AT THE GLASS HOUSE. The table was rounded by the Ramirez’s all-red eyes, fuming with anger against each other. Olvido took out his tablet and placed it on the table. "If no one talks, then I will. Which one of you did this?" Olvido asked bluntly. The tablet displaced the news about his kidnapping and release. It was going viral on the internet. "You’re pathetic and useless; you should be happy there’s someone out there that want’s you around," Andallio bashed him. "Enough both of you! We are on the brink of losing everything Grandma Pillar built for years, and you’re here blabbing,""Or didn’t you realize our family rights have been given to the public?" Herveuax gnarled ragingly, and he flung the tablet on the floor. "You’re right, but who was that?" Andallio asked interestedly. He moved his seat closer to the table, kicking the broken table away from his leg. "Who else but Arturo? We are bound to fail, and you all know it; our market is bleeding since that announcem
AT THE CLUB."Hello ma’am, do you know the owner of this phone?" The bartender asked Esmeralda. Her number was the last contact Madrigal tried calling before he knocked himself out drunk and wild at the club."Can you describe the man’s appearance? You don’t expect me to show up just like that, do you?" Esmeralda shrugged."Okay, can you do a video call? It’s an iPhone here?" The bra attendant replied stressfully. Esmeralda agreed, and the video call pulled through. "OH NO!!!" Esmeralda arced."Send the address of the club; I’ll be there in a minute," Esmeralda responded hurriedly. She ended the call and hurriedly dressed up to get him."You can’t go alone, ma’am; don’t you think this is quite strange?" Sylvester, her right-hand man, asked her concernedly. "Since you’ve been in jail, I've been fine by myself, Sylvester; I trust Madrigal with my life; he can’t hurt me; you can drive," Esmeralda said, throwing the car’s control to him. They zoomed off to the club. The loud music an
AT THE SILVERIO’S Depressed, hurt, and her head was clouded with a lot of maybes. Vanessa slowly withdraws herself from her family, becoming a loner in her father’s mansion. She found solace in being alone and out of everyone’s sight.The pool was her escape place this morning, sitting beside the water with her legs soaked inside as she continued her deep thoughts. She swung her legs rhythmically in the water as a song played on her phone. "Vanessa," Fidellin called her. "Vanessa," he called the second time, but she gave no response. "It’s been days now, and you still don’t want to talk to me?" he asked as he took the place next to her. Fidelin bent down to remove his shoes so he could join her legs that were in the water. "What are you doing here? You don’t have to," Vanessa replied coldly. She took her headphones and placed them on her ears angrily. Fidelin removed them and held them to himself."Why?" Vanessa asked tearfully. "Why are you doing this to yourself? He
AT THE JEWERYL STORE. The flashy lights from the utmost illuminated jewelry store were all turned off, and Torillio’s men were suited up and well armed, waiting for his arrival. Torillio came down from his car, walking majestically with his blunt in his hand.He threw his cap, and one of his aide caught it, almost falling to the ground. "If it had fallen, you'd be dead as soon as it touched the ground," Torillio marred. He raised up one of his hands, guiding the other one with smoke as they helped him take off his coat."What do we have today? Why are the lights out?" Torillio asked them exhaustedly."He’s here; pause; we paused all sales for now," his aide responded. "Okay, I don’t like it; money first, dirty things later," he uttered as he moved closer to the mannequin beholding one of the necklaces. "I’m sorry, boss, we acted on your order," one of his aides said, and the other one kicked him straightaway. "Trying to say I was high and wasted, huh? You’ve got guts," T
AT THE COMPANY.Esmeralda’s face was folded up, frozen with surprise. “What did you say? Pregnant? For Torillio?” she flagged, rolling her chair out of the table. “Are we talking about Torillio? Stop playing with me; I don’t even know why I am talking to you,” Vanessa hurled. “I’ll get out of here!” Vanessa snapped. “Hold on!” Esmeralda pulled her back. “Told anyone about it?” she asked passively, in a low tone.“Not yet; I don’t trust you, but please keep it between us,” Vanessa arced as she walked out on Esmeralda. Her mind was faster than her legs could carry her. She broke down in the middle of the road in tears.“Why now? He’s back with his ex; he gave her back their shares, and I am here pregnant." “You’re stupid, Vanessa!” She smacked herself on the head several times.“Hey! Stop! You’ll hurt yourself; what’s wrong with you?” Fredrick arced. He came into the company unannounced, following Andallio’s orders to meet with Marcellus. “Fredrick, what are you doing here?” Sh
AT THE STORE.With a long and worried face, Torilio placed his head on the table, kicking the chair at intervals."Boss, are you sure we can trust him?" his aide asked. "I want Esmeralda’s freedom, and I will give up anything for that," Torillio responded draggingly."Brandon, he’s been locked up but making moves; just this morning, The Alvarez’s were reinstalled to their prime power, and he made that possible.""That bitch Aliaana who was here at your feet begging to work for you boldly stabbed us in the back just because she was getting help from him," his aide harnessed aptly."Hmmm, roll up that blunt," Torillio responded as he raised his head. His eyes were red and dry."Brandon Ramirez! Just to get back at you, I did so much, but you see untouchable? How do you play so well?" Torillio said, thinking out loud."Give me that." He collected the weeds and rolled them up in the paper. His aide threw the lighter, and he lit up the blunt. "Brandon…. I think I need to pay him a visit
AT THE HOTEL. After giving the best property in his name to Esmeralda Isagani just to get her to come to the family meeting with him in order to impress Grandma Pillar Olvido, he settles for the small hotel left on him. He didn't get anything out of Don Soriano’s properties. "It’s not like it was shared, though; stop overthinking Olvido!" He brushed himself on the head vastly. He took his coffee and inhaled the hot, steamy air that rose from it. "Delicious!" he stirred intently. "Sir, your uncle is here to see you." A waiter said to him. "Which one of them? Turn them down; I don't want to see anyone," Olvido snapped. "Really? You don't want to see anyone?" Herevaux said as he barged in without Olvido’s approval. "Yes, I need my peace; seeing anyone of you is mentally draining me," Olvido responded bluntly. "What happened to your hair? It almost doesn’t look like you, Olvido." Herveaux asked mockingly. Olvido’s hair was back to its normal auburn color. He took off t
AT THE HALL. Tension was the perfect theme to describe the atmosphere during the meeting. Everyone suited up and masked but the murmuring and wild chattering filled the air with despair and unsureness.The five were the last to make their way to the high table before the meeting commenced after an utmost silence in the crowd. "A lot will happen today; I just feel it. Do you have what I want?" Torilllio nudged Madrigal, who was sitting in front of him. "Yes, rest assured," Madrigal responded. "How did you get the gun inside?" Torillio asked. "It’s in your car with your men; I dropped the briefcase in it before coming in; here’s a picture to confirm." Madrigal passed the photo to him. "Hmmm, I love your guts; what about the others?" Torillio asked interestedly. "Here with me, they checked, but it’s fine; I’m no dummy," Madrigal responded swiftly. One of the five tapped on the microphone three times to draw everyone’s attention back to the meeting. A big deal was about to
THREE YEARS LATER. Brandon brushed his long golden hair to one side as he carried a little girl with curled blonde hair in his arm as a young, tall boy stood next to him. "Mummy," the little girl said, forcing herself down into his strong arms to greet a woman who seemed to have attracted her attention. "Vanessa, we missed you." Brandon hugged and kissed her. "It was just three days; stop acting like I spent the whole year away, and it was fun—sure, you don't want us to come together with you?" she asked, leaning on his strong arms. "Take care of the kids; I need to go now." Brandon planted a kiss on her head. "Keep the family safe till Daddy returns!" he said, roughening the young boy’s hair. "Please be safe; we’ll be waiting for you at home." Vanessa kissed him, and he smacked her ass. "Stop—the children are here!" Brandon entered the garage at the back of the building. Dragging out a black power bike parked at the edge of the wall, he covered the helmet and start
BRANDON. "When we get to the glass house, go back to Manila and make sure none of our men are left behind; this is my home; I’ll be fine," Brandon said to the pilot. "No, boss, I’ll protect you with my life; Estrellia, Madrigal, and Nathalie are there; I can vouch they’ll protect Vanessa and our men," he responded baravely. "Then stop here; I want to go in unnoticed," Brandon commanded. He told the pilot the signal to give if he needed him to return for him. I discovered something strange and haven’t confirmed it, but right now you’re the only one I can trust. I am on my way from death to life, whatever comes up. At least one of us deserves to know the truth. Meet me at the glass house. The truth lies there. Brandon read the text. Olvido sent him the second time. He tried opening the gates, but no one was there, and he got in by himself, which was strange. The lounge room was also opened. He got in quietly when he noticed some movements. "Where are you, Olvido?" He
MADRIGAL. "How do I find her easily without getting spotted? Madrigal brooded, sreching, with his eyes all over the place as he hid behind a door. Leaving the room where Brandon was fighting with Frederick and Torillio was hard, but he knew he would be fine without him.A masked man snooping around for any intruder stepped into Madrigal’s trap. He zapped his neck from behind and slid him behind the door with him. "Sorry man—I need your uniform and this shady mask.""Vanessa!" "Vanessa!! Vaa—" "What are you doing here?" He alarmed, running to meet injured Brandon, forcefully dragging himself as he continued fending off RAD and Torillio’s men. "We walked into a trap; Fredrick is not RAD; Torillio was also fooled, and he’s fighting. I called our men; they’ll be arriving a bit late; they blew up my airline." Brandon’s breathing was over his chest. His leg was bleeding, and he tied it with a piece of cloth.Madrigal felt so much pity for him. He had gone through hell, and now w
ANDALLIO. “You’re uselss, you’re fat and dumb”“You can’t even lift yourself and you think I need your help?” “You’re a failure! You failed at everything,” “Get out of my head!” Andallio wailed smashing the glass of liquor in his hand against the telivison screen in his room. He walked down to the swimming pool at the lass house. “It is over, I won, they’ll kill theirseleevs and destroy it all—and me Andallio Ramirez will become the owner of it all,” He mused with a smile and leaped inside the pool. The perfecet plan crossed his mind after his call to Brandon. Torillio and Arturo would become a menace to him in the future if he helped them get what they wanted form Brandon. Fredrick was also he sore he was planning to remove at all cost. When he was calm form the drugs he gave him, Andallio made him an irresistible offer. The revenge he has always wanted to have on Brandon for dragging the face of the Silverrio’s in the mud and running his family. Fredrick’s ego
BRANDONThe call with RAD seemed so unreal and strange. Brandon needed more answers. "How did she end up with him?" He asked his team to work hard to track down the number. They were back at the mansion, but he didn't stay."Where is Esmeralda?" Is she in the mansion?" he asked Natahlie. "Yes boss, I guess they’re packing, but they haven’t left.He raced up to his room to get the original documents from his safe. "Do you think she’ll talk if we give her?" Madrigal asked him closely, knowing how important it was to his plans. "My child, I need to confirm if it’s true; I can save Vanessa, but if he’s really pregnant, the babay might die; you know RAD, he’s brutal; I’ll do anything to save my child," Brandon responded, picking it up and closing the safe. "Esmeralda, come; we should have a word before you leave; your mother can leave," Brandon roared. Esmerald didn’t respond; she kept rolling her travel bag behind Hailey. "Look at this—you want it right?" Brandon wiggled the
BRANDON. "Did you meet him?" Brandon rused out ot meet Brandon who was dresched and walking slowly in the rain. "Yeah, and I told him to watch out for me. I'll hit him with every inch of my strength," he holererd lifitntg his heart in his voice. "I won’t let Lamar’s death slide, they knew he was coming for me, they killed him right before me and I couldn’t do a thing," Brandon packed his hair with his hands and faced up to the rain. "Your days are numbered, he viled, taking the lead inside the PROVOCATOR;s night club. He returned ot the VVIP spot with Madrigal. " Zino—call him up, to meet me here, I’ll pay whatever ti cost to bring him out of whatever hole he’s stuck in," Brandon graved his voice sild with anger and an itch for revenege. "I have given the orders boss, you should change your dress and take a rest," Madrigal uttered inconveneitnly. Brandon’s rage has never been this great. He went out of hi reach to forcefully meet with RAD even though they stope
ANDALLIO. "Ouch—" Andallio exclaimed, playfully squezzing his face in mess. He rewatched Lamar’s death clip again and again with no remose but a broad, domineering smile on his face. " This is what will happen to anyone who goes against me, I can’t wait to see Fredricks’ reaction when he watches this—" he chocked, laughing. Where's the tape?" he asked worriedly and the gave it to him. Lamar was so close to handling it over o him and he ad ot take aderastic step to get him out. " Pople will do anything for money, do you believe that my last minute genius plan wanst a oart of my plan?" he asked his men beaming with pride. " You’re an ultra genius boss; Lamar outsmarted us, he didn’t had over the evidence o Bardon at his house but insisted on a meet, if Brandon had come ealier we would have sabotaged all your plans," one of his men responded telling him the truth he loved to hear. "Yes, I save you all again; your head would have been off your body if it went bad,"
TORILLIO. The thunder struck strongly; the cloud was darkened, and it rained heavily. Torillio lurked on the balcony on top of his house looking at the other houses in the street and the lightened up neighborhood. " I used to enjoy these," he whispered, puffing out smoke. "That phone, I found with Anton, Olvido's right-hand man, the one I almost got framed for him murder, linked with RAD, the phone repairer was found dead and the phone is missing, you caused it, I couldn't monitor him" "Arturo—you made a stupid mistake. Do I have to do everything for you?" he asked him insignificantly. Arturo was drenched, sitting in the rain. "Sorry about that. It's all gone now. Whatever happened with RAD and Anton, I think you should let it go; The girl is safe, and with me, did you take care of Olvido?" he asked him, rolling up another stunk of weed. He looked up to see Arturo, as he didn’t give a response to the question he asked him. "Cat caught your tongues, old friend? Do you rem
BRANDON.Brandon stuck his hand out in traffic. It was raining under the cloudless, serene sky. " It looks so peaceful—the kind of life I cherish is near, I can feel it," he said to Madrigal, sitting next to him in the driver's seat. "Yes Brandon—about that man, Lamar, don’t you think he’s dangerous? I didn't want you to see him," Madrigal streched adjusting his seat to fit his back, as the lane they were on wasn't moving.Lamar had met them at home earlier, before they set out. He claimed to he came there to deliver some packages to Hailey but she wasn't home. He then went ahead to ask Brandon’s men that he seeked audience with the boss." I don't think he is—and he looks familiar I just can’t fugure it out," Brandon responded as he gleaned over the car’s window. " Jordan, don’t you think he’s hdidng something? He just menstioned only Hailey—I know she’s connected to RAD but do you think he would send that much men just to defend her?" Brandon questioned him. The thouts