hiding something she didn't want to see.

Blaine parked the car, then walked around to open her door, a small gesture that made her feel safe. They walked into the mansion together, the marble floors cold under their feet, the silence so thick you could cut it with a knife. Even the servants seemed nervous, avoiding eye contact as they passed.

"Don Ricardo is in the study," one of the maids said quietly, leading them down a long hallway lined with family portraits. "He's waiting for you both."

Shannon took a deep breath as they reached the study door. She could hear her father's voice inside. He was talking to someone, his tone sharp and angry. Blaine put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"We'll get through this," he whispered.

She nodded, then knocked on the door and walked inside.

Her father was standing by the window, talking on the phone. When he saw them, he ended the call quickly and turned to face them. His face was pale, his eyes tired - he looked older than she'd ever seen him.

"Thank you for coming," he said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. "Please, sit down."

Shannon and Blaine sat, looking at him expectantly. The air in the room was heavy with tension, and she could feel her heart beating fast in her chest.

"What's going on, dad?" she asked. "You sounded worried on the phone."

Don Ricardo sat down behind his desk, running his hands through his hair, a nervous habit she'd only seen him do a few times before.

"It's the company," he said quietly. "The debt is worse than we thought. The auditors just finished their report - we're not just millions in debt, we're billions. If we don't close the merger with De Niro Group in the next six weeks, we'll have to declare bankruptcy."

Shannon felt like the floor had dropped out from under her. She'd known the company was in trouble, but she'd never imagined it was this bad.

"But... how?" she asked, her voice shaking. "I review the financial reports every week - they never showed anything like this."

Her father looked away, his jaw tight. "I... I've been hiding it from you. From everyone. I made some bad investments a few years ago - tried to expand too quickly, got involved with some people I shouldn't have. I thought I could fix it on my own, but I couldn't. By the time I realized how bad it was, it was already too late."

Blaine leaned forward, his expression serious. "Don Ricardo, why didn't you tell us the truth from the start? We could have adjusted the merger terms, found a way to speed things up."

"I was ashamed," he said, looking back at them with tears in his eyes. "I built this company from nothing - I didn't want anyone to know I'd almost destroyed it. Especially not you, Shannon. You've worked so hard to make it successful, and I've been lying to you this whole time."

Shannon felt a mix of emotions - anger, sadness, disappointment. But more than anything, she felt responsible. She was the COO - she should have seen this coming.

"What do we do now?" she asked, looking at Blaine.

"We move up the wedding date," he said without hesitation. "If we get married in two weeks instead of three months, we can close the merger immediately. That will inject enough capital into López Consolidated to pay off the debt and keep the company running."

"Two weeks?" Shannon's eyes widened. "But we haven't planned anything - the venue, the dress, the guest list..."

"I'll handle it," Blaine said firmly. "My mother has already been planning things - she can speed everything up. We have connections with all the best wedding vendors and in Manila. We can have a beautiful wedding in two weeks. I promise you that."

Shannon looked at her father, who was watching her with hope in his eyes. She thought about all the employees who depended on the company, all the families who would be affected if they declared bankruptcy. She thought about her grandma, who'd spent her whole life helping build the business.

"Okay," she said finally. "We'll do it. We'll get married in two weeks."

Her father let out a breath of relief, leaning back in his chair. "Thank you, sweetheart. Thank you both. I know I've let you down, but I promise you, I'll do everything I can to make things right."

Just then, the study door opened, and Shannon's grandma walked in. She was a small woman with silver hair and kind brown eyes, wearing her usual baro't saya. She looked at Shannon and Blaine, then at her son, and she knew something was wrong.

"What's going on here?" she asked, her voice gentle but firm.

Don Ricardo explained everything - the debt, the lies, the decision to move up the wedding date. Old López listened quietly, her face serious. When he was done, she walked over to Shannon and took her hand.

"Honey," she said softly. "Are you sure about this? Marriage is a big decision - you shouldn't rush into it just because of the company."

Shannon looked at Blaine, who was watching her closely. She thought about their dinners together, about how he'd held her when she cried, about the kiss they'd shared the night before. She thought about Marcus, about how much she'd loved him, but also about how she'd known deep down that they wanted different things.

"I'm sure, grandma," she said firmly. "Blaine and I - we understand each other. We know this started as a business arrangement, but... I think we can build something real together. Something good."

Her grandma looked at Blaine, studying him carefully. Then she smiled, nodding slowly.

"I can see it in your eyes, young man," she said. "You care about her. That's all I've ever wanted for my grandchild - someone who will take care of her, who will love her for who she is."

Blaine stood up and took her hand, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. "I promise you, Ma'am - I will take care of her. With everything I have."

"Good," she said, smiling. "Then let's start planning this wedding. If we only have two weeks, we have a lot of work to do. I know just the seamstress who can make Shannon's dress in time - she made mine when I married her grandfather."