A Hot Night with Uncle Travis

CHAPTER7

TRAVIS’ POV

KINABUKASAN, nagising ako sa tunog ng aking phone at nakita ko na si Bob ang tumatawag.

“Hello, Bob. What made you call?” I asked him when I answered his phone call.

“Boss, I have some news for you,” Bob replied quickly from the other end of the line

I already knew what he was going to tell me because Jayden had already told me what had happened to her and why she had been crying.

“What is it?”

“Boss, Timothy has been deceiving Miss Kassandra for a long time. And your suspicion was correct—he’s marrying Miss Kassandra because of their business. He’s also planning to take the Mondragon Corporation back from you, and they know that its new CEO is arriving from Manila. He wants to meet you inperson,” Bob answered.

Paano nila nalaman na darating ang bagong CEO ng Mondragon Corporation. Wala naman akong sinabihan sa company na parating ako.

“How did they find out about the new CEO was coming?” I asked, my voice turning serious.

Bob hesitated before answering. “Boss, I forgot to tell you—I contacted the head of the HR department to inform them of your arrival, and I also asked them to find a good hotel for us,” he admitted.

“I narrowed my eyes. “I see, Then I need your help. You’ll face them as the CEO for now. I want to investigate the company without anyone knowing that I’m the real CEO. I don’t like what I’ve been hearing about the staff, and I refuse to let my half-brother or Timothy discover that I’m the new CEO of Mondragon Corporation,” I instructed him.

“Bob's voice was to get shocked. “What’s your plan, Boss?”

“I’m going to work undercover—as a construction worker and a janitor,” I said without hesitation. “I want every company under Mondragon Corporation to have a reputation worthy of its name.”

“Are you sure, Boss?” Bob asked carefully.

“Yes, I’m sur,” I said, my tone hard as steel. “As long as they don’t know I’m the new CEO, it’ll be easier for me to catchy the snakes hiding inside my company.

Hindi alam ni Bob na matagal ko nang pinapasubaybayan ang company at nakarating nga sa akin na maraming bully na staff sa isang resort na hawak ng Mondragon Corporation, patri na rin sa school na dati kong pinagtatrabuhan noon bilang janitor. At sa real state na bagong project ng Mondragon Corporation ay maraming kagamitan ang nawawala at overprize ang lahat ng gamit na binibili nila.

Kapag totoo ang hinala ko na may kinalaman ang half-brother ko sa pagnanakaw sap era ng company, sisiguraduhin ko na mabubulok silang mag-ama sa bilangguan.

“All right, Boss, if that’s your decision. I just hope you’re doing the right thing by keeping the company under surveillance,” Bob said in agreement.

Wala akong pakialam sa magiging tingin sa akin ng mga tao bilang isang construction worker at Janitor ng Mondragon Corporation. The more na hindi nila alam na ako ang bagong CEO, mas madali ko silang mahuhuli. Hindi ko hahayaan na tuluyang mawala ang company na pinaghirapan ng Lolo Nicandro ko.

“I must go, Bob. Jayden’s finished showering. Come up here and bring the clothes I asked you to buy for her,” I said before ending the call.

Even Jayden could not know who I truly was—not yet. I needed to be certain that her father had nothing to do with my half-brother’s schemes.

The moment my conversation with Bob ended, the bathroom door opened and Jayden stepped out

“Good morning. You’re already awake?” she asked softly.

“Yes. My boss just called me,” I replied.

She paused and looked at me. “Your boss?”

“Yes,” I said smoothly. “He told me he’d already arranged some clothes for you.”

Surprise flashe across her face. “What? Why would your boss do that?”

“Because he saw you last night,” I answered carefully.” You were drenched from the rain.

“Her brows drew together as suspicion entered her gaze. “What? If he’s your boss, then why was he calling you ‘boss’ last night.

“Be—”

I was unable to finish what I was about to say when Jayden spoke again.

If he’s your boss, then why was he the one driving the car last night? Who are you?” Jayden asked angrily.

I didn’t know how to answer without making her suspect that I was hiding something.

“Jayden, let me explain,” I said.

“Explain? Are you hiding something?” she’s shot back. “As far as I remember, you told me you came back because of me. And you worked hard for me!”

Bakit ba hindi ko agad naisip ang magiging reaksyon ni Jayden. Kung p’wede ko naman sabihin sa kanya ang totoo. Pero mas magiging madali sa akin ang pagpapanggap ko kung kahit siya ay hindi niya alam na ako ang bagong CEO ng Mondragon Corporation.

“Okay, look—wala akong itinatago sa ‘yo. Gusto lang ng boss ko na huwag malaman ng girlfriend niya na siya ang bagong CEO ng Mondragon Corporation. Dahil naghihinala ang boss ko na pera lang ang gusto sa kanya ng girlfriend niya. Kaya nagpapanggap siyang driver ko. But truth is, I’m his driver-bodyguard,” pagsisinungaling ko kay Jayden habang ang mga daliri ko ay naka-signed ng wish na bilhin nhi Jayden ang explanation ko.

“A driver-bodyguard?” Jayden repeated, her eyes blazing as she stared at me.

“Yes,” I answered shortly.

“Why didn’t you tell me the truth last night? Was it because you wanted something from me?” she demanded angrily.

“No, Jayden!” I said quickly. “I wasn’t after your body. I was only afraid you wouldn’t accept someone like me in your life if you knew I was a driver-bodyguard.”

“What do you take me for? Some kind of snob? Yes, I’m an heiress, but I have never judged a man by bhis status. Even my fiancé was already bankrupt, and I didn’t care because I loved him. I don’t care if you’re poor.

Hindi ko maaalis kay Jayden ang magalit sa akin dahil sa mga kasinungalingan ko. Kung p’wede lang talaga na sabihin sa kanya ang totoo ay ginawa ko na. Pero hangga’t hindi ko nasisigurado na kasali sa anomalya ng company ang daddy niya ay hindi niya p’wedeng malaman kung sino talaga ako.

Kahit nagalit siya sa akin ay natuwa akong malaman na tanggap pa rin niya ako kahit isa akong mahirap. Sa ngayon kailangan muna niya akong makilala bilang isang mahgirap. Pero sa oras na maayos ko ang problema sa company ay ibibigay ko sa kanya ang buhay ng isang prinsesa.

“Why are you crying?” I asked Jayden.

Bigla akong nakaramdam ng konsensya nang makita siyang umiiyak. Sa halip mabawasan ang bigat na narara,madman niya ay dinagdagan ko pa.

Pinahid ni Jayden ang mga luha niya at tinitigan ako. “Kagabi, ang buong akala ko tutulungan mo ako na maghiganti sa fiancé ko. Pero sinaktan mo lang din ako, dahil sa pagpapanggap mo!” Sabay talikod niya sa akin at kinuha niya ang dress na suot niya kagabi at muli siyang pumasok ng bathroom.

Halos suntukin ko ang aking sarili dahil sa ginawa kong pananakit sa damdamin ni Jayden. Pagkatapos ng nangyari sa amin kagabi ay mauuwi lang palas a ganito.

‘F*ck!’ mura ko sa aking sarili.

Hindi ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko kapag lumayo sa akin si Jayden. Hindi p’wedeng masira ang plano ko.

Lumabas si Jayden na nakabihis na ng kanyang dress.

Jayden approached me. "Thank you for a warm night." Maybe this is enough for your service," he said and handed me a check.

I shook my head. “I don’t need your money! Because I loved you back then,” I refeused the money she was giving me.

“If you love me, you won’t lie to me. And do you know that the thing I hate most in a man is being a liar!” the words she replied to me and then she turned back on me.

“Wait, where are you going?” I called out to Jayden as she walked toward the door leading out of the room I was staying in.

Jayden stopped walking and turned to look at me. “Have you forgotten that today is my wedding day!” she said and walked again toward the door.

Bubuksan na sana ni Jayden ang pintuan nang biglang bumukas ito at pumasok si Bob.

“Bo—”

Magsasalita na sana si Bob nang biglang magsalita si Jayden.

“Go with your boss, just like you, a f*cking liar!” At the same time, she left with Bob, which surprised him, and she completely left my room.

Bob approached me, scratching his head because of what Jayden said.

“Boss, why did Miss Kassandra call me a liar?” Bob asked me with a hint of confusion.

“Sorry, I need to tell her that you were just pretending to be my driver last night, because of your gold-diging girlfriend,” I confessed to him, accompanied by an apology.

“What, Boss?” Bob asked me in a shocked.

“I need to tell her that. So that he would believe that I’m poor,” I explained to him.

Bob shook his head, smiling. “Do I really have to look like a liar for her to believe that you’re poor?” he said with a laugh.

“Sorry. Once I fix the problem with the company, she will know the truth,” I apologized to him again.

Tumango na lang si Bob dahil wala naman siyang choice kung ‘di ang sundin ako. At ang iniisip ko ngayon ay kung paano ko susuyuin si Jayden upang mawala ang galit niya sa akin upang hindi na siya magpakasal kay Timothy.

"Bob, I really need your help to hide my real identity from them okay," muling pakiusap ko kay Bob na nginitian niya.