The Next Heiress

Chapter 4 - Meeting

Jim and I start to head back to the ballroom. As my feet cross the long hallway, I can't help but lower my head in thoughts. Was I dreaming? I whisper to myself. Once more, I glance over the place where the man was standing earlier, but there is nothing there. With this observation, I could feel the tiny hairs on my arms slowly rising again. Jim notices my odd behavior, so he steps closer to me as we walk.

"Celine, is there something wrong?" He asks with a gentle tone.

My head shakes in response. "Nothing. I was just thinking of something."

"Something or someone?" He replies with a question.

Instantly, my head tilts to the left side to look up at him. Jim just gives me a soft giggle. "You're still thinking of the man in the hallway, aren't you?"

"Uhm, yes," I answer with a soft voice. "It's very odd. It feels so strange...everything feels so strange. I just couldn't forget it, Jim."

"Well, it's really hard to forget a ghost," Jim says, resting the back of his head on his attached hands as he continues to walk. "You might be scared, I can understand."

My eyes widen. Immediately, I block his way using my body. He refrains from walking, and his brows furrow in surprise. "So, are you saying that i-it's really a ghost?" I tremble.

He looks up to the ceiling of the hotel hallway, thinking of something to answer my question. "Hmm, what else could it be?"

"Stop it, okay?" I scoff, shaking my head in disbelief.

His forehead creases. "What?"

"You're scaring me even more," I whisper, hugging myself for comfort.

He chuckles. "I'm not scaring you, Celine. I'm just giving a possibility."

With his response, quietness covers my whole being. I leave on his way to go back to the right side where I was positioned before, and I continue to walk. Jim continues to do the same while still having his connected hands at the back of his head. I could feel his eyes watching me, but he doesn't utter any word. We both remain quiet until we reach the grand door of the hotel ballroom. Before I raise my hand to pull the silver handle, Jim grabs my right arm to make me face him.

"Celine," he whispers with a husky voice.

I lift a brow. "What?"

"As I said, don't think too much, okay?" Jim says, giving me a sweet smile on his full lips. "Thank you for the time. Uhm, see you again...I guess?" He scratches the back of his nape, looking a little shy. A faint color of red appears on his sleek cheeks. His gestures make me chuckle.

"Stop being formal, Jim. You know how we can be friends and enemies at the same time," I jest at him.

He laughs even more. "You're right."

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ALCANTARA FAMILY'S RESIDENCE. FILIPINO-SPANISH HOUSEHOLD. YEAR 1931.

In a very gentle manner, a woman was combing my long straight hair. Holding the wooden brush in her right hand, while the left one slid down to my black hair repetitively, she hummed a benign tune. When I looked at her, she gave me a small smile on her chapped lips, as if she was trying to sympathize with my situation. I glanced at myself in the mirror, letting all these things sink in, even if it was too difficult for me to process them all.

"You have to face it, Señorita Yolanda," she whispered, almost inaudible.

It's happening. It really is, I thought to myself. My right hand crawled to my chest, and I touched it tenderly, in an attempt to calm myself even for a bit.

Several days had already passed. There was not any news about him, not even a single piece of information had come. Nothing. Inside my head, I had been thinking of a list of possible things that may have happened since the last time we separated.

I closed my eyes, trying to hold back my tears. This is all my fault.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," the woman said softly. Upon hearing those soothing words, I turned around to face her. My arms were opened wide, and I motioned her to come closer to me.

Her eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for a hug," I rolled my eyes.

She stepped back, dropping the hairbrush on the shiny wooden floor. "B-but you can't hug your servants, Señorita."

"Who says that I can't?" I scoffed.

With my brave reply, she didn't utter any word.

"Did you already forget that I have a romantic relationship with one of my men?" I asked her with a smile.

The woman was still hesitant until my own feet decided to come nearer to her position. I crashed my body on her and hugged her right, getting all the comfort that I needed so bad.

"Asuncion, thank you for everything," I whispered in her ear.

"For what?" She breathed nervously.

I detached myself from her body to face her. "For sticking up with the disobedient daughter of the owners of this goddamned villa," I simpered.

"It's because you're important to me, Señorita Yolanda," she smiled.

I gave her a hug once more. This time, I made it tighter than before. "How I wish you were my mother."

Asuncion giggled softly. "You are way more beautiful than me, Señorita."

"Right," I looked at her, jokingly agreeing with her statement. "Even if I'm stressed."

Both of us had burst into chortling. Our laughs were so loud that somebody from the outside shushed us down. We peeked at the wall where the sound came from, then we looked at each other. Luckily, they didn't check us out. Maybe it was one of my other female servants. We chuckled even harder. That was the only time that I heard my laughter again, after bearing a depression for these past few weeks. I paused for a moment when Tadeo crossed my mind.

"D-do you think he's okay?" I asked her.

She nodded with a smile. "Señorita, everything will be fine."

I bit my lips in frustration.

"Just trust him. He can fight," Asuncion assured as she caressed my back. "He loves you very much."

Her words comforted me, making me smile once again. I was about to give her another hug, when all of a sudden, the loud click of the doorknob startled us. We looked at the door. A lovely lady, who was in her late teens and with raised eyebrows, stood there.

"Señor Armando is waiting for you. They're getting impatient, Yol...oh I mean, Señorita Yolanda," she stated in a very annoying pitch that she could ever make.

I wanted to push Asuncion out of my way and give the girl a nice slap on her face, but I chose to stay in my class. I stared at the irritating gal with my eyebrows raised, higher than hers.

"I'm coming, but could you wait for us...Benilda?" I answered, emphasizing her name without an honorific—a message that she must stay in her lane.

"Do you think I'm going to let you?" She snickered. "I'll drag you out of this room by pulling your hair. Stop making a miserable fantasy that Tadeo has real feelings for you."

I felt my blood reach its maximum boiling point. My foot made another step, but Asuncion pulled me. I heaved out a deep sigh. "Don't be too bitter, Benilda. Just because he rejected you doesn't mean that you have the right to say that to me," I replied with a sarcastic smile.

She raised her voice. "No! We were perfect before until you came and you ruined it all! You're such a desperate b***h! Why don't you just choose from your other men?! Since you only want somebody to f**k—"

Before she could even continue, my hand already met her face. The contact made a loud sound—a big impact that her left cheek gave a rich shade of red. She was so shocked at my sudden action.

"And you're surprised why he doesn't want to be with you? Just look at yourself!" I shouted at her.

Benilda touched her cheek. "How dare you—"

She went nearer to me and raised her hand to slap me back, but my hand was too fast.

My eyes widened in anger. "Let's see who's more desperate!"

"Señorita Yolanda, no!" Asuncion called out.

I was about to twist her arm slightly to teach her a lesson when on the spur of the moment, a group of men appeared in the doorway. It was led by the bearded man who caught us in the forest. My eyes widened, and I hid my hands quickly.

"Benilda, why are you here? I thought you were with your mother?" He asked, looking a bit upset.

"I-I was just wandering around when Señor Armando asked me to fetch Señorita Yolanda from her room, Father," she answered without looking at me.

Father? No. It can't be.

The man heaved out a deep sigh. He pulled Benilda out of the room. I stared at Asuncion, who had her head lowered the whole time, and her hands were at the back of her body. I pulled her close to me. We turned away from the people in the doorway.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered.

"I was about to tell you a while ago," she glanced at them, then bit her lips. "But you were so angry, and I was afraid to meddle in."

I tightened my grip on her arm. "Why is he here? What happened? I thought my father just asked him a favor once, and that was the encounter in the forest, but why? I don't understand. Asuncion, I—"

"He's Luis, your father's newest right hand."

My heart dropped to the floor. "No."

I stepped back, almost tripping myself. This sudden movement interrupted them. Benilda glanced at me, still not lowering her infuriating eyebrows. Asuncion helped me to stand up properly.

"Since we're here, come on, Señorita Yolanda," Luis requested. He gazed at me with a smile that I can't tell if it was genuine or sarcastic.

"I don't want to," I respond, staring blankly at his old face.

He just gave me a straight face. "Let's stop all these nonsense things, shall we? I don't want to be rude. So, please, stop being so hard-headed."

"Why? What are you going to do if I say no?" I challenged him with a lifted brow.

"Please, stop," Asuncion whispered.

He narrowed his eyes. "Don't even dare to try me."

"What if I want to?" I scoffed at him.

"Then you're not going to like how my men will drag you to the meeting place," he warned with an intimidating tone.

Asuncion pulled me even harder. "Señorita Yolanda, please, go," she begged deeply.

My mouth felt dry. It was true. I was the one who was making all these things more difficult. For the sake of everyone, I had to make a choice, whether I liked it or not.

"I'll go," I announced in the most bitter tone that I could ever make.

"Okay, boys! Get her now. Then, lock the door. Asuncion, go to your other tasks after," Luis ordered.

Two of the men went closer to me, and they held my arms in a gentle manner, which kind of surprised me since I was preparing myself for a bit of aggressiveness from them.

"How about me?" Benilda piped in.

The man let out a deep sigh again. "Just go to your mother instead. This is my business."

Her lips curl up in disappointment. "But Father, I can—"

"I said go back to her!" He shouted, catching us off guard.

Benilda lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

"Man, these kids are getting on my nerves. Why do you all have to be so hard-headed?" He rolled his eyes to express his annoyance. "Following instructions is so simple. Now, go! Get away from here," he waved his hand to drive his daughter away from him.

Benilda became speechless. She disappeared in no time. I had this feeling that she felt so embarrassed at the scene with her father. I wouldn't blame him if he did it. She was so troublesome and nosy.

After an awkward silence, Luis ordered his two men to proceed. We went out of the room.

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"They are here now," a female servant had announced. She bowed her head.

The nervousness on my chest grew stronger when she moved aside to let us in. Luis nodded in response. He motioned his men to enter first, and he followed them inside.

As my turn came, my anxiety started to knock me down. Asuncion patted my back. I glanced at her. She gave me an assurance nod. I hugged her one more time.

When my feet brought me inside the room, a group of ladies stood before me. They were lined horizontally, and their hands were on their backs. On the left, there were placed Luis's men. My eyes roamed around the whole room, but there was no sign nor trace of the only man I love.

"Good thing you're here now," a raspy voice spoke.

On the right, I found my father entering the room slowly from the other door on the wall that I supposed was the entrance of his office. On his back, there was my mother, following him. When they reached the two grand chairs, they both sat with poise, putting one of their legs on top of the another. Seeing them both acting with their inherited etiquette from my ancestors made me question my life.

My mother stared at me with coldness in her eyes. "We've been waiting for you."

"I know," I replied in a bold approach.

"Where are your manners?!" My father yelled.

The whole room stopped dead. My feet froze on their spot. After everyone heard his terrifying tone, the scene was filled with awkward silence I could hear the sound of my heavy breathing. My head nodded, and I decided to keep it low unless my father would tell me to face him.

"So, that's it? You won't look at us while we're talking?!" He asked me loudly which made me jump from my position.

I raised my head in a hesitating manner. "I'm sorry, Father."

"You changed a lot," he sighed terribly. "I'm very disappointed, Yolanda."

I remained silent. My eyes met my mother's. Unsurprisingly, she just avoided my stare and leaned her head to whisper something to him. My father nodded his head in approval, and he signaled Luis to open the door on the left side.

As soon as he got the doorknob, he pulled it. To my surprise, a frail and defenseless young man appeared. He can't even stand properly without stumbling from his position numerous times. My heart broke when I saw that there were several bruises and wounds all over his face and body.

"Tadeo!"

Quickly, I ran to him, but two enormous men gathered around him. Using their feet, they pushed him to kneel on the floor, and they put his hands on his back. The two held my lover as if he was an animal that wanted to escape from the hunters who threatened to kill him. Being desperate to hold him, I darted once more, but this time, I was halted by two female servants who pulled me back using their hands.

"Y-Yolanda..." Tadeo called me with a trembling voice.

I stared at him, feeling every beat of my heavy heart. Tadeo moved a little from his position, but a very hard pull was done by the two men in exchange for his little attempt to escape. He coughed from their cruel gesture. Tears started to fall from my eyes as I noticed his wounded left eye. It can't even open. I had a strong feeling that this was the result of my father's brutal order to torture him and make him stay away from me.

"A-Armando," my mother stuttered in surprise. "I think that's too much."

"What did you do to him?! How could you?!" I shouted angrily, still trying to get away from the women's grips.

My father looked at me. A cold expression was plastered on his wrinkled face. "It's just enough."

I shook my head several times in despondency. "You...you have no heart," I replied with an angry tone. Once again, I tried to break free from the servants' hold. "Let me go!"

The ladies glanced at my father. Surprisingly, he nodded his head once, and the servants immediately loosened their hard grasp until I was completely free. I waited for any violent reactions, but they just gave me their serious faces.

Also, my father commanded the two men to do the same for Tadeo. They let him go carelessly, making him plonk on the floor with a hard sound. He was almost unconscious. I still can't believe that they shaped him like a homeless man who just got painfully punished.

With no hesitations, I crawled toward him. As soon as I laid my hand and touched Tadeo again, I hugged him as tight as I could, not wanting to let him go.

"I will get you out of here, I promise," I whispered. My hands held his, and I kissed his wounded ear softly.

He squeezed my arms, responding to my statement. I felt his shaky breathing. "Please Y-yolanda...just follow what your father wants. I-it's for our own sake too."

My eyes felt heavy. "You told me not to give up. Now you're saying that?" I gulped down, trying my best to soothe my cracking voice. "Why?"

"Just t-trust me, please," he whispered.

I turned around at the man who caused all of these things. My fists were clenching, letting him know how much I was disgusted to call him my own father. I was really trying my best to remind myself that he's a half part of me, but this time, I failed.

"Y-you even brainwashed him," I said, hinting a great fury in my words.

"Yolanda, you already know the situation," he sighed.

I stood up, putting Tadeo in a comfortable position on the wooden floor. After I made sure that he was fine, I walked closer to my father.

"I-I do? How about mine? Do you even know?" I pointed at myself, chuckling in a sarcastic sound.

He shook his head. "Please, my daughter, don't make this any worse."

"You already did! Don't even call me that! You are sickening!" I yelled.

My father tapped his grand chair loudly. "Enough!"

His voice dominated the whole venue. It caused all the people inside to look at him and to appear troubled, including me. He looked so provoked enough to punish us both. "I was asking you nicely, and you're like that? You're so disrespectful! Did that foolish man teach you that?!"

I didn't reply. I just shook my head to disagree. He was wrong. Tadeo taught me a lot of good things. Because of him, I had learned so much in life. It was a shame that I even learned more great things from him than from my own parents.

"I'm going to say this one last time," my father started. His tone sounded anxious.

"Our economy is weakening, and our sugarcane businesses are affected by it," he stated in a worried tone. The volume of his voice gradually lowered when he finally dropped the bomb. "Soon, they will collapse if we won't do anything."

I covered my mouth in surprise.

"Our wealth is gradually depleting," my father pinched his bearded chin. It was evident to his face that he seemed so distraught at his confession. "I don't want to get to that point where one day, we would be sleeping on the side of the roads, begging for some coins from strangers."

My feet were frozen on my spot.

"This clan would do anything to remain its status," he added, giving emphasis to his last word, as he bored his eyes into mine. My father scanned the whole room to give serious stares to his servants, his wife, and finally, his daughter.

"Yolanda, I'll forgive you and let him live," he declared.

My eyes widened when I heard my father's statement. Quickly, our struggling business dissolved in my head. My heart jumped in joy. Finally, after all these years, I was about to claim the freedom of love that I was longing for.

I looked at Tadeo, then back to him, bawling my eyes out. "Thank you, Father! Thank you! I won't—"

Suddenly, he parted his lips to speak. "In two conditions."

"W-what?" I gasped in shock.

"Only if you are willing to cut your ties and any connections with him," he pointed his finger at the helpless man lying on the floor. Tadeo glanced at me, giving a little signal from his eyes that he already agreed with it, even if I know that his heart didn't. My feet were glued to the floor. I didn't know what to answer. All I could think was how to save my lover and do all things to keep him alive.

My voice trembled. "A-and?"

A small smile grew onto his old face. "The Quiñones family had already talked to me about this matter. This is for the future of our clan and yours too."

"What is i-it, Father?" I asked, feeling so afraid of what I would hear next.

"It is simple," his jaw moved. "Marry the rich Mestizo heir that your mother and I have already in store for you."

Upon hearing his request, the heavens and the earth fell on me.

"But—" my feet moved, almost tripping myself from walking backward.

He stared at me with desperation in his eyes. "Yolanda, you are the only one who can save us."