Love Beneath the Lies

CHAPTER FIVE

Zandra doesn't know how she feels about what she found out. She did not expect that her family and the Gallego had a connection. She didn't understand why she was so nervous, but she didn't know for what reason. Her mother called Zandra to help her prepare food. They put the cake they made earlier in the middle. Her daddy said that their guest would come soon. Zandra's mom suddenly came to her and fixed her hair, which surprised her.

"You should look presentable. Won't you take off your glasses?" her mama said.

"Mom, you know that I'm not comfortable without it, and what if I don't have or wear my glasses? It's like they came here for me." she just told her mom.

Her mom suddenly became quiet and just smiled at her. Just a few minutes later, a car honked outside. Her parents greeted the new guests at the door. She saw a man in his late 50s wearing a formal business suit while someone was holding his arm, a beautiful white woman in her mid 50s wearing a blue fitted dress. There was also a teenage girl who was busy on the phone. She calmed down a bit because this was not the head of the Gallego family, but this was his eldest son, Amadeo Gallego. Her parents happily let them in. Although the former family was a bit intimidating, somehow they were comfortable with each other.

"Welcome to our humble home, Rhianne" her mama happily said.

"It's been a while since I visited your house. Your house is getting more and more beautiful, well taken care of." Mrs. Gallego smiled.

Zandra saw how her mom and Mrs. Gallego talked as if they had known each other for a long time. They both approached where she was standing. "Rhianne, she is the one I am telling you about, my daughter, Khazandra." her mom introduced her. Mrs. Gallego gave her a big and sweet smile. "Finally, it's nice to meet you, Zandra. You became a fine, beautiful lady. You look like your mother." she only whispered the last word. She thanked her and smiled even though she was a bit taken aback, especially by the last thing she said.

Her daddy and Mr. Gallego first went to his office. While the woman with them was sitting comfortably on the couch, still busy on her phone. While their parents were busy talking, she approached the woman and sat next to her. She just gave her a look and turned her attention back to her phone.

"Hi, what's your name? I'm Zandra." she politely introduced herself.

"I'm Andrea." she answered.

Zandra didn't even bother talking because it was obvious that she wasn't interested in talking. After a few minutes, their parents called them to go to the dining room. They formally sat down at a wide table with plenty of food. His father was sitting in front, while his mother was sitting on the right.

"Uhm, sorry for the inconvenience. My son is still on his way." said Mrs. Gallego.

She only knows a little about the family, but she heard that they had two children and the eldest is a lawyer. After a few minutes, a tall man wearing a white polo inner and a black suit with slacks arrived. It just looked serious as it approached them.

"He's here. What took you so long? You made them wait, it's embarrassing." Mr. Gallego said strictly.

Zandra turned to the newcomer and was slightly stunned because he was handsome. She also frowned because the man seemed familiar to her. She thinks he has seen it. She was startled when the man suddenly looked at her.

"Sorry I'm late. I just finished a meeting." he said in a husky voice.

"It's okay, I understand. Let's start eating. This food is cooked by my daughter." her dad said.

The atmosphere lightened a bit, so they started eating. The elders were talking about business and other things. Zandra was eating quietly, but she was a bit surprised because she caught the man in front of her looking at her, his eyebrows level with hers. The man didn't even move or look away. If he looks away, it's as if nothing happened.

"Anyway, try this moose cake my daughter baked." her mama said, offering the cake.

They complemented her cooking. Her mom started bragging about her talent and what other things she had done. After a long conversation, her daddy suddenly cleared his throat and got everyone's attention. All the attention was focused on him and waiting for what he had to say. For Zandra, she seemed to have a bad feeling about what her daddy might say. She knew it wasn't just a simple family dinner, she knew there was a deep reason for the two families meeting.

"According to what was agreed upon by the two families and based on what was sworn before. My daughter Zandra Rivera is set to marry Raphael Gallego." her dad announced.

And she wasn't wrong because what her daddy said really shocked her entire being. She didn't expect that to be her daddy's announcement. She couldn't believe it. It was as if everyone was expecting to hear that, even from the man in front of her, except for her.

"What does this mean? Are you going to marry me to someone I don't know and love? What is it for?" she appealed.

Her mom tried to calm her down but the annoyance she felt prevailed. They didn't even tell her this. "No, it's so unfair. How did you manage to keep it a secret and then suddenly say that I'm getting married? With all due respect, I will not marry anyone. No one will dictate my decisions in life!" she stormed off.

"I'm sorry for her behavior. Let me talk to her first. Hon, you take care of them first. Excuse me." Grace said and quickly followed where Zandra went.

She caught up with Zandra at the edge of the pool. Grace knows that she surprised her daughter with their decision. But this is what they have agreed upon, and it is also for the sake of her daughter.

"Zandra, can we talk? Please, hear us out first." she said gently.

Zandra faced her. "What, that you are the only one who plans and makes decisions for me? Didn't you just know what I would feel? How did you manage to get me married to someone I don't know, as if you just gave me away." Zandra was hurt and disappointed by what happened.

"I know and that was your daddy and I's mistake, but it's also for you. This is a long-term agreement between the two families and it cannot be broken. I hope you understand that we are only doing this for you." her mom explained.

Dinner had just ended and the Gallego family went home. They said they would come back to fix and clarify everything and let Zandra make a decision first. Zandra locked herself in her room after what happened. She didn't talk to her parents either. She heard her parents arguing. But Grace asked Klent to let Zandra think and make a decision first. She was just lying down, while pondering and letting her mind float, she suddenly thought of her mission. She got up and opened her laptop. She hasn't started the plan for her mission yet because of a lot of things to do and think about. Suddenly, an anonymous number texted her. She pressed it and read its message.

:Finish your mission, and I'll help you with your family's investigation.

She should just have let it go because it might just be spam or pranks, but someone sent a message again that surprised her. She was wondering who was behind it. How did this person know that she was investigating her family and her mission? She was sure that whoever it was, knew who she was, whether it was Khazandra Rivera or Agent Artemis.

: Janella Lopez. The note and the ambush. Finish your mission and you'll get more clues.

She just clenched her hand and closed her eyes tightly. She didn't know what to do. She took the gun with her code name on it. The gun was her own. She knows that from now on there will be many enemies around her. Whoever they are, she doesn't care. Whoever wants to bump into her and ruin her plans, she will not let them pass. In the end, she will solve everything. She is still the winner.