Unsettled Past

CHAPTER 30

My heart crumpled seeing how happy Xandre while sharing his icecream to ma'am Vina is, from the department store she brought us here in an expensive restaurant and ordered anything for us.

Wala pa siyang nasabi sa akin mula pa kanina dahil kay Xandre lahat ng atensiyon niya, they talk anything nonstop, looks like they know each other for a very long time.

Natuon ang mata ko kay Judi at hindi rin nakatakas sa paningin ko ang pagkamangha sa mukha niya habang nakatitig kay ma'am Vina, kahit ang kasiyahan nasa mga mata niya rin.

"Mommy Div, Im excited to see my papa po!"

"Really? Oh my bad, he's in United States now baby." she pouted.

Tumango si Xandre bago siya sinubuan ng icecream. "Sabi nga po ng mama, tapos sa Sabado po kami magkikita." nagniningning ang matang bumaling si Xandre sa akin. "Right mama?"

"Ye-yes." I nodded nervously.

"Your dad will be happy too." may panggigil na pinisil ni ma'am Vina ang pisngi niya. May kinuha siya sa tote bag niya at inabot 'yon kay Xandre, "Play anything you want, kakausapin ko lang si mama mo."

"I wanna watch movie po mommy Div, you have superman?"

"Everything, just search on this app." binalingan niya si Judi. "Tulungan mo nalang siya ate, doon tayo sa kabilang mesa Oli."

Kinakabahang tumayo ako at pumunta sa mesa na itinuro niya, magkahugpong ang kamay sa kandungan ko habang naghihintay ng sasabihin niya.

"How did you found out?" aniya pagka-upo na pagka-upo sa harapan ko, sumandal siya sa upuan at pinagkrus ang braso sa dibdib niya, it feels like Im a suspect in a crime and she's the attorney of the complainant who's interrorigating me in the court. "Oli?"

"Ahm." I cleared my throat. "Na-nakita ko po ang picture ni Ardouz noong kasing edad niya si Xandre at-"

"Marami ang magkamukha Oli, though hindi naman nga nakakaduda base on my observation, that little fella." he gesture Xandre who's now focusing on the tablet. "Has the brain and attitude that can only see from a Montevista, the way he talks, his voice was firm and he's really sure every word he delivered. That arrogantness is already blooming out of him, except for the looks what else?"

I sighed big time. "Sir Max got his DNA test and it's positive, I still have Ardouz stuff with me the dawn I left him in his penthouse, it has his name on it, pero kung hindi kayo naniniwala-"

"Hindi ka ba nagtataka kung bakit hindi ka niya hinanap?" seryoso ang mukhang tanong niya na nagpakunot ng noo ko. "He's obsses with you Olivia, he became miserable, bugging me nonstop just to look after you on that day, he hired someone who can invistigate Rose, invistigate his hotel, tracking the CCTV footage but of course inunahan ko na siya." she smiled mischievously. "I hired the best hacker to hack the footage..you know why I did that?"

"B-bakit po?" I clasp my hand hardly on my lap trying to control the emotion inside me, "Pa-paanong obsess siya sa akin?"

"Well, it's kind of bad but ikaw lang kasi ang nakita kong puwedi kong gamitin makaganti man lang sa kanya at-"

"A-ano po ang ibig niyong sabihin?"

"My dad died because of him."

Nanghihinang napasandal ako sa upuan at nakaawang lang ang labing nakamata sa kanya.

"Don't feel bad, lolo told me everything just five months after dad died, itinago kasi nila ang katotohanan mula sa third generation ng angkan, hindi alam ni Ardouz na nalaman ko na 'yon, kasalanan naman ng ama ko eh, pinabagsak niya ang ipinagkatiwala sa kanya ni Ardouz, hindi kayang patakbuhin ni Ardouz ang kompanya niya dahil ang paghahanap sayo ang nasa isipan niya."