Catch You!My Billionaire

Back From Home

Saturday morning, around seven. Olivia’s car roars in the midst of the main highway. Most citizens of the city, have no scheduled work during weekends therefore less traffic. After her friend Emmy left her apartment last night, she received a text from the wife of the former mayor, Halbert Sotto. She invited Olivia to go visit their mansion at the heart of the city, and she is willing to use every detail she knows for her husband’s soul to be at peace. Halbert’s wife has no intention of hiding her fangs, even if she’s facing the most powerful man in the country, the power of justice is on her back.

One of the famous brands of clothing and fashion in the country is run in the hands of the former mayor’s wife, Diana Sotto. People in the country can recognize her name in one hearing, especially the ones in the upper class. Diana becomes like a celebrity figure known for her beauty, wit, and relentless drive of perseverance in her business. Halbert has no match for her, status and prestige. Being an irrelevant councilor of an impoverished city at the time she married him, the elite class in the country always questions her, why did she end up with him, if she can be the wife of a more prominent figure, a senator, a multi-millionaire, or even a billionaire. Diana replied she’s happy to marry for love, a precious treasure the mountains of her money can’t buy.

Every moment people hear these from her some agreed and a few of them sees her, being empty-headed and naive when it comes to love specifically her money becomes a pave way for him to climb the ranks of a mayor.

The shiny rays of the sun in the morning against the car windows blind her eyes at the side but also didn’t produce much radiant heat. Along her journey, Olivia forms a question in her mind, why Glen must fund Halbert’s last campaign? Does Diana have an idea or a hint about Halbert’s relationship with Ms. Norman? The puzzlement in her head can be solved in two ways, first, a time consuming, tough and thorough investigation, but a guarantee the answers are more truthful, or the other way around which is in asking Mrs. Sotto face to face on the spot, yet her reply can be similar or far from reality.

Either of the two choices Olivia decided, she will do both. Mrs. Sotto might see it as rude, or too personal, which might trigger disturbing emotions and experiences from her husband back, influencing the way Diana sees Olivia. However, she contacted an investigator for help, not a friend. She will visit there to find answers, not please Mrs. Sotto. Olivia must do what she needs to.

Olivia pre-occupied her thoughts and filled it all about the investigation, for if her mind diverts in a different path, it will create a way to bring back memories and unresolved tension with her boyfriend Heath.

When her car passes on various shops between the loud horns and the large number of people bypassing the streets, the vivid images of her and Heath holding hands on the very same sidewalk ache Olivia’s wounded heart, yet she must not be carried away from her emotion. Olivia understands herself like no other people, even the ones closest to her. She knows, the moment the pain travels up her head, Olivia will find herself, vulnerable, unable to focus on simple things even reading.

She let the thoughts about Heath fade at the back of her mind, therefore if it comes back

haunting her, Olivia can divert her thoughts to something else with ease. After Emmy’s suggestion last night, the two of them viewed the situation in one similar idea, they think the best solution to do is let the hurtful memories and emotions taking over between the couple pass, until then they could talk and might rebuild their relationship, but when Heath or Olivia found someone else, who fulfill the missing love in their hearts, it is better to let go. She wishes, the two of them can still be connected by hearts no matter what hinders their love, Heath might have a thousand flaws her mind detest but Olivia’s heart beats for him.

The route towards the mansion of the Sotto’s gets closer, yet the buzzes from her phone interrupt Olivia from the road. She stopped the car before the traffic lights turns green. Olivia picked up her phone and messages from Diana Sotto shows up on her screen. Three consecutive texts, asking her location, and what time she would be there. Olivia answered in a brief abbreviation of on the way, then the lights turned green.

It took her another ten minutes of, drive until she reaches the outside of a ginormous colonial mansion of the Sotto’s. The left side of black metal intricate gates open when two guards notice Olivia’s car parks at the very front. The guards asked her purpose of visiting, she instructed them to mention her name Olivia Clark to Mrs. Sotto and told nothing more. She noticed the guards whisper to each other a few words before one of them called from the phone. In a few seconds they informed her, Diana awaits her for an hour, and she must meet her at once, but they have to see her ID first, then they will let her in. Olivia complied and the guards opened the gate wide, and she drives her car inside.

Another set of guards blocks her way, the moment Olivia steps at the front wooden doors of the mansion, and again the same procedure happened, then they let her in.

Inside the colonial mansion, Olivia first encountered the grand marble double staircase, and the chandelier hanging at the high roofs, where its light reflects on the shiny white floor. A maid coming down the stairs, carrying a silver tray approaches Olivia. She asks what service she can do for her, “Is Mrs. Sotto here?” Olivia asked, the maid nodded and leads her to one of the living rooms at the mansion, where Diana sips a cup of tea, sitting on a red chesterfield chair.

A black long sleeve slim dress, covered on a pearl necklace, a golden thin bracelet, and a diamond ring, enhances the features of her regal face.

“Inspector Sparks?”, Diana asked, since the two never lay their eyes in person before. Olivia walked towards her and extended her right hand “Mrs. Sotto, it’s a pleasure to meet you”. Diana stands up straight, shakes her hand, and produced a warm smile on her face. She invited Olivia to sit down and have a cup of tea with her, but Olivia declined in all respect and then apologizes for the death of her husband.

Diana pours a hot smoking tea on her cup, and all of a sudden, that very moment Halbert was brought into the topic, Diana’s smile faded and changes to a straight expression. She placed down the teapot on a silver tray in a gentle manner. She looks into Olivia’s eyes and started weeping. “If only I knew, this would happen to him, I shouldn’t have left him”, she sobs. Diana then picks up the white handkerchief with intricate flower patterns from her side and wipes the tears on her cheeks.

“It’s not your fault, we promise to find answers on your husband’s death”, Olivia said,

“We have been separated for almost a year when I came abroad, and I regret the decision with all

my heart now, but how can I blame my past self, my business will grow larger if I expanded on different countries and since our sons also lived there, I joined them. I persuaded him, a thousand times to come with us, but he always refused because of politics, now what happened is worse!”, Diana begins to shed tears again, which makes Olivia want to sit in her side, pat her back and comfort her through words, yet her job and the questioning hinders her from doing it, besides her intention is to find clues or even answers to move the case forward. She focused all her attention on it, and the first thing she must know is the relationship between the two couples. “It looks like she is a great husband”, Olivia mentions seeing how Diana will reply.

Diana froze and kept her mouth silent for a few seconds, once again she wipes her tears before saying a single word. “Of course he is”, she said with a blank face, “but like every husband and wife, our relationship was not always on the bright side”.

“I see”, Olivia nods, she took out from her sling bag a notebook and a pen, then the questions begin. First, she asks Diana, to tell her everything she knows about the political career of her husband, “Do you have an idea, who can be the mastermind behind his murder?”, she followed up.

Diana nods, “Envy!”, she uttered in conviction, “Envy is the one who killed my husband, he became so powerful in the city, it attracted oppositions”.

“Oppositions?”, Olivia asked, but still writes a few notes down.

“Yes”, Dana’s face lights up, “My husband is a great leader, sacrificing himself for the sake of the city, a true hero, yet those greedy people harmed him for their personal advances”, she said.

“Can you name them?”, Olivia requests, however, Diana refused. She told her, she doesn’t want herself, her son, and the business to be involved in the power struggle, yet with a little encouragement and Olivia’s persistence, she gave in.

When their conversation went deeper Diana’s poise, transform into a confused sober. She told Olivia again, her husband’s enemies are everywhere, and most of them knows no fear.

“Do you want me to add guards in here or a few additional protection? They will not be able to lay hands on you”, Olivia told Diana, so she can ease the fright in her heart

“No”, Diana shakes her head, and all of a sudden her tone shifts, “I can manage my welfare, you are the one I am warning with”. Olivia sneered, “If I am destined to die, I have no option but to face it”, she said. The shied of bravery wrapped in her heart, makes Olivia hold no fear against the enemies she faces, her profession in the first place is a dangerous job, still, she chose it, yet even heroes have weaknesses, and the thought of her friends and family placed in danger, terrifies her.

Olivia shifted the conversation back to her question once more in an attempt to know the political enemies of Halbert, his wife mentions about, reluctantly Diana answered. “I can’t pinpoint who are they, but I am certain some of them, work from the opposed political party of my husband”.

“How do you know, about this?”, Olivia asked

“Halbert always warns me and my sons, to protect ourselves and never engage with those people”. Diana told her.

Olivia noted down every important detail coming out from Diana’s words and proceeds on pulling out another question. “Do you notice any events, people, items which seem strange? Your

husband’s actions?”, she asked.

“None”, Diana closes her eyes a second, when she answered. Olivia found it odd and leads to puzzlement in her mind.

“Alright”, Olivia said, she then picked up an envelope from her bag and placed pictures on the table between them, a picture of Halbert and Jennifer Norman holding hands on a private beach.

“This is Ms. Norman, mistress of your husband, she accompanied him on the night of her murder, do you know anything about it?”.

Diana took the picture and stares at it, a tear fell from her reddish eyes. “I have no idea”, she said in a calm, quiet voice, almost a whisper.

“I see”, Olivia grabbed the picture and placed it inside the envelope, when out of nowhere, Diana’s phone rings, abrupting the questioning. Once she’s back from the call, Diana told Olivia she has an urgent meeting at the office, “I am afraid I have to cut our conversation, but you can come here anytime”, she said. Olivia stands up and agreed, Mrs. Sotto seems out of herself during the questioning, it has no use to push for it, but before she leaves Diana left her a few words. “Be careful, he also told me his enemies planted spies around him, pretending to be his allies”.