Seeking Sabina (Completed)

Chapter XXVII: With Regrets

Don Luis Dela Vega was a kind hearted man, he was the heir to a vast family fortune. He took good care of all his people and prioritized their welfare. And he took pride of his parentage and old-fashioned ways. But that was before his wife died and his youngest child disappeared.

Today, he was always quiet and alone except with his bodyguards. The chaos that struck his family made him open his eyes. Before, he catered to his wife's every whim and want to the point of emotionally hurting his mother and children. He ignored all this because felt that it was duty as a husband to give everything that will make his wife happy.

The wealthy Dela Vega couple was betrothed and married at a young age. Antonia Villalobos was from a Chinese and Spanish lineage and her family always value social status and wealth. And so she was married off to the most wealthy man in their region.

Luckily, the two had developed a harmonious relationship and Luis fell in love with his wife. But the wife remained proud and ambitious. They were given a twins at the early stage of their married life and having the boys were enough for them and so when another offspring was given far too late, a female this time Antonia Dela Vega had mixed emotions.

The little girl looked like her mother in law, Dona Esperanza Dela Vega, a very wealthy woman but with a heart of gold and Antonia saw this as weakness and she knew from the very start that the little girl will be nothing like her.

It was proven true when, the little girl exhibit fondness to horses, birds and other living creatures like butterflies, flowers, trees and the ocean. "You are truly Esperanza's grand daughter." This was Antonia's favorite line whenever she sees her own daughter. And she uttered those words with too much disappointment and disgust.

And so the little girl grew closer to her paternal grandmother and was hated by her own mother for being simple and plain like her mother in law. This was unknown to Don Luis Dela Vega until he noticed that his daughter was home schooled and kept from their friends especially those from the higher society. But he didn't complained about the situation thinking that it was just his wife being protective and old fashioned.

Until that night when his ambitious wife met an equally ambitious Bianca Sebastian and another betrothal was forged. His daughter was only 14 then and yet, his wife has no qualms in marrying her off to some lad from the central plains, Zambales. And this was the beginning of the tragedy that struck his family.

Up until now, Luis partly blamed himself and so he decided to open up and left the old ways. His family, especially his deceased father was extremely old fashioned and this was one of the many reasons why his own wife craved for more. He began to embrace what the present could offer after his wife died and this was welcomed by his family.

He greatly regret giving in to his wife's every request and want which caused his wife early peril and his daughter's disappearance.

This were the things that were haunting Luis' mind until this very day. Just like this afternoon, after playing golf with his friends and his younger son he found himself seated on his presidential suite's veranda, reminiscing his short days with his lovely daughter.

A knock sounded from the veranda glass door, so the old male Dela Vega raised his eyes. He spotted his youngest son and motioned him to join him.

"Pa, I need to talk to you...." Jacob Dela Vega began.

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